Spotlight: 5 Questions with Edris Ekhlas, Hip Hop’s Automotive Archivist

Name:

Edris Ekhlas

What He Does:

He Documents Where Hip Hop Meets Cars

Website:

www.refreshera.us

Instagram:

@Refresh.Era

Photo Credit: Jon Jacob Arcinas

His Claim to Fame:

The first car that caught Edris Ekhlas’s attention was his older brother’s 1969 Mustang. Black and low on Cragar SS wheels with a 351 that you could hear down the block, that Mustang stuck with him the way a song hook does. Born in Frankfurt and raised in Southern California, he collected car moments that stayed with him, like watching a CLK slip out on a wet corner in Cologne or seeing his brother-in-law’s baby blue Integra with flipped Celica headlights and a big wing. Even now, he keeps tapes from a previous Mercedes owner in his glove box, imagining who she was and how she drove. He turned that curiosity about cars and their owners into @Refresh.Era.

His Instagram account works like a photo archive. Edris digs through old magazines, Getty collections, and forgotten image files, then adds context so each picture tells a complete story. The work expanded beyond social media into real projects, including curated car lineups for Monterey Car Week’s UpShift, gallery shows in Los Angeles, collaborations with Japanese car groups at ComplexCon, and limited merch runs to raise money for legends like Madlib. He highlights details that matter to car people, like Nipsey Hussle’s references to Lincolns, the story behind Dilla’s Dillalade, and the small modifications that tell a car’s history.

That same drive to preserve stories led him to help create Harakat with Dalal El Sheikh. Harakat showcases SWANA car culture and the practical creativity that keeps everyday vehicles running. Music, food, and community traditions move with the cars, reminding people these vehicles are part of a culture, not museum pieces. His goal is simple. Archiving the content and history of car culture matters to him just as much as protecting hip hop. The work centers on protecting roots, making space for what must be remembered, and keeping it alive as the culture continues to evolve.

Photo Credit: Jon Jacob Arcinas

5 Questions We Asked and He Answered:

1. How did you develop a passion for cars and/or motorsports?
My passion for cars was sparked by my older brother and his 1969 Ford Mustang. The fire was then fueled by other family members with cars like my brother-in-law and his custom baby blue DC2 Acura Integra, and my cousin’s single-cab step-side Silverado. Each type of build gave me a new perspective on each particular style and community. My passion continues to grow today as I explore every corner of car culture.

2. What advice do you have for people who want to break into the motorsports and auto industry?
Find what aspect of the industry and culture you like the most, and stay in that lane. Fine-tune your taste and learn to identify those who are doing things differently. Right now the industry seems repetitive, bland, stagnant. DO SOMETHING FRESH.

3. If you could drive any car, what would it be and why?
If I were given the opportunity to drive any car, I’d have to choose the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR. Not only is the car absolutely stunning, but it has an incredible history and was one of my dream cars as a kid. If you’re asking what car I’d daily? A Bentley Brooklands.

4. If you could attend any car/motorsports event in the world, which would you choose? Why?
I’ve been fortunate to experience many car events around the world, from Japan to Dubai to Germany. As a young teen first getting into the VW scene, Wörthersee show in Austria was the one to see. It’s been happening since the early 80s. It’s one I have yet to experience.

5. What’s the most exciting car event/race you’ve ever attended?
The most exciting car event I’ve attended was actually one that I helped organize in Los Angeles. It was called Harakat and featured the cars and culture of the SWANA (Southwest Asia/North Africa) region. It was a beautiful display of the cars and culture of the region.