"Call It Pop": Detroit’s Finest Clap Back at Chicago’s Soda Nonsense

Listen up, fam—Down With Detroit’s “Call it Pop”design ain’t just an apparel and merch piece; it’s a freakin’ declaration, a 313 battle cry stitched in cotton, born from the salty tears of two Michigan kdis who had to endure Chicago’s goofy “soda” obsession. Picture this: the two DWD founders, fresh outta Detroitland, land in the Windy City for college—big dreams, bigger vibes—only to get hit with the most outta-pocket nonsense ever. Everywhere they turned—whether crashin’ on Newport, Armitage, Eddy, Fremont, Racine, Diversey, or Maple—those deep-dish lovin’, “soda”-sippin’ fools were tryna flex like they invented carbonation. Nah, bruh, it’s POP—say it with us, P-O-P—and this design’s the origin story of how Detroit had to school Chicago on what’s good.

Back in the day, these two Hunt Club veterans were just trying to catch the Chicago vibe, you know, stackin’ textbooks and livin’ that college dream in Chi-Town.Scapin’ by or scrapin’ bowls? Anywa…every time they hit a spot—grubbin’ on some overrated pizza or dodgin’ potholes worse than 8 Mile—they’d ask for a pop, and these Chicago goofs would look at ‘em sideways like, “You mean soda?” Soda?! Man, what’s soda? Sounds like somethin’ you clean your grill with, not guzzle with a coney dog. In Detroit, pop’s the heartbeat—Faygo flavors flowin’ through our veins since 1907, Vernors hittin’ since 1866. That “pop” sound when you crack a bottle? That’s Motown royalty, not some fancy “soda” nonsense from a city that thinks salads on hot dogs is a thing.

So, livin’ on the Chicago streets—Newport’s rowdy nights, Armitage’s weezy landlords, Eddy’s chill corners—they’d hear it nonstop: “Want a soda?” “Grab me a soda!” Bro, they were losin’ it. One founder’s like, “Man, I’m ‘bout to chuck a Faygo at these clowns and yell ‘POP!’ ‘til they get it.” It’s pop, always been pop, forever will be pop.

That’s when the light bulb hit—boom, “Call it Pop” was born. This design? It’s a middle finger to Chicago’s soda shenanigans, a love letter to Detroit’s pop legacy—Faygo, Vernors, Towne Club, all that good stuff. They cooked it up with that classic red, unisex fit—reppin’ the grit of Gratiot and the soul of the Joe. Every stitch screams, “We from Detroit, where pop ain’t debated, it’s celebrated!” Chicago might’ve been their college stompin’ grounds, but they weren’t about to let those windy weirdos rewrite the script.

Now, wearin’ this “Call it Pop” joint, you’re carryin’ that Detroit swagger—laughin’ at Chicago’s deep-dish delusions while sippin’ a cold one, callin’ it what it is: POP. Our founders survived them soda streets—Racine’s chaos, Fremont’s chill—and came home to slap this truth on a tee. Silly Chicago people, still lost in their “soda” haze, need to recognize: Detroit’s pop game reigns supreme, and this shirt’s the proof. What up, doe—grab one and pop off!