Issue Six by Liquidteks Magazine

LIQUIDTEKS MAGAZINE INC 2010©

™

ISSUE 6, FALL/WINTER 2010 DIGITAL EDITION

EDITORS WORDS DELI167 aka BAN2 P ages 14-15

Issue Six has finally arrived!! In this Issue we break bread with BAN2, King of the Bronx 4 Line, among other things. He breaks down his feelings on the situation in Graf today!! BOND AKA BO Drug Crew gives us a brief look into his past as well! We head to 123 Klan and kick it with SCIEN & KLOR who let us in on their secret to success. EZRA TPA sends us love via Switzerland!! We get PYTHON to design his own page and let these dudes know his history. Akil of PHILLY speaks to DENSKE on the legacy of Philadelphia Graffiti. These past few years Graffiti has seem to go up and down like a roller coaster. We are trying to ride it out like we are on the Cyclone at Coney Island in Brooklyn. Let it be known that we will not quit covering and reporting graffiti and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s glory to you the ones who so appreciate and love it. In the near future we will be going the route of Graffiti Magazine/DVD and we will continue the flow of keeping it straight from the heart of it all!! From New York City to Los Angeles, Berlin to Moscow, left to right, we will keep the flow going strong and keep you posted on this thing we call Graffiti!! 100 SIE HR

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Published by Liquidteks

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CONTRIBUTORS Blen, Python, Host, Ban2, Fearo, Ezra, Bond, Tabe, Eon75, Girls Gone Graf, Host, Mor, ILoveGraffiti.de, Lanie LaBrie, Akil Gannesh Nuru, 215 Graf, Mr. Puppet, Zimad, Montana Colors Puerto Rico, Tag, Does, Brone, Estria, Van2, 123 Klan, Chake, Fanta, DL1, Zahrah, Soem, www.TagsAreKnown.com

WE DO NOT PROMOTE NOR CONDONE THE USE OF SPRAY PAINT OR ANY OTHER MATERIALS FOR

LIQUIDTEKS NY_MAGAZINE4GRAFFITI ISSUE #6, FALL/WINTER 2010

NEW YORK CITY BOMBERS

GANGSTA, TRIM, JOZ RIP, RECK, CAP, REE, FELER, CAVS, SLICK RIP, JOSH5, FIB, TRAP, CAP, CHAMA, SONI RIP, CASTERMER RIP, PER, COPE2, CINE, TYKE, NEAR, BAN2, FEC, ELF RIP, RAE, KLUE, DCEE, BRACE RIP, CHAIN3, DUNE, SADE, TABE, LOUIE167, VOID, MS RIP, PEL, NIC707, KYLE, 2NICE, FDT56, BESTER, WIPS, WANE, FLITE, RD, VINCE, LOOSE, SMITH, SANE, JEW, DES, ECHO, VEEFER, HEKTAD, WED, ACT2, SCANT, SEUS, DCEVE, GOAL, MARTY, DOLE, RAB, 2ESAE, CHINO, OVIE, JA, CLAW, ALROC, SAZE, KAZE2, MRS, OZBE., TEKAY, GHOST, WEB, SEEN, COMET, GATO, CYCLE, REVOLT, HAZE., WEB., MISS17, KAWS, SERE, RAZE, NOC167, TRAP, BABY168, BILLY167, BLADE, COMET, BLUE, BOM5, FUTURA2000, FN, NET, CRIME79, FUZZONE, BOOTS119. AEVON, CAVS, EASY. JOSH5, KAZE., ALROC, SOE, YES2, PER, TRACY168, TKID, FARGO, QUIK, FADE, FLINT707, DEAL, DE, BRUZ, NATO, BILROC, SHAME, KEL1ST, JOEY, KC1ER, JOE61, LAVA, MED, PART, OE3, MARE139, MITCH77....

THE DESTRUCTION OF ONES PROPERTY!!!

Just to name a few...

www.myspace.com/girlsgonegraff

"OUT FOR PHAME" BY JEW BT CIRCA 1994, BXNY YourFavorite Ny_Magazine4Graffiti......

body graf......................................................................... 6-7 rANDOM pIECES..........................................8-9, 46-47 BLACKBOOK SPREAD................................................... 10-11 TRAINS...............................................................................12-13

The Five Boros................................................16-17, 20-21

United States of Graffiti................................

Los Angeles.......................................................................26 New MEXICO....................................................................... 27 San Francisco...............................................................32 LOS ANGELES.......................................................................33

INTERVIEWS

BAN2 OTB......................................................................... 14-15 PYTHON......................................................................................18 GET NOTHING BUT PROPS WINNER................... 19 BOND AKA BO..............................................................22-23 VAN2ROCSTARS............................................................ 25 DENSKE..............................................................................28-30 SCIEN 123KLAN.......................................................... 34-35 EZRA TPA...................................................................38-39 PUPPET.............................................................................42-43

Worldwide Coverage................................................................

MOSCOW..................................................................................36 MUNICH.................................................................................... 37 BERLIN..................................................................................40-41 RIO DE JANEIRO.......................................................... 44-45

Look out for the DVD coming soon...

By HOST

Getting Ready Girls Gone Graff

By REBS

By MOR

Model: Lanie LaBrie

*ALL MODELS USED FOR BODY GRAFFITI ARE OVER THE LEGAL AGE LIMIT!!!

Girls Gone Graff

Party Time

By UNEK

BY UNEK

Random Photos of Pieces

STEM • CRIME79 • STONE

SLON • REPO • XIST

NEED • SIEK • RENOS

RIBS • NOAH & BEM • THEMO

SKER • EROTICA • LOBO

TEKNYC • CLARK ID • RATH

TRAINS

SLAVE, VEN, NERO, VERN

YARDS, HIMS, BIO, YARDS

WILD, MADSEEN, SENT, YARDS

Fotos Courtesy of MERK CAC Archiving

B A N 2 killed the 4Line and abroad. During his reign, he

was known as BAN2 & DELI167. O T B w a s t h e c r e w a n d O U T TA BOMB he was. Riding the 4Line I would be swamped with BAN2 t a g s o l d a n d n e w. I t w a s l i k e a l o g o t o m e . F u c k t h e M TA l o g o , B A N 2 h a d i t l o c k e d d o w n . We s i t down with him to find out some more. Let them know BAN2. I write BAN2 and DELI167. I represent OTB (OUT TO BOMB). I was inducted in by NOC167 due to we lived right next door to one another and use to play stickball, basketball and football tog e t h e r. B e l i e v e i t o r n o t i f n o t as an artist, he could’ve made it in any sport. I started writing in late 1975 because I moved to the Bronx then from Harlem and I

still went to school in Manhattan. The trains I use to take were the C C ’s w i t h t h e c o n d u c t o r s t a n d i n g in-between the cars with the joy-stick type controllers to open & shut the doors. That was some s c a r y s t u ff . I s t a r t e d o n t h e C C ’s because since I went to school that way and I wanted to see my tag and let the school boys see it too. I know that OTB was founded by NIC707. NOC167 took control in t h e l a t e 7 0 ’s t h e n a s h e w a s i n a c tive and seeing that I was killing and being dedicated, I took over the helm. So I did all the bombing I could. I fell-off in the l a t e 8 0 ’s d u e t o o t h e r e n d e a v o r s , so seeing that COPE2 was proving himself a dedicated-killer, h a r d r o c k , a n d n o n - s t o p p e r. I m e a n t h e r e ’s n o t e n o u g h , s o i n my word he carried it long and

h a r d a n d s t i l l t h i s d a y, s t i l l d o i n g h i s t h i n g . I k n o w t h a t i t ’s been talk of this guy and that g u y. T h a t ’s a b u n c h o f b u l l s h i t . So you heard it straight from my mouth. What do you think of todays styles? The styles of today are out of t h i s w o r l d ! ! I m e a n i t ’s m o r e c o n t r o l l e d a n d c o n c e n t r a t e d . I t ’s not that much comparison. The o n l y d i ff e r e n c e i s t h a t i t ’s o n legal terms due to when i was doing my thing on the criminal aspect; remember it was illegal, so we had to beware of the law & cops. I didn’t have time to make things look pretty and remember we had time frames time to get in and do what needs to be done and bounce. It wasn’t a hang out sort of thing. Some of us had jobs to report to in the morning. Please,

a wall you can do half one day and come back the next and fini s h , t r a i n s , n o w a y. S o y o u h a d to make do. Get it and get it good. Insides or outsides? I chose to prefer both but the i n s i d e s a r e e a s i e r. T h e o u t s i d e s , w e l l i t ’s l i k e t h i s , I w o u l d w a l k d o w n a t r a i n a n d s e e t h i s g u y ’s stuff. Naw I can’t go over my man and before you know it, I’d already walked damn near the whole train and you want to be in a position. In case you’d have to book-run and so plan your escape route but on the other hand if its semi buffed then by all means but out of respect just tag the brothers name up in your work and if/when you see him explain to h i m w h a t h a p p e n e d . T h a t ’s s o i f won’t be a beef later on and you manned up to him.

What is new for BAN2 today? To d a y i n y e a r 2 0 1 0 B A N 2 h a s hung up his paint nozzles and felt tipped dripped markers. I’m too old to be playing renegade o u t l a w. P l u s I p l a n o n m a k i n g a comeback for them dollars sake, painting canvasses and putting the name back out. Plus a tellall book, well I’m 47yrs old. I’m not playing jacks with these youngins. The trains are gone, t h a t ’s i t ! ! B u t t h e d a y s w i l l a l ways be embedded in my tales. What were your influences? The influence on my career was w h e n I u s e d t o r i d e t h e 3 r d Av e e b a c k i n t h e l a t e 6 0 ’s , e a r l y 7 0 ’s in the Bronx, seeing the early tags. But i was still into my b i g - w h e e l a n d b e a n s h o o t e r. I n a few i started seeing BLADE, C O M E T, C L I F F 1 5 9 , T 1 6 9 , F U Z Z 1 , L E E , S L AV E 1 , a n d J E E 2 . I ’ m

t a l k i n g m i d 7 0 ’s n o w b e c a u s e I saw JEE2 and JESTER1 had the C C ’s o n l o c k s o t h e m 2 c a t s g o t me open, plus there was othe r s l i k e S TAY H I G H 1 4 9 , S U P E R C O O L 2 2 3 , L AVA 1 , P A R T 1 T D S , ZEPHYR1, IZTHEWIZ, NACO1, SNAKE1, BOOTS119, BUTCH2, K A S E 2 , B I L LY 1 6 7 , M I T C H 7 7 , COCO174, A5, ELMARKO174, H U R S T, D E A N B Y B , C LY D E , a l l them cats made me want to pick up a can of paint. Chase or raid story you might want to add?

ment. I don’t know why all of a sudden they were running at u s . Yo u s e e t h e r e ’ s a g a t e t h e r e and you need a key to open it. I used to get on the subways for f r e e w i t h t h a t k e y. I t w a s a m a s ter-lock key only given to transit workers. The cops must’ve o p e n e d i t o n t h e s l y. S o I b o o k e d & ran in between the cars, just without a superman cape on. I jumped to the street. It must’ve been 35-40 feet. I just did flight and there were people all in the streets looking and saying, “Ahh h h o h h h h h h h . Yo u s a w t h a t ? ! ”

Raid stories, well I have a few but the worst was at Gun Hill Road on the 2-line, White Plains Road. I was there being macho and without a care in the world doing a top to bottom whole car on the platform. These cops were looking dead at me. I was with 2 FA M E & A N G E L a n d P O L O s o I didn’t think anything at the mo-

Shout outs: NIC707, COPE2, SPICE, MIN1, DAZE, CRASH1, LIL KARADO, CRANE, REE 2 M TA , B O M 5 , B E S 7 , R I M 1 , S N AT C H 1 , C E Y C I T Y, S C O P, LADY PINK, SMITH, RAM1, S E A P, T E A N 5 , K A D E 1 9 8 , F E D 2 , S K E M E , D E Z , S H I RT K I N G PHADE, MED167, SEEN, R U P E RT, D O C T C 5 , K I T 1 7 , D E E 3 ,

FRITOS, MARK198, COMET1, B L A D E 1 , R O L I O , PA P O S A L S A , B L I N D 1 , C AV S , E Z O , S T A N 1 5 3 , T R A P 1 , U P S 2 , TA B E , WA N E , REM311, INK76, SHAME125, TKID170, FLITE, NEED, K E L 1 S T , M A R E 1 3 8 , R U B 5 , R AT 1 , S H A R P, D E L T A , L E E , S L AV E , DOC109, OVIE, BG183, NICER, M E D , F R I T O S , V I N E M T A , P J A Y, SEEN, DUSTER, JOP and all those I didn’t mention you know you’re down.

Interviewed by MERK CAC

Manhattan

Brooklyn

What and whom, if any, got you involved in graffiti?

For the Liquidteks Get Nothing But Props Contest, you dominated from what the judges thought and a lot of others who have seen the final product you submitted... What made you want to compete in a graf contest? The biggest reason I entered was for inspiration. And I had been hiding for far too long this gave me chance to come out of my shell. And I have never entered a blackbook contest before where actual writer were judging it. Do you write? I have never painted before. But it wasn't by choice, I'm originally from a very small town in northeast Georgia. There were many more trees than buildings there wasn't much of me to practice on. It all had to remain on paper.

The Source magazine's Graf Flix section was the first place I ever saw graff. I was already drawing but when I saw graffiti it was something I just had to do. I just fell in love with the letters and especially the colors. It was something I had never seen before. The first artist's work I saw in the magazine was T-Kid and I have to say he's work has been my biggest influence. The way he continuously flips this style always keep me trying something new. I finally did get the chance to see graffiti in front of my own two eyes when I was 21 at the Civic Yard in Atlanta. I was surrounded by it, I don't think I could describe the feeling.

What are your thoughts on graffiti today? I see a lot of abstract now-a-days, I'm not taking anything from the abstract but for me one the things I like most about graffiti is seeing the shape of the letter and the different ways that letter can be done. What motivates you to put pencil to paper? Everything, from a color combination I saw in furniture to a magazine ad. And my family has been a big motivation for me many them are very talented artist. Thanks alot Zahrah, any last words? All praises to Allah. Special thanks to Sal-One for having so much faith in me and for the critiques. And thank you SIE, MERK and all the Liquidteks family so much for giving me this chance.

Have you been to NYC and seen some of the graffiti here? Still to this day I have not been to NYC but I'm getting closer, I live in NJ now.

JAES

TRAB4

da Bronx UTZ • SEN4, JOZ RIP • JOVES, SKUF, POST, DERS, ETC...

DEZO

WEN

SYE TC5

CLARK ID

5 pointz

RIKOE

PART TDS

BOND ONE (AKA) BO

BOND DRUG CREW

I STARTED WRITING IN 1979 I USED TO GO MOTION BOMBING WHICH WAS GETTING THE TRAIN FROM GRANT TRAIN STATION WHERE I LIVED CLOSEST TO AND TAKING IT TOWARD LEFFERTS BLVD. BUT THAT DIDN,T LAST LONG I HAD GOT A SUMMER JOB HANDING OUT FLIERS SO I WENT TO THE SUBWAY AND THAT IS WHERE I RAN INTO A NEIGHBOR , I DID NOT KNOW WHAT I HAD GOT MYSELF INTO WHEN HE SAID DO YOU WANT TO HAVE SOME FUN. I OF COURSE SAID YES AND FOLLOWED HIM INTO THE TUNNEL WHICH WAS THE GRANT LAYUP . JOHN WROTE JAP AND WAS DOWN WITH A CREW CALLED WAR AND BYB. THAT WAS IT I FOUND MY FUN PLACE FROM HERE I STARTED GOING EVERY DAY TO THE LAYUP AND BRINGING MORE AND MORE INK AND PAINT. THEN I DECIDED TO GO TO THE NEXT FAZE WHICH WAS WALKING FROM GRANT LAYUP TO EUCLID ALL THE WAY THROUGH LIBERTY. I USED GO WITH 2 OR 3 PINTS OF INK AND NOT LEAVE TILL I WAS DONE. BUT MY BEST WAS WHEN I WALKED A DIFFERENT ROUTE ONE DAY AND FOUND THE A _YARD. OH YEAH THAT IS WHEN I TRULY STARTED WRITING WHICH WAS AROUND 1982. MY FIRST CREW I WAS DOWN WITH WAS G.L.B.SINNERS . THIS WAS THE GRAFFITTI LAW BREAKING SINNERS, THE PREZ WAS MY BOY SAME HE WAS A BREAK DANCER AT HEART BUT ALSO WOULD TAG HERE AND THERE .THEN I MET MY TRUE PARTNER AND BROTHER KCONER . I HAD OTHER PARTNERS SUCH AS WE & SR ONE . BUT KC AND I KILLED SHIT TOGETHER. I WOULD GET UP IN THE MORNING AND GO AND GET MY INK FROM EITHER GATES AVE OR I WOULD GO TO LIPSHITZ AND NO BODY KNEW THAT MY SISTER WORKED THERE SO I WOULD GET CASES OF CASH REGISTER INK FROM THERE AND MIX IT WITH BLACK INK. MY MARKERS WERE SICK I WOULD HAVE THE CRAZY ILL DRIPPS GOING. SOMETIMES YOU COULDNT EVEN READ IT BUT YOU KNEW IT WAS ME, MY SHIT WAS RAW. I REMEMBER I HAD 1 CLOSE CALL AT GRANT LAYUP THIS SHIT WAS CRAZY THERE WERE ABOUT 10 COPS OR MORE I THOUGHT I WAS SLICK HIDING UNDERNEATH THE TRAIN WHEN THE SHIT STARTED TO PULL OUT AND HIT MY HEAD

SO HARD I HAD A FRED FLINTSTONE LUMP. BUT I GOT OUT I WAS WITH REPS & DEAM, DEAM GOT OUT BUT REPS GOT CAUGHT. THEY DIDNT EVEN DO ANYTHING BACK THEN. THAT WAS REALLY THE ONLY TIME I HAD A CLOSE CALL I NEVER ACTED STUPID BREAKING WINDOWS OR CAUSING A PROBLEM. I DO REMEMBER GOING INTO THE BUFF HOUSE AND RAIDING THE WORK BUMS LOCKERS. THAT SHIT WAS FAT, I CAME OFF WITH OVER 20 ORIGINAL KEYS AND SEVERAL OTHERS I HAD VESTS YOU NAME IT WAS SICK. BUT I STILL DIDNT MAKE THE YARD HOT. I WAS A LITTLE SKINNY CRAZY WHITE BOY IF YOU KNEW ME YOU KNEW THAT I WAS DOWN. I WAS NOT MUCH OF A FIGHTER BUT I REALLY NEVER HAD ANY BEEF SO I HAD NO PROBLEMS. I MET SOOOOO MANY WRITERS ALONG THIS ROUTE IT WAS GREAT. THE FIRST FEW WERE LS, PREZ OF 7DS. I WENT TO FRANKLIN K LANE AND THE WRITERS HERE WERE MOSTLY FROM THE J LINE. THEY WERE HEL, STEEP, VINNY, ROJO, TORE, MOBSTER, METRO, CRIME 79, DOC, SERT, CS (AKA) SAME. MOST OF THESE GUYS WERE FROM NUTS CREW THERE WAS ALSO RISCO. HE GOT UP ALOT ON THE J LINE. HERE IS A LIST OF ALL THE PEOPLE I WOULD BOMB WITH BACK IN THE DAY. KC ONER, DOC FROM TC5 CREW, WE TNV, DOLE CAC CREW, PEO, SIS, HOODS, SR ONE, TLS & WE TNV. WE ALL DID OUR SHARE OF DAMAGE ON THE A-LINE. BUT I ALSO DID SOME DAMAGE ON OTHER LINES WHEN I WENT BOMBING WITH DURO CIA AND RON 1 TVSQUAD. I HIT THE IRTS FOR A LITTLE WHILE. BUT MY TRUE LINE WAS THE A’S. I REMEMBER I WOULD GET ON THE TRAIN AND WALK THROUGH THE CARS AND SEE MY TAG IN EVERY CAR AND ON THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE. NOW I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF HATERS OUT THERE BUT IF YOU REALLY RODE THE A-LINE YOU KNOW THE DAMAGE I DID. AND YOU KNOW I WORE THE CROWN FOR A WHILE. AS FAR AS CREWS GO HERE IS MY LIST. DRUG CREW, GLB SINNERS. GIVEN TO ME BY SAME A-LINE KILLERS. NEW CREW STARTED TC 5, CIA, TOP & BAD INK.

VAN2

I started writing in 1977 in the South Bronx, on Bronx River Ave. Back then I was writing just to vandalize and for a few years I was writing Mickone. Me and Drake started hanging out, better known as COS207, Drake had mad outlines and so he pulled me into the tunnels and yards and the rackspots, Sam Flax was home sweet home. The most influential of that era was COS207, KEL139 Tops, other influences were Fashion Mode when Stefan Eins was in the mist of it, and it just evolved into a sort of get away, no worries. By then SHY147 and MARE139 became tight and as we hanged and bombed the 1 tunnels. COS, KEL and SHY formed the crew as we know now as ROCSTARS aka ROC. And they kinged me as VAN2 and it stuck! I was the ‘jit’ in the crowd. Other influences in that era were A-1, Crash, SEEN, DAZE. To me this defined what I wanted to do, not just graffiti, but ART. My most active years were scattered from 79-86, I remember bombing insides with KIST and SMILEY149, but the crew I ran hard with was and is the ROCSTARS, and at that time SEEN was ruling the 6 line with an iron fist, but came ROC and gave the comp. Top crews at the time were United Artist (UA), ROCSTARS (ROC), The Vamp Squad (TVS). Then I joined the U.S.Army for 14yrs with the 10th Mountain Div. 1/87Inf and when I came back from duty things had changed very much in the hood, SHY had passed away, KIST also passed, SMILEY149 RIP, man it was a whole new world as a civilian. I got into myself and my art changed into abstract black and white contrast,

multimedia and so on, now I live in Florida, retired from the army do to combat conditions and I push silk screen t-shirts around the world at my site www.van2roc.com. I recall a chase in Espionage one time when COS, SHY, DEA2 and myself. We got there and set up shop on the 3rd rail, black books out and CLICK CLACK it was on. All of a sudden here comes COMET with a duffle bag of paint screaming down the tunnel I'm the King!! So we said screw it, lets bust this window down anyway. So COS starts his while DEA was middle panel and I was look out until COS got done and then I was adding to the ROC the last panel and all HELL broke loose, the ground started shaking with a rumble, it was the work bum train full of cops jumping off with the doors open, a full scale RAID, man we took off out the tunnel down the tracks and the cops 2 feet behind us, I tell you man it was the worst chase ever. So I slip under the car and over the other side and COS says Yo VAN my camera!!! I got to get the camera and he turned around and back into the tunnel so I followed him, DEA2 was gone, we got the camera and the chase was on again but this time it was the chase man!! The sole of my sneakers were hitting the back of my head right behind COS, we ran into a 15ft fence, COS took a leap and was halfway up the fence, I took the same leap and slipped down the fence, I looked back and there they were ready to grab my Vantastic ass, COS was already half way down on the other side of the fence and I was on top sitting on the pole when the

pigs started to throw work bum sticks at us, COS took the 8ft jump off the fence and I took the 15ft jump off the fence and broke my freakin ass and to make it worse cop cars were coming our way, COS grabbed me and said walk normal, walk normal!! They went right by us and then we hauled ass back to the train station about a few blocks down but the stations were on lock down, COS said “FUCK THIS” Get that taxi!! We jumped right on in and took off, and yes we got the camera and the black book but lost the paint!! That was a never forgotten chase. SHY and DEA2 found their own way and got away, we all did. After that chase, the name VAN2 stuck because I put my ass on second gear and hauled ass out of there. Those were the days, the thrill of the chase, kicking ass and racking paint for the love of ART!! I send a shout out to COS, KEL, MARE, Henry Chalfant, Carl Weston, Stefan Eins, MIN1, BOM5, NAC143 and LIQUIDTEKS, SIE and MERK for keeping it real...

REVOK

NM SOFA

DENSKE speaks on the rich legacy of Philly Graffiti, past & present. Let’s start out by telling everybody, where you’re from, what you did & who are you? I’m DENSKE, or DEN, UNI, TUK. I’m from North Philly, where graffiti comes from. I’m the last king of the city and internationally known thorobred. Back in da day I remember you performing with acts like the Roots, the Fugees and Jeru. You had the ill jackets you were designing, getting that bread by any means. You had so many options in hip-hop but what attracted you to Graff? Well, the thing is it was a unilateral attraction. I fucked with it all. That’s how hip hop was given to me. I saw masters of multiple disciplines on the regular. a lot of the Graff writers were also MCs. For instance Robby B, who was the MC responsible for the Philly classic “Rock The Go-Go” was also STAR from the legendary SAM1 Crew. My cousin was MC Crash from The Mighty B-Force. He also used to write CRASH, MSM. now with me, the Graff was just something that just took hold of me and refused to let go. I was already heavy with the art, so it was real natural. And looking at all that stuff at 10 years old, it was physically bigger than me, so it all looked larger than life. it was amazing. I wouldn’t rest until I was initiated into that secret society. The yungbolz today can’t even dig how serious it was back then. Explain the climate of the city in that era? What was the energy of the late 80’s and early 90’s like in Philly? How raw was it really?

Shiiiiit, I mean, I can understand the art part and all that, but this is a crime. It’s literally a crime of passion. and it’s pretty much based on the same premise as every other crime. Respect and coming from neighborhoods where everything depends on that, you come correct or you get checked. These niggas hold hands now adays. It’s a cum-bah-yah rally. a wack nigga support group. What I mean, the streets

was magic, baby. it was like a party on the street. There was so many people out participating in living and creating. Anything was about style. your clothes was fresh in a certain way. The music was forward. it was a crime to repeat yourself. honor was given to those that added on. and the true innovators became legends. and legends last forever. it’s the ultimate respect. I don’t think these niggas get it.

dressed to finesse, whether rollin for self, or riding with only the fliest of individuals, made catching an appointment with the pussy as easy as catching a cold. Ask about me. I stayed with a fine as black chick or a Latin chick. I like em brown like roast duck.

How much influence did the street have on graffiti at that time?

Shit, you had more than a few. OZ was definitely a king of the Northeast. SUB was always a favorite of mine. I’m sure folks would agree he was a style king. KAIR was king of the rooftops, CAR before him. it was definitely their domain. See, it’s hard to answer a question like that cause there were folks who had rep, like COSE & NARK, who tore shit down, but were never kings of the city. Maybe kings of bombing for sure, like DUCK, the all-time king of bombing and KADISM, who only comes in second cause DUCK, had a 10 year head start. But both of them were kings of the city. In my book, those are the only kings that matter. No shots fired, cause I think dudes who did the work deserves the perks. I’m just saying, the term king shouldn’t be a loose one. It should be definitive. It should mean one thing. Top of the game, that’s it.

What? Most of the Graff writers were hustlers of some sort. There was crazy dudes who were world class boosters and not just spray paint. Shit, I used to get it in. We used to get sneakers, leather jackets, ‘Lo, Nautical, all types of shit. There was short con niggas, pick pockets, car thieves (I mean, they operated organized interstate car theft rings), a couple of pimps (real ones, who was having hoes that was paying ‘em), drug dealers and then a couple were MAJOR drug dealers, I mean dudes who were connected to the Medellin cartel and members of JBM, the Junior Black Mafia, the inspiration for the State Property movies. Shit gets deep out here. Was there ever a time when street life overlapped into graffiti? Shit, Aint u listening? in North Philly, Graff was a part of the street life! Niggas who was known for home invasions, who tied up and held Dominicans for ransom, were known on the street by the names they wrote on the wall. Shit, almost all of the dudes that were in the street was known by the name they wrote to the wall. It was like that was a part of your rep. It was cool. It was sexy. The bitches paid attention and they knew who was who. they knew that if somebody slashed a nigga name, to tell him cause they knew his rep was on the line. and they kept their ears flapping to the names that were ringing. plenty of bitches knew who I was. They met me and said shit like “wow! you’re so famous!” or “my god, you’re popular!” and they would throw me that pussy based on the fact that I had a thoro name in the street. and the fact that when they met me I was riding clean,

Who were the Kings then?

You were living back and forth between Philly and NY. Did you ever think one city was influencing the other? Of course! Shit, NY influenced everyone in the world! But a lot of folks don’t know how Philly has profoundly affected NY and hip hop in general. Now, what I’m going to speak on is before me, but the individuals who told me are eye witnesses, and they are still alive, should the footnotes be necessary? Graffiti STARTED IN PHILLY. There is no question about that at all. Well, to those who don’t know, it may sound controversial, but to that who are educated and who were there knows the truth. Philly was known nationally as the graffiti capital of the country YEARS before it broke in NY. in fact, in 1971 when the Village Voice article came out detailing the adventures of TAKI 183, CORNBREAD was writing all over Philly that he QUITS. But that’s after 4

years of bombing and style innovation, along with his partners COOL EARL and TITY, and actually writing on the Jackson 5’s 1971 world tour plane! Philly was already starting to have its second all out king, DISCO DUCK, all while the NY scene was just getting started. 2 very influential writers, TOP CAT 125 and PHILADELPHIA PHIL brought with them a style of writing from Philly called “Broad Street Style” named after the famous Broad St., which is actually 14th St. in Philly. that style was turned into “Broadway Style” in NY, and it was the hand style that directly influenced the first pieces. cause all of the earliest “pieces” were just traced tags. CORNBREAD started writing on walls in 1967, trying to get some pussy. who knew he’d started a global phenomenon? and see, I tell em all the time that the graffiti is very important cause in hip hop, it came FIRST. In Philly and in NY. The DJ, or the hip hop style DJ, cause there were DJ's around, came later. The rappers came LAST. In fact, in Jamaica, they were already having battles! The prototype for the DJ and the emcee came from Jamaica when DJ KOOL HERC set up his set on Sedgwick Ave in the Bronx in 1974, the whole idea of it was what he saw growing up as child in JA. His innovation was to extend the break manually, birthing LOOPING. Cause in JA they had “dub” and “versions” of records that the toasters (the mc) could reform over. The foundation was laid in JA. but bout time it reached NY, graffiti was already in swing, with early kings like LEE 163D! and SUPER COOL 223 already reaching legendary heights. It was already popping in Philly, we was on our 3rd great generation of writing by that time,being led by JS (JOHN SKI) and the HCS crew. The most significant innovation in tagging history was done during this time, being followed by the legendary SAM1 crew, who took everything to new heights. it’s a rich history that few know and understand. But now, let it be known and understood. There’s a whole other history that goes with the street game, as far as Murder, Inc. and the Black Mafia, pimpin, the Chitlin circuit (which was a way to say underground music in the 60s), and the influence and exchange that dudes like Sam Christian and Nooney Mims had on NY and the country in general, pimps like TOP CAT and such, that’s another story for another magazine.

In what ways were they different, the writers and the art form? Well, NY had accelerated in the piecing department. And from going back n forth to NY as a youth, I saw it for myself first hand. I always say this was in response to the competition to be seen. It had to get bigger and better until it eventually took up the whole side of the train! but when Subway Art came out, it was an amazing look at a very advanced form of the art than we were used to seeing here in Philly. cause our tagging styles are the most advanced IN THE WORLD. That’s what we were developing here during those times. It’s a sort of an anthropology that I believe will be studied further down line as hip hop becomes increasingly understood at the university level as the most important subculture of the last half of the 20th century. What’s interesting to me though, is that Philly was developing a style of piecing INDEPENDENT of the NY scene. I’m sure someone brought back some pictures or seen something in the paper, but it developed way different. They were more tall, with an up and down emphasis. NY pieces developed with a side to side sensibility, with the movement going more horizontal. It would have been cool to see how that style would have influenced NY or how that style would have progressed on its own independently today. Tell the world what a wicket is and how & why are hand styles important to Philly’s Graff community? A wicket is a wild style tag. It is the most complicated version of a tagging style that exists anywhere in the world. It was introduced in its first form by the HCS crew and mastered to its modern state by the SAM1 crew, NOTORIOUS BIC (NB) being the chief architect. Hand styles are THE most important part of a writer ’s arsenal here in this city cause of its deep rich history into the origins of graffiti, the tag is still revered as the real and most important style indicator and development of writer. And a piecer talking. You can tell how schooled a writer is by how many ways he can write his name. I did a wall in 1990 where I wrote 12 completely different versions of my name on a wall. At the end, I wrote, “more hands than

an octopus”. I swear to you, it received as much attention and acclaim as my pieces did at the time. Now, don’t look at a lot of the writers here in Philly nowadays. Look at some pictures. Cause like I said, this used to be a street niggas sport. I mean when niggas was beefing over drug spots, niggas was crossing names out as a THREAT. and some shit happened. But I know things and say nothing. However, a lot of that history is sitting in the pen. We starting to come out gradually. Me, I spent almost 5 in Caucus Mountains. And dudes is coming home now. So maybe the connection can happen again where the youngbaws can see what it is to really get it in. maybe it’s our fault for not passing it on correctly. Are there any cats from outta town that can do Philly hands like a real thoro Philly dude can? Emphatically, NO. I remember NM took a writing technique to OAKLAND in like 1988, 89, and taught it to the late, great DREAM. it was called the up fade, where u blow the nozzle out on the top and control the bottom portion of the letter to a thin, tight line. DREAM absolutely rocked that shit, as well as SABER, who does ill shit with it. that originated in Philly. but that’s a technique. I have yet to see someone do a Philly style outside of Philly well. I mean, people write real good script hands. but shit, u been writing cursive since 3rd grade! that should be easy at this point. What’s the current state of Philly Graff? It’s not so good. It’s like a lot of Graff in general. There’s no real inspiration. The spirit of competition is gone. I mean, some of the illest shit I’ve seen lately come from girls! KENSA from France has REAL style. She is ill! There’s a girl from Spain who writes my name, DEN, who gets busy. She does faces but that’s what I’m saying. See, they got a point to prove. They want to be seen as good as the fellas and they are, some of them. The dudes now a days just want to rock something, make a you tube video, and claim king. Fuck outta here! I never started to rock for the On the Go spots, the Infamy interview, The Art of Getting Over having me in it, 12 oz. Prophet, sell-

ing in galleries in NY and in Philly, working at The Source, none of that. I started to bomb the city, be good at it, never get caught and get respect, period. All of that stuff is the by product of doing things well. just like pussy. Cuz to a fly nigga, it does grow on trees! But I’ll save the pimpin for a different sentence. If you could change that, how and what exactly would you do? Start having niggas get punched in the face again! For real! There’s a different mode of conduct when motherfuckers know it can go down. Don’t go here, you’ll get got, don’t do this, you’ll get your paint took, give up a can or 2 if you violate on some thorobred shit. I mean, that’s a symptomatic problem with the streets in general. there has been so much infiltration by the rat and the pig that there is a dying breed called the thorobred. There is almost no such thing as rules or regulations or a code of conduct or character. meanwhile, the blood suckers of the poor continue to make it known that violation of their law will result in punishment or in death. They move with their rules intact and therefore accomplish much. Now look at the state of things. Everything has REGRESSED. The music, the style, the Graf, the streets (at least do wrong right) and general character. Nobody wants to be wack, but can’t stand to be called it when they really are. And when you tap them on the shoulder to let em know that that aint it, then you become a hater, a term abused by the wack nigga support group. The positive is that the opposite energy needs to exist. Therefore it creates an underground. Watch people turn more to the “underground” for sustenance in every genre. Remember I forecasted the trend. Are there any current Kings? NO!!! Who do you like and why? What are they doing to set them apart from the pack? I fuck with MEN, KENES and BARK. RE has the ability to be great. she’s a girl, and the city needs a

real queen. SOLO is developing a unique style, like the great writers of the past have done. NATE ROCK and ADS puts in real work. it’s a short, similar list. it usually is. the mothafuckas who really do it will be the ones who really stand out, every time somebody is asked. What are you currently working on? Well, we have these ill ass underground parties. I mean some real BeatStreet shit where we bring the DJ out and let the Graff niggas get loose while the smoke is in the air and the girls rock out to the Beats. Its hip hop like it used to be. Look for more of those functions in the New Year. I’m a mixing/mastering engineer. I’m also an artist and producer and I’ve got a small label called Tastemakers Music Group and I’m gearing up to put out an album now. I’m not going to say it’s what the game Needs. I’m going to say it’s what the game’s been missing. Stay tuned. All Graff cats want to be remembered, It’s like the essence of the Art. How will you be remembered for what you did? As one of the best to do it. Sorry, but clichés come from real shit. To me, there’s no other reason for doing ANYTHING. Without that as goal is, in my opinion, wasting time.

Continued on next page...

In your opinion, who are the top ten most impactful writers in the city? Shit, a list? You know how these gets Joe Buddens in trouble!! Alright... 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

CORNBREAD COOL EARL DISCO DUCK JS (JOHN SKI) TAN KADISM DENSKE

These are all the kings of the city back to 1967, except COOL EARL. I put him on their cause he started the “cool” prefix, which started the suffixes (ster, doe, ism, ski, ske, etc.) 8. NB (NOTORIOU BIC), president and style master of the most influential Crew in Philly Graffiti History, SAM1 9. MASTER PRINK, Bonafide piece style master, influenced every piecer in the city And I’mma be controversial and include a non-writer, 10. DAVE SIMMS. During the amazing 80’s, led by KADISM, he did the most amazing airbrush work in the city at a place called Wild Tops in The Gallery. On any day, there was at least 20-30 people coming to get work done or to watch Dave work, including a lot of writers, as well as myself. Dave’s straight letters from those shirts and jackets made it onto a Lot of highways, underpasses, buildings and such. I call it like I saw It. He went on to put out the Brotherman comic books and do animation for Nickelodeon. Thanks for da time out your bz schedule. You got it. Shout outs? NOPE. Niggas want to be noticed, GET noticed. That’s it!!

Interviewed by

Akil Gannesh Nuru

Character by NICER TATS Hall Of Fame 2009

EON75, ESTRIA & others...

LA FEARO

33 31

MOSCOW

MUNICH

zra, whats up? You have been quite busy this year painting and producing some great art work, what got you involved in graffiti? Who? Where?

ing and got better every year. It was a great thing to have a lot of active people around because people motivated each other a lot. You have a very distinct style, did anyone influence you? If so, who?

Of course European writers influenced me more than writers from other countries because I grew up over here. Nature and art When I was a kid I was drawing all my in general is and always was a big inspiralife. My father is an artist and I was tion to me. I am always drawing a lot and always familiar with the smell of paint. this helps me a lot to develop ideas. To me When I was about 16 years old I got it is a lot about the idea in paintings. The more and more into graffiti. I saw a technique and having a clean wall is imporlot of pieces on walls and tags everytant of course but the ideas make something where but couldn’t really understand stand out or not for me. I use a lot of time what stands behind it. So I tried to to write down ideas or concepts. And make find out. I got to know more and them more complex with more smaller more people in my town who were ideas. To me it is very important to always into hip hop. In the nineties the hip move myself. I like to look back and see that hop scene was really big over here I grow with my art. Style to me is not about and everybody was active. So after an outline or about 3 D or 2 D it is more getting to know more and more acabout after taste. Something you can’t really tive people I found out what grafdescribe but makes people know that you fiti is about. I learned about the did it. history of it and how you build up a piece and so on. Back then Traveling has been a big part of your graf writers like Shark, Mate, Daim life, what places have you visited? Was it and Toast were getting up in this always graf related? area and got big in the following years. So after seeing their work Traveling wasn’t always graff related to me. and what is possible with a sprayMy parents love to travel so when I was a can I started more and more paintkid I went with them to a lot of places. But

when I got really into graffiti of course I always wanted to leave my mark where ever I went. It’s a good thing to see the reaction of foreign people when you paint. And traveling inspires me always a lot because I see so many different things and I meet a lot of new people instead having routine and being around the same crowd all the time. I visited a lot of places in my life but didn’t paint everywhere. The main places where I went to paint and travel were the USA in cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, Conneticut. In Mexico I went to Tijuana, Mexicali, Rosarito, Ensenada and I painted in Germany and many places in Switzerland of

course. Next to that I traveled almost every country in the west of Europe. I definitely want to visit a lot more countries in the next couple years and of course paint where ever I can. Especially places like Asia, Africa or Australia would be very interesting to me because those places are so different compared to Europe. Name some of your favorite artists:

That’s a h different do da Vin other old casso, Da the world the work I like peo Daim, OG Boogie an

Is there a that you h

There are paint and landscape I would lo to. I think I will find experienc and this i end. But York fina one mont always w my pocke there to ro

You repre get down

I knew ab and I kne

hard question because I like a lot of artists. I looked into art of Leonarnci, Leonardo, Michael Angelo ond painters. I checked the work of Piali, Escher and many other artist of d history. In the graffiti world I like of many different artists as well. ople like Ces, Dare, Mate, Toast, G Abel, Belin, Zodak, Pose 2, Chor nd many many more…

any place you would like to paint havent yet?

e so many places I would love to d I haven’t yet. There are amazing es with old walls in it or old houses ove to paint or cities I never went k as more as I paint as more places d I would love to paint because the ce helps me to find the best spots is something which will never last summer 2009 I went to New ally and painted eight walls there in th that was definitely something I was looking for and now I got it in et. Doesn’t mean I won’t come back ock even more walls;-).

esent TPA Crew alot, How did you n with such an exclusive crew?

bout the TPA crew for many years ew that the crew is from the US but

that was all about it. One day Joe (one of the founders of the crew) wrote me after seeing my work and told me a lot about the history of the crew. And he also asked me if I would like to be part of the crew because they wanted to become more international and that they would love to have me in the crew so I thought about it and said yes. I think it is a good thing to be part of such an old crew and having members in the whole world. That helps a lot too when I travel because I can visit people and work with them and I have a chance to get to know the place faster with someone who is from there. Last words or shouts? Thank you for the interview and for the support to you guys. Check out my website from time to time if you would like to know what’s going on in my life www.ezraone.ch What’s up to the HEM crew Tijuana and the TPA crew and the No Names crew! See you guys soon. What’s up Ces….thanks for helping out in New York bro. What’s up Martial, Dare, Pose, Cruze, Smash and all the other members of the www.marshall-art. ch platform. What’s up to my writing friends in Switzerland…Note, Cherdar, Dosic, Disk, Push, Pain 2. And my family and my girlfriend and friends. And everybody I forgot.

BERLIN

PUPPET MASTER SO, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN GRAFFITI?

YOU TRAVELED TO DIFFERENT PLACES, WHERE WAS THE MOST INTERESTING PLACXE FOR YOU AND WHY?

I STARTED TO WRITE MY NAME IN BUSSES IN 1983. AND MY FIRST PAINTING WAS 1984... I WAS ALL INSPIRED BY THE STREET VIBES THAT WAS SHOWN IN SOME FILMS AND VIDEOS BACK THEN... FLASH DANCE, FAME, MALCOLM MACLAREN AND SO ON. AND THEN IN 1984 ALL THE MOVIES CAME OUT LIKE STYLE WARS, BEATSTREET, BREAK DANCE THE MOVIE AND SO ON.

WOW. THAT’S HARD TO SAY, BUT MOST CRAZY PLACE WAS FOR SURE MEXICO CITY. FOR ME, A SWEDISH GUY WITH A COUNTRY THAT HAS EVERYTHING SO ORGANIZED AND THAT MOST THINGS REALLY WORKS. TO SEE THIS MASS CIRCUS SPINNING AROUND. AND TRY TO PUT UP FRESH WALLS, IT WAS MAD WILD. I LOVE IT.!

WHERE DID YOU BEGIN YOUR JOUNRNEY IN GRAFFITI AND WITH WHOM? I STARTED WITH THE WRITING MY NAME IN THEM BUSSES... AND SINCE THEN IT BACAME MY LIFE... FIRST I WAS ALONE BUT I HOOKED UP WITH OTHER PEOPLE WHO WERE INTO THE HIP HOP THING IN MY HOMETOWN... LIKE MEANIE, JOJO3, RUBIE, JC FUZZ AND CRAZY CRUSH...AFTER SOME TIME WITH THE B BOYING I FIND OUT THAT THE WRITING WAS MORE MY THING...SO I DECIDED TO ALL WHAT YOU CAN DO IN WRITING. AT LEAST ONCE...ALL CITY...HOLE CAR,WINDOW DOWN,BURNERS, EASY STYLES, SILVERSTYLES THROW UPS,, AND SO ON,, WHO OR WHAT ARE SOME OF THE INFLUENCES YOU HAVE? IM INFLUENCED BY MANY ARTIST FOR DIFFERENT THINGS, OFCOURSE ALL OLD SCHOOLS FROM THE NY SUBWAY GRAFFITI ERA. LOVE TO SEE OLD PHOTOS FROM NY WRITERS THAT WAS DAMN BIZZY BACK THEN THAT WAS NEVER SHOWN IN EUROPE, MOSTLY IM FOR THE WRITING SPIRIT. I GET INSPIRED BY PEOPLE WHO YOU CAN FEEL THE LOVE!

WHAT OTHER WRITERS HAVE YOU PAINTED WITH? HOW DID YOU GUYS HOOK UP? WOW MAN I PAINTED WITH A LOT OF GUYS. THROUGH THE YEARS. BUT ONE REALLY COOL ONE WAS OF COURSE TO PAINT WITH MR. SEEN THE FIRST TIME IN THE BRONX 1990. FAVORITE PAINT? FAVORITE COLOR? ANY COLOR IS PRETTY GOOD THEESE DAYS. BUT IF I SHOULD PICK ONE I WOULD SAY MOLOTOWS. WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS WITH YOUR ART? I DO ALOT ARTWISE, KEEP DOING SOME EXHIBITIONS, ILLUSTRATIONS, ARTSHOWS, AND MURALS, ANYTHING THAT MAKES IT FUN. TRY TO KEEP DEVELOPING MY GRIDSTYLE. AND PUT UP MANY NEW CLASSIC STYLES. ANY LAST WORDS OR SHOUTS? PEACE TO EVERYBODY!!!

WWW.PUPPETINDUSTRIES.COM

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Next Issue features: We will be working on a printable issue of trains to be announced soon! Be on the look out for it. In that issue we will cover the train era from the 1970z up until the clean train movement in the new Millennium. We are planning a Round Table Session for our DVD of some of the best from the train era. Stay tuned!!

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