Born Ugly Magazine Issue #2

Born Ugly is a FREE online (and printed) skateboarding magazine based out of Richmond, VA.  The magazine consists of about 40+ pages of pure skateboarding photos and content that’s reminiscent of the early 90’s Big Brother.  This magazine is straight raw and made purely for the love of skateboarding.

Just a couple of months ago they approached us with some interview questions and I was (of course) stoked to do it for them.  They just recently released the interview in their latest Issue #2 online over HERE.  There are also a limited run of printed magazines available at the some of the locations listed over HERE, and if you don’t see any of your local skateshops carrying or distributing this magazine then you should tell them to holler at Mickael at Born Ugly (holler@bornuglymag.com).  Did I mention that this magazine is FREE?  Oh yeah, I just did.

Issue #2 Features:
- LA graf/skate crew Skate All Cities
- Artist/designer Chris Hope
- DIY Spotlight: The Foundation / Atlanta GA
- 80’s Time Warp Photos
- More metal, more beer, the Pope’s food baby, and tons mo’ deuce

BornUglyMag.com

Born Ugly Magazine Issue #2

GSOUTH STV, WH, TKO, KBT, (N), FS – Interview

SAC: What do you write?
GS: GSOUTH

SAC: What crews do you push and what are their underlying meanings?
GS: STV, WH, TKO, KBT, (N), FS

SAC: How did you come up with your name and what’s the meaning behind it?
GS: Started out writing Ganja. Then Geas. Then the first and last letters. Then south to make it longer. It stands for a southern man doing his thing.

SAC: When did you start and how did you get into the graff game?
GS: Started scribbling in the mid 80’s. It was the thing to do, down here we had a strong NY influence. I stopped playing football and other sports etc. and really started painting around town in late 88 early 89. This guy MCW 71 showed me how easy it was to get up. My homie Duels help me with handstyles and Brim 127 show me how to put it all together.

SAC: What are your reasons behind doing graffiti? (i.e. fame, fun, bitches, etc.)
GS: Something to do that civilians can’t understand and it is the only real form of expression that really cannot be censored.

SAC: Who or what are your influences in terms of where your style is derived from?
GS: My early stuff was influenced by the Miami scene in general. In the early to mid 90’s my pieces are totally opposite of what I do now. I used to do upside down and backword letters with like 10 color blends and fillins. Since 94, because of the freights I have been doing the most simple, readable, basic stuff possible.

SAC: If you had to choose one and only one, would it be Quality or Quantity and why?
GS: Quantity!! Especially when it comes to the freights and street bombing (my number one love).

SAC: What’s your best surface to paint?
GS: I like painting bricks and shutters but I cant lie i love a brand new box!

SAC: How do you feel about the documentation of graffiti on the internet and the aspects involved with it such as internet fame?
GS: I just got on the internet recently. I have met some kool ass cats through it. It has done me more harm than good in general. I have also gained alot of beef through it. The beef part does not really matter because down here its always been about beef. Its the internet geek toys that dont paint and just type are a joke and should be treated like that. To me the worst part of the internet is the help to law enforcement. Fuck helping them let them do their jobs!!!

SAC: What is your definition of “All City”?
GS: Getting up in cut spots, tracksides, phone booths, newspaper stand etc. not just highways and buff spots. Marker tags, stickers, paint tags, throw ups, get ups, in every neighborhood in the city.

SAC: Who are some of the most slept-on writers putting in work lately?
GS: Shit all my WHKBT heads out there. People think we are a freight crew, thats a joke we are street heads that hit freights real hard. The freights make sense, we are bombing the continent while they are typing on 12oz. What toys!

SAC: Which brand of paint do you prefer using and why?
GS: Anything by Rusto is the best!! I cant hate on Montana though.

SAC: Rack or Buy?
GS: I buy most of my paint now. I get some free paint hook up sometimes hahahahahaha.

SAC: Any memorable or crazy missions you would like to share with us?
GS: Not really, have not had the greatest of luck recently.

“Something to do that civilians can’t understand and it is the only real form of expression that really cannot be censored.” – GSOUTH

SAC: Best place(s) you’ve ever painted?
GS: I have pretty much painted all over. I love painting in the south but it is a lot of trouble. I also love the eastcoast from Va to MA. Europe was pretty cool but to me Cali and especially the LA highways are the funk.

SAC: What are your Top 5 Colors?
GS: Indianspice, Autumn Gold, Baby Blue Krylon, Leafy Green & Raspberry.

SAC: Who are the Top 5 Bombers of all time?
GS: The local homies TWICE and VIE, SMITH, BATES, MQ, JA and my homie COLT he is doing it in all the major city with tons of beef. Damn sorry i gave you 7, but thats how i feel!

SAC: What has being a graf writer done for you so far?
GS: It has taken me to a lot of great places all over the world. I have met really cool people that now are like my family.Graph also hardens you as a person (real writers know what im talking about). Look at the things we have to go through bad weather, terrible surrounding, crazy homeless and even crazier cops etc.

SAC: What is your advice to the new jacks that want to get into the graf game?
GS: Dont believe what you see on the internet. Dont diss my crews or you will catch a bad one!

SAC: Where do you see yourself in the game 15 years from now?
GS: Doing the same thing that I am doing right now.

SAC: Any thanks or shout-outs?
GS: Thanks for the interview and peace to our crews. Rest In Power Gorilla, Brase, 154 Bernie, AFD Dane, Alot 17 and Big OVER!

CRAOLA CBS, WAI, BASHERS, VT – Interview

Oh yes my brothers and sisters… its that time again. The team over hurrr at Skate All Cities caught yet another graff head better known as Craola slippin for yet another Cross Examination interview.

Every now and again a writer will rise to the surface of the standards expected to survive in the Los Angeles jungle. Even more rare is when that artist surpasses those expected standards and with that “out of the box” type of attitude raises the bar for the rest of the world.

Craola has done just that.

Remembering back to the days of probing the local and distant yards with the utmost attention, Craola’s name stood out amongst the rest. Bringing a new meaning to 3 dimensional pieces and that wild style funk. Not a single yard from the L.A. area to the South Bay was safe from the mind of what was soon to be a master in the art of graff.

Whomever said that along with talent brings a certain arrogance was most definitely not speaking of Craola.

SAC: What do you write?
Craola: Craola

SAC: What crews do you push and what are their underlying meanings?
Craola: CBS (Chunky Bunny Soup), WAI (Willies Aunt Ingrid), BASHERS (ummmmmmmm. I don’t know), VT (Visual Terror)

SAC: How did you come up with your name and what’s the meaning behind it?
Craola: okay, you asked….Being the youngest of 18 children, I always got the bum end of the stick when it came to toys. MY oldest brothers and sisters always had erector sets, legos, big wheels, magical unicorns, remote control airplanes, but when it all got filtered down to me, all I would get were some have way used beat up crayons. Luckily I knew how to draw and to get back at my older brothers and sisters I would create monsters in my magical sketch book. At night these creatures would come alive off of the pages and chase my siblings around their rooms creating quite a racket. T.V.’s would get pushed over, beds would get wet, windows broken, all kinds of nonsense. My parents would always come into the room to see what all the noise was about and would punish my brothers and sisters for breaking things and lying.. It wasn’t till years later that my oldest sister found my sketchbook and a box full of broken up Crayola’s that she new what was going on. The rest of my siblings dubbed me Craola because of my drawings and I have had that name till this day…Well how did you gt yours and what does IT mean…

SAC: When did you start and how did you get into the graff game?
Craola: I was 17 and some friends encouraged or pushed me to try doing my drawings with spray paint. Then I saw a can control magazine and it was all over. I was hooked.

SAC: What are your reasons behind doing graffiti? (i.e. fame, fun, bitches, etc.)
Craola: I think it is fun and a good way of expression. It is large and everyone who sees it has to take notice.

SAC: Who or what are your influences in terms of where your style is derived from?
Craola: Cartoons, friends that I paint with, other artists, it is hard to nail down. We are being influenced from the day we are born and alot of stuff comes out in our artwork, from color choices to linework to concept, lots of stuff influence us.

SAC: If you had to choose one and only one, would it be Quality or Quantity and why?
Craola: Quality… I like a good production over a thousand bombs.

SAC: What’s your best surface to paint?
Craola: I like stucco walls. It holds the paint well.

SAC: How do you feel about the documentation of graffiti on the internet and the aspects involved with it such as internet fame?
Craola: The internet came out and everyone just evolved around it. Any new technology people are going to take advantage of and exploit. I wonder how graf kids are going to make PSP’s into some kind og graf fame game.

SAC: What is your definition of “All City”?
Craola: SOmeone who is up all city?

“Got my fingers almost broken by cops for just looking at graffiti once face in the dirt and everything.” – CRAOLA

SAC: Who are some of the most slept-on writers putting in work lately?
Craola: I don’t know. There are alot of good writers. I like Midzt and Atlas alot, but they aren’t slept on.

SAC: Which brand of paint do you prefer using and why?
Craola: Belton is the best. Spray good. I still use Krylon alot though. just used to it i guess.

SAC: Rack or Buy?
Craola: Buy. Romans 13.

SAC: Any memorable or crazy missions you would like to share with us?
Craola: Ran through a mile of sewer pipe that was 5 feet tall in the complete dark from cops. Ran from train workers who were going to beat us down with crow bars. Just ran alot. Got my fingers almost broken by cops for just looking at graffiti once face in the dirt and everything. Cut my leg open on a rusty hook climbing into an abandoned building to paint. sprained my ankle running from gangster who caught me bombing a fence.

SAC: Best place(s) you’ve ever painted?
Craola: Melrose is always fun. It’s more about the people I am painting with then the place that makes it fun.

SAC: What are your Top 5 Colors?
Craola: Smoke Grey, Pewter, Flat Black, Flat White, Gold

SAC: Who are the Top 5 Bombers of all time?
Craola: DEAS, ESEL, ATLAS, REVOK, SABER

SAC: What has being a graf writer done for you so far?
Craola: Just opened my eyesto all sorts of art and styles. Gave me confidence years ago to try bigger things with my artwork. Met alot of cool people doing graffiti. It has been an art school in itself.

SAC: What is your advice to the new jacks that want to get into the graf game?
Craola: Have some respect for your other writers. Don’t look at it like you have a better style so you are a better person. Don’t get a big head and treat others how you would want to be treated.

SAC: Where do you see yourself in the game 15 years from now?
Craola: I’ll be 45 balding, a big old gut, a few kids, arthritis in my trigger finger trying to hit up a wall with WD-40 because my brain is so fogged from aerosol and I think it is Krylon.

SAC: Any thanks or shout-outs?
Craola: My wife Jenn of course, Deas, Esel, Potna, Gloss, Anger, Axis, Posh, Plek, Toshae, Ditch, Casl, Tazer, Vox, Atlas, Midst, Lotus, Bleek, Circus, Exist, Rygar, Steven, Deph, Glory, Gozer, Gunnar, Adam Hathorn, Jeral Tidwell, Sieze, Epik, KE42, Werk, Lango, Phobia, Split, Aura, Natoe, Rukus and all the guys in CBS, WAI, BASHERS, and VT. Peace and God bless….

For more information and flicks visit: www.ImScared.com

TLOKO TKO – Interview

SAC: What do you write?
TLOKO: TLOKO

SAC: What crews do you push and what are their underlying meanings?
TLOKO: I push TKO. TKO stands for Graffiti Al Queda!

SAC: How did you come up with your name and what’s the meaning behind it?
TLOKO: TLOKO came from TLOKS that came from TLOK that came from TOOMS that came from 2MER that came from 2MR that came from TOOMR that came from O.G. TOOMER ONE. The meaning behind it is that a TOOMER can start off small, then it grows and starts TaKingOver. Just like graffiti, you start in your hood and you’re going in till you got your city, then your state, then etc., etc.

SAC: When did you start and how did you get into the graff game?
TLOKO: 1988 and I was bored.

SAC: What are your reasons behind doing graffiti? (i.e. fame, fun, bitches, etc.)
TLOKO: I’m an asshole. I like Chaos, Disorder, Vandalism, and Porn.

SAC: Who or what are your influences in terms of where your style is derived from?
TLOKO: West Coast Chicano Art Styled Graffiti Picassos.

SAC: If you had to choose one and only one, would it be Quality or Quantity and why?
TLOKO: Quality is good and I like showing off my skill, but if I had to pick now, I would pick Quantity. My war on society would not be so hard if people liked all my shit. I am a vandal first and an artist last!

SAC: What’s your best surface to paint?
TLOKO: A hoodrat’s ass. Not only is it smooth, but you can fuck her after.

SAC: How do you feel about the documentation of graffiti on the internet and the aspects involved with it such as internet fame?
TLOKO: Graffiti is all about how you promote your stuff but if you don’t do real graffiti then you have no biz acting like you do on the net or anywhere. You’re gay if you do.

SAC: What is your definition of “All City”?
TLOKO: Someone who is thinking small. I am trying to go “All World”!

“A porn set. They let me stay and watch afterwards.” – TLOKO

SAC: Who are some of the most slept-on writers putting in work lately?
TLOKO: GUER, JEL, ADEK, KOZE, AND ZERK. These motherfuckers got skill.

SAC: Which brand of paint do you prefer using and why?
TLOKO: Belton. It’s good and sometimes I get it for FREE.

SAC: Rack or Buy?
TLOKO: Rack.

SAC: Any memorable or crazy missions you would like to share with us?
TLOKO: No.

SAC: Best place(s) you’ve ever painted?
TLOKO: A porn set. They let me stay and watch afterwards.

SAC: What are your Top 5 Colors?
TLOKO:
01. Green
02. Baby Blue
03. Silver
04. Purple
05. Southsider Blue

SAC: Who are the Top 5 Bombers of all time?
TLOKO:
01. The U.S. for dropping 2 “A Bombs” on Japan.
02. Bin Laden
03. The Unabomber
04. Whoever that hick was that blew up the Oklahoma Federal Building
05. TLOK!!

SAC: What has being a graf writer done for you so far?
TLOKO: Jail. Lost Money. Lost Girlfriends. My family hates me. There’s fools that would love to see me dead. I got stabbed & shot at. Alot of times cops are always tripping. Did I say JAIL?

SAC: What is your advice to the new jacks that want to get into the graf game?
TLOKO: Don’t do it. Read the answer above.

SAC: Where do you see yourself in the game 15 years from now?
TLOKO: DEAD.

SAC: Any thanks or shout-outs?
TLOKO: No thanks. I did it all by myself. Fuck everyone! I would like to thank myself because if it wasn’t for me I would not be here right now. I made everything possible. I would like to give a big ups to my man TOOMER for giving me the power to be the motherfucker that I am. God bless TLOKS for being there for me. Oh and I can’t forget 2MR. He gave me my first gun and TOOMS showed me how to knock a nigga out.

FISHE KOG – Interview

SAC: What do you write?
FISHE: I write fish, fishe, fisher, and a couple of undercover names I’d rather not give up, but I mostly write “fishe”.

SAC: What crews do you push and what are their underlying meanings?
FISHE: For a long time I represented KOG and LTS. I only represent one crew now, KOG. KOG used to be pretty much the same crew as LTS. Over The past few years it has moved away from LTS. It now stands on its own as KOG with very few, if any crossover members…As a crew we still got respect for LTS but we gotta do our own thing. The OG meaning of KOG is Killers Of Giants. It was Siner’s brother that made it up. There are a few other meanings for KOG and KOGS’ that some of the hommies like to hit up, here are a few: kings of graffiti, kilos of ganja, keep on going, keys of gold, knowin our ground, knockin over gravestone, kill off george w., kings of the golden state, killing off gays, etc. I prefer killers of giants as it was the original name for the crew, and I love how it sounds.

SAC: How did you come up with your name and what’s the meaning behind it?
FISHE: I am a DJ as well as a writer. I started to come up in the DJ world a little. I started getting my name on a bunch of rave flyers and shit. I thought it would be a burn to keep writing my DJ name so I changed my graffiti name. At the same time some hommies like SLOTH and PYSA were also changing their names so it was a natural transition. As far as why I picked FISHE as a graffiti name. I already knew what was up with names. I picked some letters that flowed with the shapes I already knew. I was stoned and drawing some names. Then I did a tag I liked I did a few more and the rest was pretty much history.

SAC: When did you start and how did you get into the graff game?
FISHE: I started bullshitin’ with my hommie Pat Taylor RIP. We were little Chumps. We would steal paint from neiborhood garages. We would go to the wash and smoke cigs and practice cheesy throwies. He was a few years older than me. He showed me what was up with hip-hop, techno, weed, acid, graffiti, booze, etc. He was my first “bad influence.” After that I got into Jr.High and it was full of writers and crews that were already established and I considered dope. This was the early 90’s. Graffiti was super poppin then. Bus killing was in full effect. I mean real bus killing. Stopping a bus and having 10 dudes run up to it with scribes, spray paint, markers and just destroying the fucking bus. People were doing dope pieces at the Levitz yard. Venice was poppin. Commerce was still in full effect. You could go do freights in downtown with out a hassle. Back then everyone was a writer. I’d hate to sound cliche but graffiti was almost electric then. It was a great time to be a writer. Naturally I fell into this mystical world of weed, girls and vandalism. At the end of Jr. High I hooked up with Jrock. He and some other kids were starting a new crew called UCLA. I was at the first several meetings at the farmers market on 3rd and Fairfax. I used to steal my moms ride and drive down there with the hommie, Demas. After the meeting we would pile up like 8 deep in my moms ride, roll back toward my hood and get stoned. In high school I hooked up with the 29Crew. It was bio (RIP), pester, pacek, iodex, deman, omen, blake, rek, 2ist, etc… Most of those cats aren’t in the game anymore. But back then they had the busses on lock. You couldn’t travel anywhere in Hollywood and not see pester up. Since those cats were a little older. They left before me and left me in charge. I put on some of the best writers at my school. Most of these kids were the hommies anyway. I put on heads like dune, ayer and jrock. After that this guy retna came to my school and stole most of my crew. He put every one from 29C that was still at my high school into KOG. I admit I was a little bitter over it for a second. But one Friday after school we were all gonna hook up and go smoke weed and shit, but the KOG’s were having a meeting. Naturally I told them cats I would meet them later but they were like “na man just wait at the end of the alley for a second its gonna be a short meeting”. I was like whatever, so I just chilled till the meeting was over. But at the end of the meeting jrock and air called me over and were like yo. You put us on your crew. Now we want you to be down with us. I admit I was conflicted for a minute. But these cats were already my crew and I just figured it was a natural evolution. So I got in into KOG, shortly after I got into LTS. One of the main reasons I still rep KOG is because of the love I got for AIR. Anyway after a while I realized there were no chicks, I realized it wasn’t what it was cracked up to be, but by then I was already hooked on that shit.

SAC: What are your reasons behind doing graffiti? (i.e. fame, fun, bitches, etc.)
FISHE: Over the years I have had many answers for this question. At this point its kind of a hybrid of all the old answers.

Graffiti is a phenomenon that I can go into a pretty deep discussion on, from being a social movement, to an art movement…I’ll just give you a quick run threw( yes this is the brief version) It is important to point out that the whole point of graffiti is the clandestine nature. It give individuals the ability to make them selves famous or in this case infamous for the amount of illegal work you’ve done… sorta like a really good bank robber…graffiti is about creative destruction… It is about reclaiming the streets for the people, under our own set of rules. Not the rules imposed by a society, that has eliminated most our ability to actually have a voice…. frankly I hope graffiti is never more accepted into mainstream society than it already has As that would corrupt the core principles and values of what graffiti really is… it is a voice of a disenfranchised urban youth… the new “punk” if you will our secret society that has no use for the acceptance of main stream culture and thrives on the clandestine aspect of the lifestyle… to make it short graffiti is a big middle finger to middle to upper class society… and it creates a way for someone to receive props for you anarchistic actions. But I do have to admit. Now that I am older, I hope it will eventually lead to a career in art.

SAC: Who or what are your influences in terms of where your style is derived from?
FISHE: well in my early days it was people like HEX TGO, SK8 CBS, BASER OTR, SLEEZ LOD, OILER COI, MEAR CBS, SLICK K2S STN, SNAP UTI, WISK WCA and TOLSE STP(RIP). Later in high school it was SINER, RETNA, IODEX, OMEN, AYER,BRAIL, JROCK, TABOO TROPIC(RIP) and several other peers/crew mates. I never bit or copied anything they ever did. But they helped me restructure my notion of what graffiti was and is suppossed to be. Exept for siner I am the same age as most of those later cats, but they inspired me more than anyone else that was outside the circle. I have always tryed to be original with my shit. I try to make sure that my styles don’t look like anyone elses.

SAC: If you had to choose one and only one, would it be Quality or Quantity and why?
FISHE: They are equally as important one is shit with out the other. You can have styles for day but if you don’t paint, all that talent and styles are just wasted. On the flip There are writers and crews that put it work that still don’t understand even the most basic fundamentals of graffiti. If you suck stay home and practice till you can contribute something to the graffiti world. I honestly thing I got a long way to go in both departments. I will put in work on both.

SAC: What’s your best surface to paint?
FISHE: Untreated brick. I love the organic and raw feel of painting a clean brick walls. Unfortuatly, I most only get to end up tagging on bricks. I love doing bombs or peices on brick walls.

SAC: How do you feel about the documentation of graffiti on the internet and the aspects involved with it such as internet fame?
FISHE: I think it is cool to an extent. It is a good way to archive, share, and network. But I think sites like PG should limit peoples opinion to speak their mind. Its mostly ego stroking, or jelous hating, both of which I think are unhealthy for the seen. I don’t care about most non-writers opinions. By non-writers I mean at least half the people that claim to paint, but I’ve never seen shit from, on or off the internet. Sites like 12oz and PG and even yours should be moderated better. There should be people deleting threads, posts, and people that get outta hand. It also gives lames the chance to get their shit seen without actually having to go bombing. Like all new technologies it has its benefits and its draw backs.

SAC: What is your definition of “All City”?
FISHE: I think there is only one definition of all city… it is pretty simple. All the major freeways, buslines and streets in the range in the greater LA area. This is pomona or the 57 fwy to the east. As far north as the 118 fwy. South all the way to long beach and west as far as the 1 hwy. If you do not have this whole major LA area on lock then you are NOT all city. You might be all downtown or all Hollywood or even all metro. You might even an up as fuck, freeway bomber but you are not all city till you go ALL CITY! The people that have done this or come close are MINER, WISK, SER, CHAKA, OILER, TOLSE(almost), and GKAE… there have been a few honorable mentions since then. AYER could have reached it, if he hadn’t pass away. But all these cats claiming all city, may be up in some areas, but they forgot about the “ALL” in allcity. It ain’t easy. That is why so few have reached that level.

[i][size=4]“Stopping a bus and having 10 dudes run up to it with scribes, spray paint, markers and just destroying the fucking bus.” – FISHE[/size][/i]

SAC: Who are some of the most slept-on writers putting in work lately?
FISHE: well I don’t know who is slept on or not but I know who is bombing. The bombers I see alot of are SUFER, TRIGZ, LUXER, HAEL, SEX , RUGER, VS269(versus), APEAR, and DRY… there are also some honorable mentions ARBY, RUETS, FUCT, FUTUR and ILLS. It seems some of the big dogs like PYSA, REVOK and ZES have been putting more emphasis on other aspects of graff, and haven’t been bombing like they used to. I think there is no one person putting down a proper smack down. LA is open game for a new king right now.

SAC: Which brand of paint do you prefer using and why?
FISHE: Rustoleum, most of the shit I do is illegal. Nothing coats and sticks like rusto. When I do legals, which isn’t to often. I’ll try and get any european brand paint because they have the best color selection.

SAC: Rack or Buy?
FISHE: Both. I don’t know where to rack that euro-paint. If I did, I wouldn’t tell anyone anyway. I got schemes for all the american brands so I usually spend little to no money on rusto or krylons.

SAC: Any memorable or crazy missions you would like to share with us?
FISHE: Um, well I got a few… I’ll just give you a quick one. It was my last night in Europe and still had a bag full of montana. I was in Madrid Spain, and that city don’t sleep. In one night I got spotted my 5 security guards and 3 cops. Most of them didn’t give a shit, the ones that did just yelled obsenities at me. The one cop that did stop me, caught me red handed. I proceeded to bullshit my way out of it somehow. He let me slide and he told me to go back to the hotel. I still had 15 montanas. I just went out into the freeway and crunked it LA style I did 4 full color pieces before the sun came up. It was unforgetable.

SAC: Best place(s) you’ve ever painted?
FISHE:
01. Madrid, Spain.
02. NYC.
03. Amsterdamn, Netherlands
04. Mexico City
05. And the LA RIVER.

SAC: What are your Top 5 Colors?
FISHE:
01. Guacamole (spanish montana)
02. Satin/semi-gloss or semi-flat black (OSH,Rusto,Krylon)
03. Berry pink (painters touch)
04. Indian Spice (discontinued american accents)
05. Harbor Blue (Rusto)

SAC: Who are the Top 5 Bombers of all time?
FISHE:
I have lived in LA since I was one, until the internet existed I didn’t know jack shit about writers outside LA. I didn’t really even know that their was a big freight scene. LA is the biggest and best graffiti city in the world if you can make it in LA you can do it anywhere. So may list is based on my memories and knowledge of what I saw growing up in LA. In no particular order.

1.AYER,AIR,AYEZ. (RIP) I may be biased cuz I knew him for so long, but he influenced the whole city to pick up their whole game a few notches.
2.TOLSE. (RIP) Not only was he one of the first writers to really catch my eye. He had styles galore and painted in a true all city maner.
3.GKAE. the most sadistic bomber I have ever witnessed. If you don’t already know about his contributions to LA, you are an ass.
4.WISK. LA’s OG ALL CITY WRITER he helped develop alot of the major aspects of LA graffiti including heading some of the most influencial crews and inovator of spot selection for LA.
5.SABER. a true renicance man for graffiti. Saber is probably the most well rounder writer I have seen. I haven’t seen many other writers put in the consistant amount of work in so many places for so many years and make such an impact inside and outside graffiti. He has done the biggest and baddest rollers, bridges, rooftop, legals,etc.etc. in the USA.

SAC: What has being a graf writer done for you so far?
FISHE: well its has had a huge impact both positive and negative. First the negative. I’ve been arested, jumped, chased, and had physical injury due to graffiti related activities. I breath toxic fumes that will likly give me cancer.. Its taken time away from school, family, my girlfreind, my djing, and my fine arts. It has also put me in extremely dangerous situations where I could have easily lost my life.

Now some of the positive. It has giving me a great set of freinds, many of which I will know for the rest of my life. It ha given me motivation and discipline. It ain’t easy painting till 5am and then going to work for 8 hrs. It has given me a purpose and a place in society. I feel like I have chaneled my anarchistic tendencies into an organized system. It has opened my eyes to other forms of art. It motivates me to continue to improve all aspects of my person. It is a great way for my to release my negative energy. It makes me feel good to drive around town on see my name on the city, as I claim it as my own. I have gotten a few art jobs. And random people that don’t know me give me props and respect for my actions. Its gotten me some expossure in some random ass places.

SAC: What is your advice to the new jacks that want to get into the graf game?
FISHE: I have a few bits of advice. first if your soft, or you think graffiti is cool trend. If you really aren’t willing to give up everything including your freedom for it, I’d say quit while your ahead. Learn to skateboard or make beats instead, it might get you somewhere better than graffiti will. Second for the kids that think they have what it takes. Go balls out! Dive right in and don’t look back. Don’t burn yourself by tagging on your block or your notebook so everyone knows who you are. Keep your identity low pro. Only tell the people your respect and trust. Also never under any circumstance should you ever rat anybody out. NEVER. Not even if they boned your sister and robbed your house. If you go down, take it like a man. If you do the crime you do the time, but your still a man. If you rat, you are just a dirty rat. Another thing the internet is only a small part of what graffiti is. the real shit happens on the streets. Don’t get caught up in the drama that happens on the internet. And the last and most important thing is learn your graffiti history try to find yuorself writers that are willing to share some history about what you’ve missed who did what for how many years, and respect your elders. Don’t get cocky cuz you did a few spots for a little while the name of the game is consistancy and longevity. That is how you get to be the best.

SAC: Where do you see yourself in the game 15 years from now?
FISHE: Married with children living in Europe making music and art on a professional level. Doing summers here in LA and doing a little graff for money.

SAC: Any thanks or shout-outs?
FISHE: OK are you ready? First my girl Marissa. Then my best freind/cousin in law gary. Then all my drum and bass lovers out there… You know I gotta represent fpr my junglist family Aero(redemption sound), danny(united), hazen(tuns of drums/7th letter), repete mc, kemst and Uniteddrumandbass.com. also my boy alter from burning star Now.

My graffiti family I hope I don’t forget anyone if so you know I got nothing but love for you. sloth, dry, pysa, arby, mute. futuer, esque, stae, vs269, rask, yikes, taboo, exile, kyles, india, bmx, senem, wisk, kreed, kub, jher 451(denver), jams(tokyo), clown(tits), else(msk), siner(lts), aeroe(san diego), Burnt(retired), AYER, BIO, and TROPIC REST IN PEICE.

ESQUE PDB, KOG – Interview

SAC: What do you write?
ESQUE: ESQUE

SAC: What crews do you push and what are their underlying meanings?
ESQUE: PDB, KOG, Pros Don’t Boast, Knights Of Glory

SAC: How did you come up with your name and what’s the meaning behind it?
ESQUE: ‘Esque’ amounted from a 9-day crack binge strictly devoted to getting a solid new name when I moved to LA in 2001.

SAC: When did you start and how did you get into the graff game?
ESQUE: I was always intrigued with graffiti when I was youngster. When I was 14 picked up the first issue of the Los Angeles magazine ‘Bigtime’. I was hooked, but didn’t know the first thing about graff. I didn’t have some older brother or older friends already in it, and growing up just over an hour south of LA you don’t see too much shit. I started writing with paint when I was 15, that was early 97.

SAC: What are your reasons behind doing graffiti? (i.e. fame, fun, bitches, etc.)
ESQUE: I trip on this all the time. Graffiti is some seriously some deep shit if you analyze it enough. Its fucking wild how such a hated movement in which no one who doesn’t participate understands, can be so complicated. But if you look at the bigger picture, there is no difference between this constantly developing construction and deconstruction of letters/form and say, Cubism, which is a ‘respected’ movement. Graffiti is so pure though. There is no money involved, or gallery/curator pull. No artist statements, no one but the writers. This shit is fucking free. No bullshit. What you see is what you get, ya know? Cut and dry. No tricks or conceptual drone needed to explain the work you make. If the art critics and high-end art connoisseurs actually understood what has happened in the last 5-7 years with the evolution of letter structure and form, they would fucking quit their day jobs and document everything we do. On and off the streets.

Serious shit.  RUET and myself zone out all the time about the constantly changing idea of what is ‘next’, and where things are going. Analytical down to the smallest, sickest little cut, or the way an outline or border blows-out in a certain spot by accident, but works perfect, or the way some area is left unfinished, and wouldn’t be as hard if it was finished…I could go on for a while about this shit…

SAC: Who or what are your influences in terms of where your style is derived from?
ESQUE: Any writer is lying out their teeth to say their shit is absolutely, completely original without any outside influence. That’s all part of the beauty of this game, watching and seeing what other writers are doing, the competition. I see shit all the time that gets me going. When I was starting out, I really dug FOKIS TVC when he was doing those large geometric shapes, it was different approach and executed well… I always liked ZESER’s shit.

The aesthetic to his bombs is very on point. You see the movement, not just in the shape of his letters, but in the way he paints. A large percent of experienced writers couldn’t pull this off if they tried. I would also say a large inspiration for me would be my crews. Were constantly bumping off each other’s shit.

SAC: If you had to choose one and only one, would it be Quality or Quantity and why?
ESQUE: They’re equally as important. I’m not all city, and very few writers are. I do what I do when I feel like doing it. Simply put, I’m not trying to impress anyone. I do this shit for myself. But I believe if you aint crushing hard, when you get up to a wall, whether it be in some yard or some streetside spot, you best burn it to shit.

SAC: What’s your best surface to paint?
ESQUE: Give me good Los Angeles summer night, some rusty motherfuckin steel gate, 3 flat whites, and a 3 semiflat blacks and I’m loving every moment…

SAC: How do you feel about the documentation of graffiti on the internet and the aspects involved with it such as internet fame?
ESQUE: Its good to see an up-to-date reflection of what’s going on throughout the country or even world, and the internet makes this extremely easy. But at the same time, it creates some serious nonsense. People hide behind screennames and throw in their two cents on every last bit of everything. Who’s got time for that shit except 16 year olds still ridin on they mamas dime.

SAC: What is your definition of “All City”?
ESQUE: HAELER & COLT.45 murdered westside to the eastside, FISHE KOG (I see that fucker up every time I leave the house), been seeing SUFER CA up a lot these days.

“My parents were pumped I’m sure. Seein’ their kid get tackled by gun drawn coppers at 2am Christmas night.” – ESQUE

SAC: Who are some of the most slept-on writers putting in work lately?
ESQUE: EWSOE PDB, HUERO AL, TRAV IBD, VERSUS KOG, RUGER, HINDU GTB, MIZE, SETUP KCW, CRAE K4P, ENGINE MVP from Canada, (don’t know if they all are slept on, but they all dope n putting in work)

SAC: Which brand of paint do you prefer using and why?
ESQUE: I like everything for different reasons…when going out at night I just tend to stock up on cheap America’s Finest black and whites, and doing a wall I like to have Krylon and a maybe a few Belton’s to give it a little punch… But I’ll be honest, I’m not much interested in color or fills, and although I’ll do color shit sometimes, I much prefer no color.

SAC: Rack or Buy?
ESQUE: If you can afford to buy something without breaking your wallet, buy it. If you’re broke, rack. I got ways of making my odds & ends, so I buy my shit. When I first started, I had a job at the arts & crafts store Michaels, and I would go in the back, grab boxes of Krylon and load em into the back of my car when it got dark… get home and would stockpile a whole arsenal of free paint under my bed. I wasn’t making much money at the time, so shit.
You do what you do. I’m not about catching cases for 30 bucks worth of spraypaint. If you get rolled up doing some shit, it should be worth it.

SAC: Any memorable or crazy missions you would like to share with us?
ESQUE: Christmas Night 1999. After layin low with the fam all day I tell my parents I’m going to go head over to my girls house. I pack up my bag and head out. Now being 17, you don’t got the sharpest wits when it comes to this shit. I went to go hit this spot that was overlooking the freeway.

Being that it would have been a serious mission to park far and get there by foot, I decided to park about 20 feet from where I was painting (keep in mind my car is the only car in this whole lot). I get about 15 minutes into my shit, and I look over and in-between the fence and the wall, 10 feet from where I am, is some burley motherfucker with a gun drawn. Its dark as fuck, and without even thinking I bolt down this steep, wet hill busting my shins wide open on metal sprinklers and tripping over weeds and trees, but I get away. Soon to obviously realize it don’t matter, considering my car is right there. I get into stealth mode and creep up so I can see what’s going on over there to find 4 cop cars around my car, and about 10 minutes later, my fucking parents pull up. At this point I say Fuck It, and crawl out of these bushes, bloody ass legs, and this woman cop screams at me to put my hands up while this other fool rushes me. My parents were pumped I’m sure. Seein’ their kid get tackled by gun drawn coppers at 2am Christmas night. There was a security guard on duty that called the cops and they got me from the license plate, and called the residence where it was registered, resulting in my parents showing up. Fuck the world. Merry Christmas Mom. The next morning she found all my flicks, and shredded them in a document shredder.

Hectic shit. Another account, the first time I was ever bombing a spot with some friends, we got chased by them 50s with they’re car light on us, I book it, my homies freeze up and stay put like a deer in headlights, I get away, and crawl in these thorny thick bushes literally all fucking night thinking there was a team of cops looking for my ass, I carefully crawl out in the morning, and walk back to this kids house to find my boys passed out all comfortably. Turns out the cop let them go.

SAC: Best place(s) you’ve ever painted?
ESQUE: Strolling on foot aside any Los Angeles freeway in the dead hours of night will humble anyone. The city can speak to you. I am constantly grateful for the shit I see as a writer, that no one else gets to experience. Surreal shit.
I also painted in Hamburg, Germany in the summer of 2002. Graffiti is really accepted out there. It was a good time. I was traveling with a good friend of mine and saw this kid painting this area. I ask him what’s up with doing a wall, and he says we have to go with him to see this lady they called the ‘Graffiti Mama’. He takes us through all these corridors and cuts, and we arrive in this room with about 8-10 Germans in their 20’s and this big ass fat lady with a stache and a blazin mole comin out of her chin. These were the quickest talking motherfuckers I have ever heard. Think of the movie, Snach. No joke. So everyone is rapidly yip-yapping their jaws for a good 15 minutes not even acknowledging me and my buddy even once. It was honestly like we weren’t even there. Me and him are lookin at each other like, ‘What the fuck is going on here’, I didn’t even know if this kid was going to ask this lady if I could paint. Finally after several more minutes of mind numbing cackle, he apparently asks, and she just waves her hand and shakes us off, nodding her head yes. To this day I still wonder what those fucking Germans were talking about.

SAC: What are your Top 5 Colors?
ESQUE: Earth Tones done the right way.

SAC: Who are the Top 5 Bombers of all time?
ESQUE: I’m real knowledgeable about what’s going on in most major US cities, but what I’ve seen with my own eyes has the most impact, and I have lived in Los Angeles since ’01, so I would say REVOK is a machine, DREYE is a fucking Killer. Landmark king. Bombing with that kid is seriously some next level shit. Fucking mile long trekking down freeway cuts in the strangest hours of the night, climbing everything like a cat, up a roof, catch tags, down on the other side, walk 20 feet, climb up the next roof, catch tags, climb down other side, walk 20 feet, next roof…etc etc.. FISHE is all over, tags everywhere.  HAEL and COLT.45 crushed too. For those of you who didn’t see the 405 freeway when it was being redone in ‘04, it was MADNESS… CRAE K4P also gets down, ZES..Outside of LA, MQ, SACE, SKREW, ABHOR…killers

SAC: What has being a graf writer done for you so far?
ESQUE: Some of these writers talk about getting laid cuz of this shit.  That’s good for them, but shit man, the girls I’ve dated or fucked over the last few years thought graffiti was some adolescent hobby only done by 15 year olds with graff on their T-Shirts. Take the concept of being on top a roof for example; They never understood grown men going out late at night, crawling through some dirty ass bumfort, and painting a nickname atop some rooftop, getting spotted, and running from a police helicopter. But hey, I never understood the women I’d hang out with wanting to go sunbathe themselves next to a pool on some fucking expensive hotel rooftop in West Hollywood/Beverly Hills.

SAC: What is your advice to the new jacks that want to get into the graf game?
ESQUE: Graffiti chooses you. You don’t choose graffiti. If you don’t feel this way, quit. If you aren’t willing to waste a serious amount of time contemplating why a letter works or why it doesn’t, quit. Learn to do solid simple letters before you do anything even halfway complex. Make up your own shit, and do it in strategic places so people will know it’s yours. Also, I hate throwing this in but feel compelled, get a good name. You can be the best on your block but if you got some name like DISR or MESAK, your shit will not look good, go back to the drawing board. And last but not least, know what others have done (or are doing) as far as letter structure is concerned. Know what people’s styles are. Know where you fit into the grander scheme of it all. Know what’s going on in other cities.

SAC: Where do you see yourself in the game 15 years from now?
ESQUE: 15 years? Shit, I’ll be honest with you folks; I don’t know where I’m going to be in 6 months let alone 15 years. Not that I don’t love it, but these days ive been real busy. Ive got some good things in the works. I’ll say it again, this isn’t about impressing anybody else, you got to have your ‘life shit’ in line. Get a balance that works for you.

SAC: Any thanks or shout-outs?
ESQUE: The legendary ARCOHOLIC, RUETS, SPURN, EWSOE, FISHE, DRIE, ARBY, HUERO, SLOTH, HABOH, REGIS, STAE, etc etc…GOER NC OSD, COBRA KUK, big SWINER, Lost Cause Mikey, my 7th grade PE teacher, Baby Jesus, Black Sabbath, Boesha Watson (I still love you baby!), the man in black, Snoop Dogg, Fidel Castro, mexican beer, Owen Wilson, Gustav Klimt, Jim Morrison, Devendra Banhart, gangster rap, psychedelic folk, death metal, the PDB KOG FAMILIES, and skateallcities.com. Live Lively.

JELOE VX, CF – Interview

We are going out of town for a little bit so during the meantime we’ll be leaking out throwback interviews that we had lying around in our Web Forum for the next couple of days until we settle in and have computer access to start blogging again.  Stay tuned on where we’re going to be at, or better yet just follow us on TWITTER since it’s easier for us to update that on a whim rather than sitting down and uploading pictures and blogging, etc.

If you’ve been following our website since the beginning, then you should already know that the Web Forum started waaaaay before this blog did and we use to do these interviews of writers (and skaters) entitled the “Cross Examination” interviews.  Here’s one with JELOE from San Francisco that not alot of people had an opportunity to check out if you weren’t a registered member in our forum.

On another note we’re going to get back on track with dishing out some newer interviews of upcoming heads in the near future so stay tuned with that.

SAC: What do you write?
JELOE: Jeloe

SAC: What crews do you push and what are their underlying meanings?
JELOE: I don’t really push any crews that hard but I am in a few. VX (Vandals Multiply) and CF (Cat Fuckers)

SAC: How did you come up with your name and what’s the meaning behind it?
JELOE: It is 5 letters I liked that I took from various other names I wrote as I was starting out. Theres no real meaning, although it is a pretty goofy name much like my personality. I suppose my name and my style are alot like me.. Sort of like people match their dogs. You know?

SAC: When did you start and how did you get into the graff game?
JELOE: I started getting into graff in the 80’s in terms of paying attention to it. By 1989 I was starting junior high and I was meeting alot of new kids from all over the bay area who were already into graff. My first tag was Gaffle which was given to me by a kid who sat next to me in history class. Shortly after I got a copy Subway Art and it was over from there. I suppose my story is much like every other writer in terms of how I started.

SAC: What are your reasons behind doing graffiti?
JELOE: I like the challenge of it. I like the climbing running hiding lying dodging sneaking breaking entering trespassing racking drinking drugs traveling etc. I like the process of doing graffiti, the lifestyle, more than anything else. I cant imagine my life being any other way. Im not a hip hop “keepin it real” kind of kid “trying to express myself.” I just like fuckin shit up around the world. Plain and simple.

SAC: Who or what are your influences in terms of where your style is derived from?
JELOE: My stlyes are a combination of many people places and times I have been exposed to. Mostly the style I have always been into was the simple readable type of graffiti with a little flair here and there. Ghost Sento Reas to name a few. In terms of the way I came up thinking graff should be I suppose is derived from the early 90’s graff done in San Francisco. It was simple 2-3 color pieces done on the streets. I came up paying attention to people like Aqua Jade Isee Blis Atom Sect Twist Amaze Grey Giant etc etc. While tags and throwups were certainly never ignored by any of these people they mainly were into the simple pieces ground level. The city as known for that. I miss those days. So really, I guess thats why I do what I do.

SAC: If you had to choose one and only one, would it be Quality or Quantity and why?
JELOE: Well they are both equally important but if my option is to pick one I would say quantity. My reasons behind that are simple. Graffiti is a name game where repetition counts. If you have one dope piece running and thats it maybe youll have a 2 person fan club. However, if you have a thousand sloppy tags spread out all over the city you will be known. People might talk shit about your stuff but at least your name is in their mouth. At that point your job is that much closer to being done. Now go develop that quality!

SAC: Whats your best surface to paint?
JELOE: I like metal and glass. Go figure that is what passenger trains are comprised of. They cover flawlessly and as fast as possible. Its perfect.

SAC: How do you feel about the documentation of graffiti on the internet and the aspects involved with it such as internet fame?
JELOE: Again, its all a name game. The internet is just another medium for that. In regards to internet fame its simple. Sure you can be internet famous only but people in the cities across the world know if they have really ever seen your stuff or whether they saw the 1000 pics of legal walls and your parents basement that you post on 12 oz prophet. The streets dont lie, they just dont always tell you want you want to hear.

“The streets dont lie, they just dont always tell you want you want to hear.” – JELOE

SAC: What is your definition of All City?
JELOE: I cant say I have ever done it. A massive amount of tags/throwups/pieces whatever in every part of the city. To add another twist to that with the amount people are traveling for graff these days it seems possible that there are people who are all state/coast/country/world. In the 20+countries and numerous US cities I have painted I can say there’s people killing it world wide. Its a dope idea.

SAC: Who are some of the most slept-on writers putting in work lately?
JELOE: Shit man that’s a good question. I would say there alot of european writers really killing it over there that arent known too well here. Its a shame. There’s some really seriously dope styles coming out of the rest of the world that are making me reconsider the same old same old shit i see here. It gets me pumped to do shit again. People like Siege, Cept and Petro from London, Kegr from Denmark, Gorey and Fake from Paris, Remio from Norway, Rilo from Sweden.. Yes DEFINITELY Rilo. Hes so sick.. The list goes on but that’s a few of the people I am looking at these days.

SAC: Which brand of paint do you prefer using and why?
JELOE: I dont care really. I mean I cant dispute the quality of the euro paints like Belton or Montana or the domestic classics like Rusto but really I will use anything to fill in with and then outline with a decent can. I’m set with that.

SAC: Rack or Buy?
JELOE: Rack whenever possible but since its not sometimes you gotta buy it. Whatever. I’m not hardcore thug nor do I pretend to be. Sometimes its not possible to push a cart out the front door of your local hardware store so you gotta make due if you want the spot. Such is life.

SAC: Any memorable or crazy missions you would like to share with us?
JELOE: There are so many. I dont even know where to begin. Ive been shot at had dogs sent after me, had ribs broken, hidden for hours in bushes while cops look for me, helicopters follow me, had military police looking for us armed with machine guns and german sheppards after painting subways, been to jail, had other countries start files on me etc etc.. I am writing a book currently so when it comes out you can catch up on all the details.

SAC: Best place(s) youve ever painted?
JELOE: London subways/commuters. Im telling you, you havent painted until you get a wholecar done and see it rolling.

SAC: What are your Top 5 Colors?
JELOE: Greens Oranges Yellows Purples Blues

SAC: Who are the Top 5 Bombers of all time?
JELOE: I can see this question getting me in trouble. I will qualify my answer by saying my choices are what I have seen in person. Id say for quality, quantity and longevity it would have to be Mque, Tie, Adek, Oclock and Kegr. I mean I could go on and on but these people certainly deserve to be on any list for top bombers.

SAC: What has being a graf writer done for you so far?
JELOE: Gotten me in trouble, given me the confidence to get shit done, lead me to distant foreign lands, allowed me to meet people all over the world I wouldn’t have otherwise that are very good friends to me, given me a little fame here and there, exposed me to alot of shit I would rather not have been. Really though I wouldnt trade my life thus far for much. I am really happy where I am at and think graff has provided me with a foundation for a life full of creative ventures from here on out. Im far from done doing graff but even if I stopped now I think I have put a good dent in the graff world.

SAC: What is your advice to the new jacks that want to get into the graf game?
JELOE: Dont. Heh. I know they wont listen to me but really dont. Graff these days is a hard game to get ahead in. The punishments are retarded with jail and huge fines and its only getting worse. If you feel like you just have to do it and you can deal with the consequences then I say go for it. Just learn the basics first. You have to crawl before you can walk, walk before you can run. Get yourself a mentor to teach you a thing or two and before you know it youll be running marathons.

SAC: Where do you see yourself in the game 15 years from now?
JELOE: Writing books about my experiences. Maybe teaching classes somewhere about hustle-related topics with a spin on them to get them past the curriculum censors. Who knows. I just want to be alive and happy. So where ever I am I just hope for that.

SAC: Any thanks or shout-outs?
JELOE: I would like to thank everyone along the way who has helped me out by letting me stay with them, given me an outline, got me drunk or high, showed me a tip or two about getting shit done more efficiently or with more style, my parents for tolerating all my shit over the years, my friends, Ethan.

NESTA OSD, TFL – Interview

Here’s another “Cross Examination” interview to keep you pre-occupied for the weekend. We met NESTA a couple of years back and have watched him progress into a graffiti beast. He is currently residing in San Francisco and has been consistently laying the proper smackdown on the city for the past couple of years. We did an interview with him via email back around July of 2006.

SAC: What do you write?
NESTA: NESTA

SAC: What crews do you push and what are their underlying meanings?
NESTA: OSD. Outsiders. On Self Destruct. TFL. Lords

SAC: How did you come up with your name and what’s the meaning behind it?
NESTA: It’s Bob’s middle name. I thought it was catchy. I started off writing NES just because i thought that 3 letter names were hot but then through a string of events I decided to go back to Nesta…best thing i ever did.

SAC: When did you start and how did you get into the graff game?
NESTA: I actually seriously started fairly late into this compared to the people around me, but I was always into it ever since i was young. When i was 11 or so i remember my brother getting popped for some BS little tag and got put through the ringer. I mean he had a P.O. and everything and just for some nonsense. At that time i told my self that i would never do it……but shit. Along the way i was able to meet a lot of people that really inspired me to go different directions with graff. But originally it was me and my boy BHO that started out together. I dont know how it came up, we were chillin at a party or something and the conversation came up about graff and we both were really interested in it so we decided to just start bombing. We were toys but we were having a good time. And like i said i met people along the way that inspired me to try different things and the rest is history.

SAC: What are your reasons behind doing graffiti? (i.e. fame, fun, bitches, etc.)
NESTA: Well number one it is pure personal satisfaction. Number two it is a big fuck you to all the everyday things that piss me off. I mean everything….people that cut me off, bullshit on the television, the lady that fucked up my sandwich, if i didnt get laid that night, etc, etc, etc……anything. I used to work at a job where I had to deal with snotty ass yuppies all the time, and there was nothing more satisfying than the knowledge that if they really knew me and knew who I was, they would hate me. I also think that graff is good for revenge to all those things. I mean not everything I do is malicious, but some is. To me its all about taking back what our society sucks out of me. If I go to some spot to eat and you fuck up my meal you best damn well believe that your gonna get a nice big scribe in your shit.

SAC: Who or what are your influences in terms of where your style is derived from?
NESTA: Every bit of graffiti that I see affects me, wether it be positive or negative I am influenced by everything I see.

SAC: If you had to choose one and only one, would it be Quality or Quantity and why?
NESTA: Quantity……its much more fun.

SAC: What’s your best surface to paint?
NESTA: #1 Rusted Metal, #2 Un-Buffed Brick

SAC: How do you feel about the documentation of graffiti on the internet and the aspects involved with it such as internet fame?
NESTA: It’s a double-edged sword. It’s cool that you get to see a lot of things that you normally wouldnt see but at the same time the internet grossly misrepresents what is actually happening on the ground. I wish they would make a site where you can only post flics with NO TALK.

SAC: What is your definition of “All City”?
NESTA: “All City” to me is to have your city on lock. Not just tags everywhere.
You got to have everything locked down. Tags, streetspots, bubbles, tracksides, landmarks, the yards, chill spots, rollers, and scribes…..most importantly scribes. I have no respect for a writer that doesnt scribe.

“I fell flat on my face directly in front of a car that was coming down the street.” – NESTA

SAC: Who are some of the most slept-on writers putting in work lately?
NESTA: Well right now I would say my boy Lewse for one. The guys been around for days and still has incredible energy for this game. Trews in San Diego. Jenks is an amazing graffiti writer. Also Ceiver. Another person that influenced me alot and who’s just a GREAT bomber is ADULT. The guy is sick.

SAC: Which brand of paint do you prefer using and why?
NESTA: Rusto……its built to last.

SAC: Rack or Buy?
NESTA: Rack it if i can.

SAC: Any memorable or crazy missions you would like to share with us?
NESTA: I was starting a roof that was up against a junkyard when i heard a noise that i cast off as a racoon or what not. The roof was lit up with spotlights at night so i couldnt see what was on the ground. Next thing I heard was some guy trip over a pipe below me and cuss. I was straining to see where he was when the bastard shot me with a flare gun. It missed me but it was enough to get me going. Jumped off the second story roof and started running through a parking lot only to get my feet taken out by a chain that was across the entrance to the lot.

I fell flat on my face directley in front of a car that was coming down the street. Got up, booked it towards the freeway, jumped in a bush to avoid a cop coming right towards the roof, started running again after he passed. I could see the guy from the junkyard running in my direction. I booked it onto the freeway and hid in the center divider for 3 hours while the cop and the junkyard guy was searching the area.

SAC: Best place(s) you’ve ever painted?
NESTA: Pretty much anywhere that i didnt get wrapped for was pretty damn great.

SAC: What are your Top 5 Colors?
NESTA: Sunrise Red. Harbor Blue. Apple Green. Berry Pink. Jade. Black. White.
Bronze. Thats 8.

SAC: Who are the Top 5 Bombers of all time?
NESTA: This is a hard question. But…..Cab, Mque, Ceiver, Chaka, & Tie.

SAC: What has being a graf writer done for you so far?
NESTA: Cost me a lot of money. Oh yah and I met some of the best PEOPLE I’ve ever known.

SAC: What is your advice to the new jacks that want to get into the graf game?
NESTA: I guess to just learn the history of what you’re involved in and to be conscious of how you affect the world around you.

SAC: Where do you see yourself in the game 15 years from now?
NESTA: Hopefully doing enough to make myself happy.

SAC: Any thanks or shout-outs?
NESTA: Thanks to all my friends and family. Also to Skate All Cities for giving me the chance to speak.

COLT45 – Interview

Here’s a throwback interview with COLT45 out of Los Angeles, California back around 2005. We’re slowly leaking out our “Cross Examination” interviews from our Web Forum onto the blog for anyone who’s too lazy to register. Our forum is basically a spot where you can just lounge, chill and create your own discussion topics/threads.  You should check it out over HERE sometime if you’re bored out of your mind at work. (Off Topic: I know, we need to come up with some new interviews so don’t trrrriiiippp.)

If you’ve been into the graf game within the last couple of years you most likely heard of COLT45. He has strategically placed an all out war against the Vandal Squad by practically bombing every popular city within the US to get his “ups”, and he’s not stopping any time soon. The Skate All Cities team was lucky enough to catch up with the infamous COLT45 for an interview (via email) and ask him a couple of questions behind the massive destruction and amount of work he’s been putting in.

What do you write?
C45: Colt .45

What crews do you push and what are their underlying meanings?
C45: True Known Outlaws, Weed Heads, Loks On Dope, On The Run, Evil Mob, Drugs Money Sex and Bomb Squad.

How did you come up with your name and what’s the meaning behind it?
C45: It kinda got given to me. I used to write a bunch of toy names when I was in elementary school. And at the time Mickeys was the best 40s that everyone drank. But I only got $5 allowance a week so if I got Colt .45 I could get 3 of them. And since Colt .45 is a beer favored by blacks and I hung out with Mexicans and whites, everyone would be like, “awww here comes Mr.Colt .45 with his mayate beer.” So at some point I decided fuck it I’ll write that, people call me that anyways. Plus I was obcessed with guns so it had that appeal too. And at first I wrote it with a K cause that was popular to do in the early 90’s in LA.

When did you start and how did you get into the graff game?
C45: Ever since I was a little kid my pops was interested in graff. Since the early to mid eighties. As I grew up, other people around where I lived were into it and by a certain age everyone was into it. That’s just how it was when I was growing up.

What are your reasons behind doing graffiti? (i.e. fame, fun, bitches, etc.)
C45: I’ve had my fill of all those things so at this point I just want to spread our culture to the next generation and every one past it. To show kids the right way to do shit by being involved directly. There are always gonna be new kids and we all gotta make sure they get schooled the right way so they don’t give us all a bad name. Also I got a reputation to defend and about a thousand friends to back up so I ain’t gonna be without work to do for awhile.

Who or what are your influences in terms of where your style is derived from?
C45: That’s a good one. Basically I try to do my shit how I saw shit being done when I was growing up in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Plus there’s always new fads to how shit is done now and friends now influence me a lot. There’s people who were doing shit back then that influenced me and people from back then and now who continue to influence me. To name names Cab is probably my biggest influence and also Porn, Jimer, Risky, Oiler, Pale, Fate, Gkae, Toomer, Guer, Adek, Resq; Chisme, Smash, Gsouth, Siner from Miami; Dash, Psycho from NYC

If you had to choose one and only one, would it be Quality or Quantity and why?
C45: Quantity. Duh. You can have all the quality in the world but if you got no quantity, ain’t no one gonna know who you are.

What’s your best surface to paint?
C45: I guess trains. Prolly extended height extended length flat auto part cars. Or those new white reefers if I can get a clean panel.

How do you feel about the documentation of graffiti on the internet and the aspects involved with it such as internet fame?
C45: Bitchmade. Sissy stuff man. It boggles the mind why stupid kids are living on the internet posting theirs and their buddies shit and waiting for feedback to stroke their egos. Get some self esteem and get over it.

What is your definition of “All City”?
C45: Someone who is known and has been seen up in all areas of the city. The internet kinda ruins that cause niggas can just post their shit and people see it even if they never really saw it in real life.

“Respect your elders. Stay out of my spots. And go over each other.” – COLT45

Who are some of the most slept-on writers putting in work lately?
C45: Good question. I always think MQ doesn’t get enough spotlight. Siner and Gsouth, Guer, Zes, Pysa, Eye, DZ, Adek, SI, Dr. Sex, Xrae, Nekst, Koze, Apes, Oze 108 there are a lot of people who haven’t got as much play as they deserve.

Which brand of paint do you prefer using and why?
C45: Rusto. It lasts.

Rack or Buy?
C45: A little of both.

Any memorable or crazy missions you would like to share with us?
C45: None.

Best place(s) you’ve ever painted?
C45: I’ve painted in a lot of different cities but nowhere is like home.

What are your Top 5 Colors?
C45: Rusto Gloss Black, Rusto Gloss white for trains, flats for bombing fillins, and any bright contrasting colors for pieces. Harbor, spa, leafy, berry, grape, wildflower, sunburst yellow, apple, seaside…

Who are the Top 5 Bombers of all time?
C45: Me of course…ha ha ha. No but really. MQ. Cap. Oiler. Chaka. Gkae.

What has being a graf writer done for you so far?
C45: Friends, fun, fame, girls, traveling, connections…

What is your advice to the new jacks that want to get into the graf game?
C45: Respect your elders. Stay out of my spots. And go over each other.

Where do you see yourself in the game 15 years from now?
C45: Ever heard of the energizer bunny. I can’t wait until im old enough that my kids and my grand kids can carry my paint and fill in my letters for me.

Any thanks or shout-outs?
C45: We been losing a lot of people lately… Over RIP last year in LA, and this year the lil homey Alot RIP in Miami and Soler RIP in Las Vegas. And we got a lot of people locked up right now too. And on a positive note good luck to Miss Lady La Loca DJ Tribe who’s career is blowing up. I hope the best for her.

Bombing Science x RICKS SAC

BombingScience.com is one of the largest online graffiti suppliers and we were approached by them a couple of weeks ago to do an interview for their newly updated site.  It is finally up and running on their front page right now.  Go check it out and see what RICKS has to say about “The Skateboarding Graffiti Movement”.  There is a collection of some unseen freights from RICKS’ collection that he whipped out strictly for the interview.  Big ups to Dan James for making this all happen.  On another note, if you haven’t already checked out our interview with RICKS then you can check it out HERE as well.