Sunday, August 30, 2009

Writing my Name in Graffiti on the Wall

I do a lot of my best work at night.
I'm a nocturnal type person.
This fits perfectly with writing graffiti.
I usually wait until 2 or 3am to venture out and do some writing.
This is the prime window of opportunity to bomb and not be seen by the public.
Writing graffiti is 75% stealth. Skill comes with time, like understanding.
However, not getting caught is the foundation.
I've never been caught vandalizing or writing graffiti.
Vandalizing is when a person destroys an area, be it a wall or building or monument or church or whatever, by writing all over it, usually writing spiteful remarks or some gang shit.
Graffiti is the art of writing your name in the most conspicuous location, or difficult location and not being seen or caught.
That is the allure of the culture of graffiti writing.
To go out and make a statement to the public, and them not knowing how or when or who made it happen.
Anyway, you get ready to hit the streets around 2am.
You throw on some bullshit gear, you don't mind getting fucked up, usually dark colors for better stealth.
I find that military fatigues are best suited, because of the pockets and rugged construction. However, a dark hoodie and jeans works just as good.
In some cases I've worn nice clothes so that I wouldn't be suspected of doing anything but going to work or a party or something not related to graffiti writing.
This is only if the location i'm bombing is not too fucked up.
I've walked through mud ponds and over trash heaps, and tunnels and bridges, and they are filthy.
Okay now you got the gear, now you gotta load the weapons and ammunition.
I prefer to carry as many cans on my person as possible, so that I wont have to lug around a bag.
I intend to use the entire can of paint so I will toss them as I go.
I keep a black can and a white ready in my front or inside pockets, and a krink type marker in my hand ready to tag at the first open moment.
Tagging is all about speed.
You don't want to get caught tagging ever. It's shameful to everyone.
So you're armed and ready, but if your doing a planned piece which requires more paint than you can carry, by all means take along a bag, but be sure to insulate the back so the cans aren't clanging around in the bag, as to give away your intentions.
I prefer to walk or ride a bike while on route.
By being on foot you have a better chance to doing good tags fast and discreetly, and can get tags more up, than if you were driving.
I would only drive to an area then, walk to the desired bombing locations.
In my opinion a bike is much more efficient, you can hit up a wall and be 5 blocks away before anyone noticed.
You can also get away faster and ditch the bike, if ever under chase from cops or thugs or dogs or concerned citizens.
So, were already to go do some damage or some art, whatever you prefer.
Good luck and happy hunting.

Friday, August 28, 2009

My Son the BBoy



Peace

Ah man, this evening, I took my son out to the Philly Gathering, a monthly Hip-Hop event featuring open ciphers of BBoying, Mcing, Djing and Graffiti.
The Gathering has been around for over 12 years, and I can attest to being a part of the original Gathering, back when I was doing my rhyme thing like that.
So anyway, this evening about 4 hours ago my son, my little me totally went IN, and got busy in the bboy cipher.
He was doing uprock and bottom rock, 6 stepping and side shuffling into crazy head spins and kartwheels, hand stand and all types of ill moves.
He had the crowd including the other bboys, cheering him on and roaring with amazement when he pulled off a new move are flip.
It just now, brought a tear to my eye just thinking about how he performed and executed him moves with confidence and swagger.
I practice bboying with him all the time and encourage him to do more difficult moves (under my supervision, of course).
He even has been to all of the bboy classes my program held. So I know he can rock like that.
however this cipher had many skilled bboy and my little man hopped right in and was not just a random kid jumping in having fun, but a dancer in the cipher, awaiting his next turn to do a even more spectacular move, which he did, until he ran out of moves.
So now I gotta teach him how to backspin and windmill, so by next break he can come back and do it again.
All I keep buggin off what my son said in the car, on the way home.
"Yo, dad I was killin em, right"
Word son, you definitely was.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Im not a blogger

Peace

Im not a blogger, at least I didn't think I was until I started typing this sentence, in which case makes me a blogger.
However, I am not a professional blogger, if there is such a thing.
I just need a medium to post and highlight signifigant shit I do and see.
I am a 5%er who lives and breathes hip-hop oxygen.
With that said, any further posts will be dealing with the above as I see it.

Peace

Dress Code