With Apart, Hollywood, 1998

 

San Fran, 1997

 

With Quake and Ole, Coors Yard, SF 1997

 

Albany, California, 1997

 

San Francisco 1997

 

Who are your favorite/influential writers?

Shoe (Amsterdam), Cat22 (Amsterdam), Charlie (LA), Drew (LA), Mr. Element (San Francisco) and of course most of all Skate1 (RIP).

What writers are doing a good job these days?

I love the "stunt" writers in LA. My belly sticks out a little too much to be hanging from shit(and I'm not sure I'd do it even if I was small), so I have the utmost respect for these kids.

Saber, Ayer, Ozie, and Use.

Some other kids who aren't as crazy, but have skills....Gas, Ole, Drugs, Moses, and Prae.

What do you think of LA writing these days as compared to how it was?

I remember when people had to go over each others pieces on the 101 in Hollywood. Take a look at the walls now (buffed every day)....'nuff said.

There were also 8 yards at any given time running....take a look at how many yards are running now (none)....'nuff said.

What do you think of mags, videos and the internet?

Mixed feelings. I've seen a lot of kids "come-up" because they put out a mag or a video and put a ton of their stuff in it.

But, it's also been a cool networking tool. The reason that kids in Florida are linked with kids in NYC who are linked with kids in Cincinnati is directly related to the magazines. We all know each other, because we saw a flick in a mag, and not because we've ever been to Miami.

Any advice to the youngsters?

Yeah...get back to the real meaning of crews. Kids are changing crews faster than they change their underwear. They also are willing to be in a lot of crews. Make sure when you get down with people that you are doing it for the right reasons. If it's a "power move" then forget about it.

Also, pass on what you know to the younger kids. Always be looking for new kids to bring up. That is what keeps this shit alive.

Is there anything that you want to do with writing that you haven't done yet?

I want to do the biggest robot characters in the world, and I want to hit a subway.

What does the future hold for you in writing, and in writing in general?

Writing is looking bad right now in Cali. They're cracking down everywhere, and it's even tough to get legal spots even if you want them.

I'll always be down to jump fences, rush abandoned warehouses and drainage ditches. And when I'm old and my walker won't make it over the fence, I'll have my homies help me out.

Everyone is still dedicating pieces to Sk8 and always putting him up. Was it just that he always took time with kids that made everyone look up to him so much?

Sk8 was an incredible person that's why people still give him respect. He was a *big* person, both in size and in spirit. Shit..his graff was even big. He was a leader and not a boss if you know what I mean. He would never ask you to do anything he couldn't/wouldn't do. He understood that some people don't do freeway overhangs...but as long as they gave graff all the positive energy they could it was cool. He was like a father to many of the kids. When you walked down the street with Sk8 you felt that no one in the world could even touch you.

That's why people look up to him still to this day.

When we lost Sk8, I lost a very close friend.