Back In The Day

I had a chance to talk with Nicnak CBS UTI DCT the other day, and he brought up those memories that early generation guys are lucky to have about their discovery of graff. He was a kid growing up in the Palms/Venice area and paying hide and seek, and when he jumped over a wall, there was a piece there, the first he had ever seen. He was totally captured by it and remembers running his fingers across the wall wondering just how they did it. When he discovered the Venice Pavilion, he would hang there and just watch the painting. There’s a certain magic that the early generation in any discipline have when discovering something. It would be interesting to hear some other stories about the first time people saw graff, so send ’em in!

2 Responses to “Back In The Day”

  1. on 08 Aug 2010 at 9:39 ammark7

    I gotta admit that i was impressed by the advancement of what we called bubbled letters on the rapture video by Blondie @ studio 54,in 1981 or 2. “The Piece read Bomb,it was on the wall back drop” ,Fab 5 Freddy was in there believe.It was the next thing for cats to replicate on they’re note books,peachies etc. Before that it was the Suzuki S made with 9 strikes and connects. Along with miscellaneous gangster lettering that influenced the average inner-city talents,Bubble lettering also could be found in various comics like Mad magazine, Heavy metal etc. In comic books the Wham,Pow,Zoom and Shazam gave good expression to letters. characters like Dave Big daddy Roth’s rat fink were the super bad or neat’o thing to impersonate,giving an L.A native flavor from the generation before to cut his cool on. On another note these early limited access to music videos served as a glimpse of style and dance that was evolving and spreading across the nation and world. Young Turks by Rod Stewart 1981-82,A more-less folksy new wave joint,had an fresh pop locker busting moves on top of a freight car. For the older cats who were in they’re late teens in the mid to late 70’s experienced either the beginnings of the hip hop movement,while the ones on the west coast of the same age range had just came off from the mother-ship connection movement (“Funk music”),and was locking or transitioning into the SKa/Mod scene. All of which influence the mind of Mark7,and many others here on the west coast. big ups to the Punk,Metal and Dance hall heads aswell.

  2. on 27 Feb 2021 at 12:28 amNicholas nak

    I just stumbled across this… Trying to find an old picture on the web. Thanks for the shout out man… It was nice to relive that old memory. Hope all is well
    Peace
    Nicnak DCT CBS UTI LORDS

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