Tunnel Exploration

I know up until this point all of the posts have been related to what I know and what we know. However whenever I come across some shit thats different than what I know I get curious too. As was the case when I discovered this young kid who has a real affinity for crawling through the dingy, dark tunnels of NYC's subways. This is what I came up with....

How did you get into this?

Ever since around 5 years old (if I can remember right), I thought the subways were the shit. Although back then I didn't really think I would be exploring the tunnels at 3 in the morning. It began when I first started learning about graffiti, then I started to creep up on what I call ‘explorer flicks’. It all just came together man and I don't know how to explain it, but I'm here now. Cats think the NYC subway is a dirty place and it is, but they don't know how much stuff is down there. It would blow your mind, I probably only explored like .03% of it.

 

You ever have any problems with the law, workers, trains or the third rail?

I’ve had a couple close encounters with work bums and they never spotted me out. I never had problems with the law underground, but I did on the street. But I've had problems with trains…a lot of problems. Problems ranging from being salty and having to step in between pillars to sparks shooting from the third rail. I was taking a flick one time and a train was passing by on a local track and sparked up the third rail out of nowhere. It almost knocked me back.

 

What are the most exciting tracks you ever had the opportunity to walk down? What’s your favorite line?

The most exciting was probably the Queens IND between **th and Queens Plaza. It's got trains coming in from all directions. E,F,G,R, and V trains. It's a mad colorful and open tunnel too. You have to watch out in this tunnel though because trains still run express and people think that they don't because it's a "late night".
My favorite line would probably have to be the Brooklyn 2/5 and the Brooklyn 3/4 trains. Also the Queens ****** Ave, because they stay having trains laid up on the express tracks. Walking down those tunnels is fun too.

Does your mom know about this shit?

Haha yeah. She knows. Just like any other parent, she hates it.

 

You ever seen some craziness down there?

Yeah son, bums doing some nasty shit in the hatch exits. I fuckin' dipped out after that.

How long can you picture yourself doing this for?

Man, I have no idea.

I'm gonna explore every tunnel before the cameras get in the stations!! They're getting mad deep with those cameras. They can have you really salty sometimes, but I don't think they check them unless something big goes down. There's a new line being built. The T. I want to get down in that tunnel. I've seen a couple people that have already.

Any words of advice for those reading into the same thing?

 

Yes, those trains are quiet and fast. For anyone wanting to go into the tunnels, don't go down there unless you know what you're looking at. If you don't even know what the third rail is or what it looks like or what a white/red stripped line means, don't even think about it. Learn your shit and check out the tunnels before you go in. If the line still has cars with a rail-fan window, just look out and scope the tunnel out before you decide to go exploring.

Keep us updated and be safe man.

I appreciate the interview and your blog is the shit.

 

peaceout.

ISSUE 2 IS HERE

For those of you wondering why this has not been put in print yet, I'm asking those same questions. But for right now, this is heat and I have no right to hold onto it. Thanks to Save and W. Wallace for the contributions to the below pieces. Just Click the pictures and then press F11 for full screen view.

Slick Aleas Interview

Controversy

Ground Control contributed by W. Wallace



For those of you still looking for this in print. I'm always in the process of trying to make it happen, I've got a boat load of material sitting here waiting to get shipped out. Let me know if you have any ideas...Thanks.

SOLD OUT! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Delaware's war against graffiti..

"Take it from a champ, graffiti is for chumps." That was the slogan for NYC's anti-vandalism war and damn the ads were at least pretty cool looking. I'd like to see Delaware at least use one of it's 5 celebrities. How about Ryan Phillipe, Rocky Bluewinkle or ex-Presidential hopeful Joe Biden? Can anybody submit some anti-graffiti poster designs and I will forward them to somebody in the Tips department. Because the ones below are not too aesthetically pleasing.


if her ears hurt, why doesnt she just turn the music down?




Honestly vandalism in Delaware is out of hand. Tags are up, and they are blocking my daily commute to the WaWa. If we could get rid of just a few of the transgressors than I would be much obliged because writing on peoples private property is not art, its just stupid.

Supposed to be Issue 2.

Too many...time to release some of the pressure behind the flood gate. Just Click!

The following story is something I found online and reworded it into a spread. I'm not sure how much I actually like the actual write up. In a few ways it reads like somebody who has 2 hours until a research paper is due, and doesn't quite know what they're writing on. Its a good read though.

I'm not good at this spread shit. I know....

Original Issue 1 Spreads.

Just thought you might like to read some...In order, Just Click!

Playtime is over.

I'm done with you kids,



When the beards is in the building you know what it is.

Some footage I shot in 2001.

Issue 2 is around the corner...

We gotta celebrate.
click the pictures to make them larger.

Camden




Wilmington









Philadelphia









Issue #2 Features

Will the real Agua Stand up? "..I guess getting locked up for somebody elses crime must be pretty exciting."
Stolen Suroc Scriptures. "Buford Youthward woes"
Ground Control Violence in Philly. "The best we can do is survive. I was 13 the first time I saw a homicide."
Silent Wrytes Interview. "I say fuck em', they aren't fooling anyone and just playing themselves."
Ugly Squad in the news. "They kept alligators in a basement pond and fed them chicken and pigs ears."
Slick Aleas Interview. "Once you hit a wall its up for the people to decide. It's like being on American Idol, the street does the votes."
and I'll throw in some tunnel flics for good measure.


Yeah it's going down.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT. THE 2ND ISSUE AND ALL REPRINTS ARE NOW SOLD OUT.

Bombing Iraq?

Old men make wars for young men to die in them.

I really don't care how you feel about the war. I'm educated enough to know the basis for wars and the history behind wars in the world. If you think wars in the world will just cease one day, then you're an idiot. The people over there fighting are good friends I grew up with, some I know from school and people just like me. These individuals are trying to make money to better their lives or pursuing their passion in the US Military. Some soldiers are cops who are either in the Reserves or the Guard, and yet others are robbers who love to squeeze pistols. And the funny thing is they love each other when they are in the same unit fighting side by side, and they love each other when they are back home doing what they do best. Either way this is life. When I look at pictures like the ones below, it shows me that these are real people, none perfect, but nobody is, Bombing Iraq....

All stolen.






I wonder when they're coming home.

There once was....

A bunch of graffiti websites that supported the 610 and Philly graff scene. Sites like The Avenue from Drexel, Mr. Niser's Art of Tags, Definition of ill, Philly's Art, 610 Graff, Filthadelphia, Funkadelphia, the Grape Street Pub AFU site, Street Soldierz, the IX Circle site, District of Damange, Philly Graffiti and Graff 215. They all had gems among the numerous photos taken and put on these sites. The boom of the majority of these sites came at a time when the internet was just picking up. They certainly helped suburban writers get an insight into Big City writing life and copy styles until the point they were ready to try them out on walls. Alot of these sites are now gone or contain broken links and are not even worth the time searching out. However there are a couple that still remain among the many because they were not direct websites and were hosted on sites like Angelfire. I'm sorry for letting these go, but graffiti documentation is wack because its biased as all hell and people are selfish (Understandibly). Below are a few shots from different websites that survived the flood of the early 00's. Check them out if you get a chance.

Art Crimes

Here you'll find some self promotion and writer's pieces that arent even from the fucking area. But nonetheless you'll also find diamonds in the rough, below is one such picture. Check the link and judge for yourself.

(Cese, Nope, Beans, Asia, Curve, Esteme)

http://www.artcrimes.org/phil/philadelphia_1.html

Philly Graffiti

This is another site where you can find some great gems. Most if not all of the links still work and you can view a number of slams from dudes who actually did them proper. The toss page lacked slightly and leans to the West. But I also remember first seeing this site and it being another cool resource for pictures.

(Above Slave IX, Below Sneez WCS)

http://www.angelfire.com/biz2/MYZONE/new.html

610 Graff

This is another site that has the majority of photos still hosted on it, 610 Graff. Many of the writers you see here are repeated on the site above, however alot of the photos are different and you'll find some great old photos for you to learn from. There are a number of Philly writers on here, but it also has a good look at the 610 at the time with some minor exceptions. I actually remember when the site stopped getting updated. It would be pretty funny if it started up again and the "610Kid" stopped sleeping.

(Above Creep, Faim, Drama, Exam Circa 98)

This wont take you anywhere,
http://610graff.tripod.com/bottom.html

but this will.

http://610graff.tripod.com/top.html

The picture embraces what the Upper Darby / West Philly crossover means. Where does the WP line start and who should be allowed to write it? I'm not from either, so I aint worried about it. But leave your comments, let me know what you think about it.

ESC Sqd

This page was strictly early ESC and the people they painted with as the page describes. There is some classic material hosted on this site. You can certainly see the development that the writers went through, mainly Mad and Kid. Not much more to say but take a look and see how long some of these guys been rocking walls and developing styles.

(Ke, Skan KMD, Abar NL, Ses)

http://escsquad.users.50megs.com/

Then of course you have two main websites that weathered the storm of websites. Nightcrawla and Silent Wrytes. Nightcrawla does not allow you to post and thank god. You can view numerous writers throughout Philly Wall Writing history that made a dent in numerous neighborhoods throughout the city. SW which started out the same as most of the websites, hosting pictures from AZ to PA focusing on Philly writing has now switched entirely to a forum based design and serves a different, but equally important purpose. No matter what your view is on how the Internet changed graffiti, its undeniable that it has made a strong presence. We are able to communicate quicker and flatten the playing ground. Some use it to abuse and portray themselves as Royalty while others just like looking at pictures.

For more please pick up the Glamorous Life issue #2 for all the hidden inside secrets you never knew. Coming Soon!

Good Morning

Rakan Wicket King



Top Rakan, Bottom Emad and Caem



Rakan on double duty



SkrapLover (Rakan)

Thanks to for holding these for me.