Listen to some Sabbath and enjoy!
OMS- Let's start with the cliche....What do you write and how many years of your life has this consumed?
MES-I write Mes. Ive been writing that name since July of 1994 when I
was forced to change my name. The old name I had looked and sounded
like this big writer in my neighborhood who was all over. before that I had a few names. I started tagging around my block and the train
tracks summer 1990.
was forced to change my name. The old name I had looked and sounded
like this big writer in my neighborhood who was all over. before that I had a few names. I started tagging around my block and the train
tracks summer 1990.
OMS- How did you get started down this path?
MES- I got started by seeing tags start to pop up in my area. I remember
going into Boston as early as 1986 and seeing names spray painted
around Fenway Park. It was probably a mix of punk rock/stoner NYC type
graffiti. a few years later I started seeing names with arrows etc
near my house and i wanted to learn how to do it. I couldn't read It
but it looked dangerous and mysterious. in the late 80s I was already
down w/ other types of vandalism....trying to derail budd
liners, building forts down the train tracks, playing on freight
trains, lighting fires, trying to get our hands on fireworks, breaking
windows etc. I was a good kid. I hung out with some bad apples in the
neighborhood. Kids that had older brothers and sisters. Luckily I never got pinched doing any of that stuff. So a few years later when
NY style graffiti made its way into my neighborhood I wanted to learn
how to do it. Then one summer I met two brothers who wrote. My folks
had a summer place about 30 miles north of the city. These guys went
to the same spot and wrote Kaz and Tend (T) this was summer 1990. They
were from the city of Lowell, Ma. There was a hip-hop scene there going
back to the early mid 80s and they were part of that. Lowell was
pretty fucked up back then. I've heard horror stories about it. So these
dudes, they put me down with fat sakura paint markers. I liked those
paint markers a lot so when I got home I found a spot that had
them. I scribbled around my block writing stupid names with arrows and
sometimes just scribble not saying anything. I was in 8th grade around
this time. I ended up spending another summer with Tend and Kaz a year
later. Then my freshman year of high school I met a writer from the
hood, Kryme. We had art class together, this was 91/92. Around this
time I started to decipher all the writing in my area and in town. The
2nd wave of Graffiti in Boston and greater Boston had just taken off
and I was able to see most of it. Guys like Ryze, Alert, Sp.one (a NY
guy living here at the time) Sly and a bunch of other guys. I could
list tons of names. Writing pretty much became a full time sport for
me at that time. Ironically years later I would see this guy around
town that looked like Tend from the summers years back. It turned out
it was and had changed his name to M.31.
around Fenway Park. It was probably a mix of punk rock/stoner NYC type
graffiti. a few years later I started seeing names with arrows etc
near my house and i wanted to learn how to do it. I couldn't read It
but it looked dangerous and mysterious. in the late 80s I was already
down w/ other types of vandalism....trying to derail budd
liners, building forts down the train tracks, playing on freight
trains, lighting fires, trying to get our hands on fireworks, breaking
windows etc. I was a good kid. I hung out with some bad apples in the
neighborhood. Kids that had older brothers and sisters. Luckily I never got pinched doing any of that stuff. So a few years later when
NY style graffiti made its way into my neighborhood I wanted to learn
how to do it. Then one summer I met two brothers who wrote. My folks
had a summer place about 30 miles north of the city. These guys went
to the same spot and wrote Kaz and Tend (T) this was summer 1990. They
were from the city of Lowell, Ma. There was a hip-hop scene there going
back to the early mid 80s and they were part of that. Lowell was
pretty fucked up back then. I've heard horror stories about it. So these
dudes, they put me down with fat sakura paint markers. I liked those
paint markers a lot so when I got home I found a spot that had
them. I scribbled around my block writing stupid names with arrows and
sometimes just scribble not saying anything. I was in 8th grade around
this time. I ended up spending another summer with Tend and Kaz a year
later. Then my freshman year of high school I met a writer from the
hood, Kryme. We had art class together, this was 91/92. Around this
time I started to decipher all the writing in my area and in town. The
2nd wave of Graffiti in Boston and greater Boston had just taken off
and I was able to see most of it. Guys like Ryze, Alert, Sp.one (a NY
guy living here at the time) Sly and a bunch of other guys. I could
list tons of names. Writing pretty much became a full time sport for
me at that time. Ironically years later I would see this guy around
town that looked like Tend from the summers years back. It turned out
it was and had changed his name to M.31.
OMS- What was it like when you first started?
MES- It was very fun when I first started. It's some of the best memories I have. I started writing because I saw it in the streets and met
other writers and played on the train tracks. Not by going to shows or
going on the internet or the local graffiti supply shop. I didn't even
see the books or movies back then (Subway Art, Spraycan Art, Style Wars, Wild Style) I kind of wish I had seen those back in the late 80s
because I probably would have started writing even earlier. But,while
it was fun it was pretty hectic at the same time. I was this little
white kid who listened to Metal and Rock, tagged and skated. I went to a
catholic high school my freshman and sophomore years where I was one
of the only white kids and I got picked on. The tracks in my area went
right through the biggest projects in New England. This was where I
did a lot of my first stuff. I could have ended up dead down there.
Shit was confusing too. I remember in art class one time the kid Kryme
telling me this dude Ryze was a white boy from my area. Which was
shocking because he was up in my area huge and spread out into and all
over the city. So in my head this guy was probably some big black guy
from the hood. It was funny because years later I'd meet kids and they
thought I was some big dude from the hood.
OMS- Who or what influenced you back then?
MES- Back then it was just other graffiti I saw that influenced me.
Maybe a little too much because it caused me some static. Which is
good for a toy. Hurdles and bumps in the road during the learning
process. I didn't progress too quick back then. The only guidance I had
back then was biting. I didn't have any mentors.
other writers and played on the train tracks. Not by going to shows or
going on the internet or the local graffiti supply shop. I didn't even
see the books or movies back then (Subway Art, Spraycan Art, Style Wars, Wild Style) I kind of wish I had seen those back in the late 80s
because I probably would have started writing even earlier. But,while
it was fun it was pretty hectic at the same time. I was this little
white kid who listened to Metal and Rock, tagged and skated. I went to a
catholic high school my freshman and sophomore years where I was one
of the only white kids and I got picked on. The tracks in my area went
right through the biggest projects in New England. This was where I
did a lot of my first stuff. I could have ended up dead down there.
Shit was confusing too. I remember in art class one time the kid Kryme
telling me this dude Ryze was a white boy from my area. Which was
shocking because he was up in my area huge and spread out into and all
over the city. So in my head this guy was probably some big black guy
from the hood. It was funny because years later I'd meet kids and they
thought I was some big dude from the hood.
OMS- Who or what influenced you back then?
MES- Back then it was just other graffiti I saw that influenced me.
Maybe a little too much because it caused me some static. Which is
good for a toy. Hurdles and bumps in the road during the learning
process. I didn't progress too quick back then. The only guidance I had
back then was biting. I didn't have any mentors.
OMS- You've been putting in work for years now, whats a crazy story you have?
MES- Lots of crazy stories. I took a good beating from some hick cops
once. That sucked. One time a friend and myself were driving around
racking. All of a sudden inside the car we could smell burning plastic
and the car started to buck. We pulled over and could see a tiny flame
under the hood. Within 2 minutes the whole car went up in flames on
the side of a busy street (He used to do the work on his car himself
and fucked up some wiring.) Luckily I had all the markers I racked in
my pockets. One crazy/funny story I have didn't really have much to do with me, but more of
what I talked a friend out of doing. This was over 10 years ago. He
was dating this crazy girl a few years younger who went to this uppity
private school. She stole this 4 month old human fetus that was in
this large sealed bell jar of formaldehyde out of the schools Lab. My
friend was into the occult and liked to collect odd stuff. He had a
collection of of this stuff on his fireplace mantle in his studio. So
this girl gave it to him as a gift, he had this fetus above his
fireplace. It was pretty wild, people would stop by and think it was
fake then realize it was real. You could see it in their faces that
they were disturbed. Anyways me and my friend were planning a cross
country trip and he wanted to take the fetus along with him in his bag
to show a friend out west who was also into creepy shit. I knew that
we'd be doing a fair amount of wild stuff on this trip and knew if he
got caught with this fetus we'd both probably be all over the news. I
ended up talking him out of it. He broke up with the girl and she
wanted it back. That was the end of that. I'd like to think she
returned it to the school.
MES- Lots of crazy stories. I took a good beating from some hick cops
once. That sucked. One time a friend and myself were driving around
racking. All of a sudden inside the car we could smell burning plastic
and the car started to buck. We pulled over and could see a tiny flame
under the hood. Within 2 minutes the whole car went up in flames on
the side of a busy street (He used to do the work on his car himself
and fucked up some wiring.) Luckily I had all the markers I racked in
my pockets. One crazy/funny story I have didn't really have much to do with me, but more of
what I talked a friend out of doing. This was over 10 years ago. He
was dating this crazy girl a few years younger who went to this uppity
private school. She stole this 4 month old human fetus that was in
this large sealed bell jar of formaldehyde out of the schools Lab. My
friend was into the occult and liked to collect odd stuff. He had a
collection of of this stuff on his fireplace mantle in his studio. So
this girl gave it to him as a gift, he had this fetus above his
fireplace. It was pretty wild, people would stop by and think it was
fake then realize it was real. You could see it in their faces that
they were disturbed. Anyways me and my friend were planning a cross
country trip and he wanted to take the fetus along with him in his bag
to show a friend out west who was also into creepy shit. I knew that
we'd be doing a fair amount of wild stuff on this trip and knew if he
got caught with this fetus we'd both probably be all over the news. I
ended up talking him out of it. He broke up with the girl and she
wanted it back. That was the end of that. I'd like to think she
returned it to the school.
 |
| "Paint stained hands and coke spoon 1999" |
OMS- What are your thoughts on the graffiti culture today? Internet, crews, style, attitudes etc....
MES- Today? Kids have it real easy. The internet kind of helped kill
regional styles and make it easier for the cops but I'm not going to
completely hate on it. It's cool to see old flicks pop up or find
something you never got a flick of. Crews are cool...there's a lot of
different writing groups out there that are fresh. Style? Again, It's
kind of sad to see local styles disappear. Especially hand styles. I don't get out of my area much these days but the tiny amount of stuff I'm seeing is pretty bad. Attitudes? if you're some pompus dickhead
writer you probably need to get knocked out!
MES- Today? Kids have it real easy. The internet kind of helped kill
regional styles and make it easier for the cops but I'm not going to
completely hate on it. It's cool to see old flicks pop up or find
something you never got a flick of. Crews are cool...there's a lot of
different writing groups out there that are fresh. Style? Again, It's
kind of sad to see local styles disappear. Especially hand styles. I don't get out of my area much these days but the tiny amount of stuff I'm seeing is pretty bad. Attitudes? if you're some pompus dickhead
writer you probably need to get knocked out!
OMS- What's your favorite aspect of writing?
MES- Favorite aspects would be knowing your history and being a student
of all types of graffiti writing. Tagging and having a decent
handstyle. STYLE. Throw-ups, Pieces, Characters. Can Control.
Documenting, having a bunch of supplies: inks, applicators, paints, black
books......
MES- Favorite aspects would be knowing your history and being a student
of all types of graffiti writing. Tagging and having a decent
handstyle. STYLE. Throw-ups, Pieces, Characters. Can Control.
Documenting, having a bunch of supplies: inks, applicators, paints, black
books......
OMS- Favorite thing to paint and why?
MES- Brick and anything that moves. I just like brick, and you get
your name around on stuff that goes places.
MES- Brick and anything that moves. I just like brick, and you get
your name around on stuff that goes places.
OMS- Who or what keeps you motivated these days?
MES- I find motivation in knowing that after the grind I can say fuck
you to the corporation by being creative. Taking a tag, doing a throw-up
or some letters; And that I'm a part of a movement that's been going on
for over 40 years. My Friends motivate me as well.
OMS- what's in the future for you....any big projects or happenings in the works?
MES- I let the chips fall where they may with writing. If I plan something
out too much it usually doesn't come off.
OMS- Real quick one or two word answers:
1. Hand style?
out too much it usually doesn't come off.
OMS- Real quick one or two word answers:
1. Hand style?
-Very important
2. Metal?
2. Metal?
-Year round
3. New England?
- Patriots
3. New England?
- Patriots
4. Phish?
-Aves boys
-Aves boys
5. Deems?
-Brass balls
-Brass balls
6. Freights?
-Monikers
-Monikers
7. Hip-Hop?
-Old school
8. West Coast?
-Old school
9. Religion?
-No
10. Charles Manson?
-Douche bag
-Douche bag
OMS- Any advice to up and comers and newbies?
MES- Know your history and be a student
of all types of graffiti writing. Handstyles come first. STYLE. Throwups, Pieces, Characters. Can Control. Documenting, and having a bunch of supplies: inks, applicators, paints, black
books......and don't get pinched.
MES- Know your history and be a student
of all types of graffiti writing. Handstyles come first. STYLE. Throwups, Pieces, Characters. Can Control. Documenting, and having a bunch of supplies: inks, applicators, paints, black
books......and don't get pinched.
OMS- Any shout outs or things you would like to say?
MES- Shout outs to OMS and my people, you know who you are.
MES- Shout outs to OMS and my people, you know who you are.
OMS- Thanks a bunch for taking time out of your day to do this!
"I just wanna launch!"
MES- Thank you. I do see a launch in the near future...
1 comment:
That is not how the fetus situation went down at all. It was circa Ally Mcbeal tv show with the animated "dancing baby" and sometimes certain people would shake the jar with the baby in it and go "dancing baby!" One day that certain person made the mistake of doing the "dancing baby" routine in front of the girlfriend who stole it in the first place. It must have been due to watching those little dead limb become suddenly animated, but something clicked in that girls head and without warning, snapped. She turned into the cunty incredible hulk of nervous pre-hipster era hipster chicks. She started shrieking that it "was her baby and "give me my baby back" it was so aggressive and frightening that she must have known we would were going to immediately give it back to to her and appologize. Which is probably why she took it so poorly when we laughed in her face and told her that it wasn't going to happen.
The most intense, violent, all systems go mental breakdown in the history of neurotic spoiled white girls ensued and at a certain point the boyfriend/owner of the house caved in like a bitch, loosing the baby forever. Drugs were involved. Graffiti is a waste of time btw. Hail Satan.
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