The author of one of my favourite books on graffiti is legendary writer Fuzz One who started writin as early as 1970. The clips above feature nearly 30 mins of Vincent shootin the gift about the methodology of gettin up way back when. Its mainly tales about how much of a gamble tunnels, yards and lay-ups were back in the late 70s and fundamentally how difficult the yards where to enter. He explains the in-depth processes of NOT getting caught, and the significance of subtle subterfuge. He discusses how he disguised his car with a pink steering wheel and blonde wigs in the backseat to look like he was anything but a writer, how unfriendly the transit auth cops could get if they caught hold of your ass and how you could be ‘fatally killed’ if you werent careful…
Just a reminder that the first gallery exhibition of Chrome Angelz artwork in almost 30 years finishes at the end of this week…
The Chrome Angelz first came to my attention from the person that single-handedly kicked off the graffiti movement in Ireland. He’d been to London and met Aydee2000 [Artful Dodger] at a jam in Battersea South London during the Summer of 1986.
He’d come back with pics and shared some of the negatives [see below]. We then joined forces and began to do our thing on the walls of Belfast, the ones that werent covered in political murals. By the time 1987 arrived, I was hooked on the TCA style, and was boosting copies of Spraycan Art from local libraries…
By the time 1988 rolled round I was finding Chrome Angelz artwork in promotional calendars at the record store where I was working. Click on the scans for full size action…
Above is the Why Does More Hip Hop to TDK? piece by Pride he did for that 1988 TDK promotional calendar, the same one Capital Radio DJ Mike Allen was featured on during the same campaign. TDK had been marketing their products with artists like Pride and T-Kid since 1985, but it was Spraycan Art that led to my unhealthy interest in TCA.
The shots below are from the Chrome A’z Roc So Fresh piece by Scribla at the Capital Fun Day at Battersea Park during 1986. Peep the T-Shirt’ also worn on children’s TV show No 73 in the same year…
As early as 1985 The Chrome Angelz had their work on TV shows like Pebble Mill and No73, as well as the Lenny Henry Show.
Also, check the FRANK151 interview with Mode, he not only dedicates the article to a dear absent friend, he talks of the Covent Garden days and the timeline of how TCA came to be…
This whole shenanigans reminds me of Blade asking his listeners to fund his projects way back in the days of wayback, way back in the days… Hopefully if I donate to Henry, he wont call me up and then proceed to misunderstand me, asking me to repeat every feckin word I say like No Sleep Nigels mate. You’d think he’d never met an Irish person before.
Anyhow, here and now, if you want to see a Style Wars 2 in the cinema, it seems that the only way it may ever see the light is to get yer donations in to Mr Chalfant, he aint gettin any younger ye know/ it is on its way. As long as we have as many classic quotes like that of the late great King o’what, we’ll do just fine.
“Oh, you vandalism and all that. Yeah I vandalism alright”…
The format of this 1981 documentary is simple, 27 minutes of grainy footage of New York subway systems rolling stock from the period. It plays to a bed of music by Jazz musician Charlie Mingus, he had ‘such nimble fingers’ you know…
Live Session feat Fab 5 Freddy and Afrika Islam from one of the parties during the month long tour of Japan in the autumn of 1983
Anybody actually remember this tour hittin Japan, im old, but im not that old, thats why wee documentary clips like his are great
I dont think I’ve heard Freddy so tidy on the mic since…
Tasty mini-doc about the tour
These were the probably the earliest documented moments in the cultural crossover for worldwide Hip-Hop, the industry as we know it wasnt even a twinkle in Kool Lady Blues eyes at this point…
Cheer up Baby Love, it could be worse, you could have joined the Floormasters/ Nice beaver hat/ Busy Bee is still lookin for that other knee-pad/ KK Rockwell lookin sharp [pause]
OG Jap Wildstyle poster
Look how happy the Cold Crush are, Charlie Chase has some grin on him. Freddy cant believe he’s on a subway platform in Tokyo and I cant believe he pulled off that Argyle and Members Only type jacket combo so well…
All pics courtesy of Charlie Ahearn, get the book here
HOTASBALLS 