Piece Book (1989-1994)

PIECE BOOK December 1989

FANZINES

Criminal Images will be a new graffiti mag, with a first issue imminent. Meanwhile, they're on the lookout for new outlines and photos, so send yours to Paul Cojeen at 6 Holmesway, Pensby, Wirral, Merseyside, L61 5XJ. Issue one, available soon, can be yours for a sov' (£l) from the same address.

Neil Ashton is the Editor of The Gangsta Booga, a new hip-hop fanzine shortly available in London and on mail-order. The fanzine will be written by and for hip-hop fans, containing a mix of reviews, interviews and humour.

However, to get it on the road, Neil needs help from hip-hop followers all over the country: So if you have any say in hip-hop contact him at 14 Woodside Close, Amersham, Bucks, HP6 5EG.

News reached HHC of another graffiti fanzine. Unfortunately, we don't know what it's called but issue one is out now. It includes graffiti from Britain, Holland and Germany and a special on the Bridlington Graff Festival. Available for £l plus postage and packing from Daniel, 31

Bankside, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE6 11W.

THE SHEFFIELD SCENE

On the 16th of December, Sheffield will host a hip-hop showcase featuring graffiti, art, rapping and deejaying. Further details from David Warburton on 0860-352796.

Credits:
- Sunset (left) and Bode Scene (above) by Boss at Down Hall.
- Respect to HHC by Task 2 of SCA, Cardiff
- The Sandman by KEEWEE of Parkside Kingz.

PIECE BOOK January 1990

Cheeba Wizards, one of the toughest street graffiti crews in the UK came out in full force to express their art. The location was Farringdons' three corners playground (London), a well known hall of fame for graffiti artists.

The Wizards have been together for almost two years and have built up from five original members to their current 16. Most are from East and West London with the exception of She One and Req who are from Brighton. The crew was formed by Snatch with the idea to have an elite group of artists to work together as one, protect each others pieces and compete with other crews.

There were 13 members who turned up on the day, out of which seven did pieces, the others helped out when needed and gave moral support. It took six hours to transform a blank wall into a blaze of colour, this was the result.

FANZINES

In Effect is a new graffiti fanzine put together by Eez aka Brian Mullen. Billed as "Scotlands First Graff Mag" it features news and photos of what's happening north of the border.

"For too long we've looked towards what's been happening in England and not taken enough interest in the work of artists in other Scottish cities," he writes. The aim of In Effect is "progress through unity" - to bring artists together from other cities and backgrounds so the scene can become more solid. To that end Eez needs photos, sketches, news of gigs and so on to keep the mag going. State your claim and gain your fame by contacting 8 Beech Grove, Craigshill East, Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland, EH54 5lJ. The second issue is available on the 22nd of January. Don't miss it.

Credits:
Text and photos by Filmer
- Wildstyle 'She & Saint' character by She One.
- Stet sprays his character - 'The Thing'.
- Krymein admiring his 'Alien' character.
- The main "Burner piece" was ‘Snatch’ by Snatch, a complex wildstyle with lots of colourful details, giving an Acid effect (Acid graf?). The piece looks good from a distance, but totally wild close up.

PIECE BOOK February 1990

FANZINES

Another graffiti zine gets into gear this month with its first edition. Urban Assasinz (£1 plus sae) features artwork from London, Bristol and Denmark. Run by Steve Halpin, he's on the lookout for some fresh designs, pics and the like. If you can help, get writing to 16 Meadow Cl, Southwick, Brighton, West Sussex BN4 4NX.

On The Go is a regular monthly American zine for 'graffanatics' put out by Mark Surface and Kool Meez. Although they purport to document the 'Aerosolassault Movement' they are equally keen on all aspects of underground music, art and thought. Drop them a line and they'll put you on the programme! Contact: Mark Surface, c/o On The Go, Box 53802, Philadelphia, PA19105, USA.

Released due to public demand is Bomber, from Holland. A well assembled fanzine, it's got some great pics, which is just as well 'cos the text's in Dutch! Anyhow, they're desperate to exchange pics and info with British writers and 'zines, particularly of trains. Write to Eric de Mari, Vondelstr. 18, 6512 BG Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Credits:
- Steam with Lokiss (pictured above) on holiday in Paris.
- 200 Piece by Pike. (October ‘89, Sweden)
- The new creation by Warp and Rome of the EST Crew.
- The Essex Rokerz hail from Chelmsford and the crew consists of Proud2, Severe, - MA1 and Demane. This is an extract from a bigger work titled Aeresonical Titanz.
- Visitors to Norwich City College must have seen this piece by the Crime Wave Squad, part of the BYI Crew from Brooklyn, as commissioned by Shock from Nottingham.

PIECE BOOK March 1990

STREET WIZARDS

She One and Req One of The Cheeba Wizards (featured in the January issue) contacted Piece

Book this month to thank Filmer for the fame but also to put straight the other Wizards on the day: Shun, Jade, Mars, Mello, Cream, Hatch, Fugi, Damer, Deal, Zaki, Dee, Cure, plus the Italian staff Dyaki and Zero (Death Squad). In addition they have a message for all Piece Book readers: The Cheeba Wizards wish to ignore hip-hop stereotypes such as

'tough', they are irrelevant.

Graffiti is not guns, anger, for sale, buntlak, b-boys, fanzines, clever, in effect or fashion. More it is blocks, dreams, esoteric, happy, illegal, b-boys, clever, rammelzee, auto-chemicals, magic realism, Bronx, burners, liquid, spongy, stupid, ours and running 'round spray painting your name. Instant karma to all wizards inside the real time experience.

You have been told!

FANZINES

100% Succulent Graf is the claim of the fanzine of the same name. To acquire a copy write to Doc at 3 Wansbeck Court, Morpeth, Northumberland. Please send £1 plus a large SAE.

Still up North, UIIA is the name of the graffiti "zine with no name" (£1.50 including p&ep) as featured in the December issue of HHC. Put together by Met Moc and Mach 1, they're still on the lookout for outlines, characters and photos for future editions. Gain your fame by contacting Daniel at 31 Bankside, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1UU.

Passions is a Derby based 'zine, already into its 4th edition. Put together by Scenes Fourteen it's available for £l from 25 Kingsway, Heanor, Derbys, DE7 7QU.

Kriminal D'zines is a slammin' graf mag, compiled by Dueoz One and Dice One. Now available monthly, in order to keep going they need photos, outlines, news on jams etc. All correspondence to either S Dare at 17 Vernon's Close, Henham, Nr Bishop's Stortford, Herts CM22 6AE or from Dice One, 51 Hackney Rd, Maidstone, Kent ME16 8LN. You can get your paws on a copy for £1.20 (including p&p).

Credits:
- On the international tip Mason One sent this self-titled pic in, the work done in his hometown of Dortmund.
- Courtesy of Bomber fanzine, Piece Book presents Arno Scene. The piece is in Rotterdam city centre and features b-boys by Eras & Sine with characters by Cosh.
- Hitting the Amsterdam - Rotterdam
- Intercity service is this "rockin' shit hardcore" train piece created by Eras in Amsterdam.
- We're On A 'Mission' is not a homage to the dodgy goth band of the same name but this subway piece by Media of the Double Zero Boys and Mid City Artists, two crews in Birmingham.
- Popz 100 takes some time off from "fighting for his belief in graffiti art" during darkness to let us into his bedroom. This piece is called Sherbert.

Missing PIECE BOOK April 1990!

PIECE BOOK May 1990

PIECE BOOK COMPETITION: DESIGN AN LP COVER

Piece Book in association with Dave Pearce's Reachin' Records are proud to announce a competition for all you writers out there.

Reachin' Records are set to launch a new generation of British rap artists with their first LP 'Reachin' l'. However, they need a sleeve for the LP. This is where you come in. All you have to do is get your paints out and deliver the goods. The winner will have their work immortalized on the LP sleeve and will be presented with a framed version of the finished artwork. Piece Book will also be publishing the work and some of the runners up.

If you're a serious graf artist can you afford to miss this chance to gain your fame? No, of course not. But hurry, time is of the essence, and Reachin' need your artwork by May 16. All entries should be sent to Graffiti Competition, Reachin' Records, Unit 302, Metrostore, Eastman Rd, Acton, London W3.

'Stone Roze' comes courtesy of Keewee of the Parkside Kingz.

Roe from Dortmund sent Piece Book this autobiographical piece.

You may recall the Essex Rokerz from HHC13. This is the second installment of 'Aerosonical Titanz'.

This '89 archive comes from Core of the NSA Crew, Sweden.

PIECE BOOK June 1990

PARISIENNE EIFFEL

Filmer takes his trusty lens to Paris. Porquoi? The graf, of course!

With the Louvre and the Pompidou Centre, Paris is well known to be a capital of culture. And when it comes to graffiti, this proves no exception. The only difference being the artists display their work in deserted building sites, the most important of which is the area of Stalingrad - just North of Paris. The main crews who dominate this patch are BBC (Bad Boys Crew), Crime Time Kings, Lokiss and Jacky. Their work has a distinct style of its own not seen elsewhere. Their use of colour, wildstyle and characters are expertly executed on walls with very thin precise lines.

Paris has become an important stopping point for writers as far and wide as the UK, USA, Germany and Holland - who come to paint as well as view the work of French writers.

All are well respected and have influenced a number of new writers working today. - Filmer

Credits:
- 'BBC' by BBC, 1986.
- 'Sun City' by Saho, 1986. Political graffiti that packs a punch.
- 'Alien Space Warrior' by Mode 2
- Homeboy character with stereo by Jacky

Missing PIECE BOOK July 1990!

PIECE BOOK August 1990 ‘The Street Years’

Visitors to Wolverhampton Art Gallery between May and June can't fail to have noticed The Street Years exhibition. The event proved an interesting graffiti retrospective of the street art movement in the US and ​​UK from '85-'90, featuring the best murals from that period. Plans are afoot to take the exhibition around the country but, for now, clock this!

Credits:

- 'Chaos' - demonstration mural by Goldie, at Queen's Square, Wolverhampton, 1990.
- Haunted' by Bio (New York) 1987.
- 'The Orgasmik Experience' by Ruff and Stylo (London) 1989.
- 'Hard Times' by 3D (Bristol) 1987.
- 'Ooh Baby' by T-Kid (New York) 1987.

PIECE BOOK September 1990

'Dawn Of The Last Fighting' is the recent creation of Sheffield's Tunnel Rats.

The Skateshop in Norwich plays host to this piece by Shock, CWS, BYI and Fox. Word out goes to Chino, BYI, Prez, Ven, Cap, Reas, Fates, Death, Fox and all other writers in NYC - the capital of graffiti.

Leicester's Faze II crew let us know what they're made of with their 'Krime' piece by Core & Wizard.

Archive material from Westarose in Sweden. T'll Burn You All' is the work of Puppet, Summer 1989.

PIECE BOOK October 1990

Leeds artist Kase MTV shows off his train pic 'Mad Kaser' - the first car sprayed from top to bottom in Britain (it says here)!

The poetically titled 'A Lone Soldier Gazes At A Lost Dream' was painted by 2Tone and Logique of The Armed Response & Compact Artists, in Winterborne, Bristol.

Puppet has his second consecutive work published in Piece Book. 'A Tree Is Always Full Of Ghosts' was sprayed in WSR, 1989, and goes out to Disey, Ziggy, Circle and Weird.

This hyperactive sleeve design comes courtesy of Rime TIA - executed for the Krispy Three 12" 'Comin' Thru Clear'

PIECE BOOK November 1990

Queen Square, Wolverhampton is the setting for 'Chaos' by Goldie.

'Legal', bombed by Aero & Trem in Norwich this year.

Different style and fashion from the Paris hip-hop scene. Respect out to the writer, Shuck.

Grim reality graffiti style by Epic 'n Mime in Old Trafford, Manchester.

Old skool smurfs and 'Robocop' 1990 style meet in It'z A Conflict' by Foundation Productionz in Hull.

PIECE BOOK December 1990

Bit of camera trickery here! Anonymous senders, but it looks like it's called 'The City Indians'. Piece of the month guys - send some more.

Yeah to all the Swedish Bombers! In the spirit of the 'green' 1990's a protest piece called 'Caught In The Waste' by Neon.

Respect due to The Stain Devalz in Halifax for this piece, sadly destroyed within two hours but immortalized here - 'A Walk On Da Wild Side'.

Simple, but dope! 'Criminally Insane' by The Kiwi and The Parkside Kingz.

Correction to last month's Piece Book - 'Chaos' was actually sprayed by The Stylestars Tim and Steve. Apologies to them and Goldie for crediting him for something he didn't do!

Missing PIECE BOOK January 1991! (Unsure if there was an issue)

PIECE BOOK February 1991

We've been getting some hi-quality graf in recent weeks, so it's time to let the bombers drop heavy loads in a Piece Book special!

"Better to die young and achieve, than to live long and achieve nothing," say Skore and Len. "Keep on watcha doin' says HHC!

Wildstyle' is the appropriate name for this London piece by Seth 1, snapped by Filmer.

Proud 2, Demane, Severe and MA-one - aka the ERZ Wolfpack - are based in Chelmsford. "All over 18 and strictly professional" they say, as this piece shows - "the only colour that matters is the colour you see in front of you."

'Cash' is the title of this piece by the State City Nomads. You can check more of their work in Brighton, London and Bristol.

Birmingham's Double Zero Boyz? dope wheels - the 'Love Peace and Unity Car'.

South London's Stylo and Rough have an 'Orgasmic Experience'. Mind-blowing!

At just 17, Royce paints regularly at youth centres in the Nottingham area. Here he poses with one of his pieces in Ilkeston. No title given - p'raps it's Three Headed Monster'?

The spotlight falls on Somerset. Respect to Frome's EST Crew - Warp, Rame, Hoax, Caine, Haise and photographer Tris.

PIECE BOOK March 1991

Steam checks out the graf scene, LA stylee.

November last year: London writer Steam, after hearing all the hype about the California aerosol scene, stows away on a flight to Los Angeles to check it out for himself.

Hooking up with Hex from LA's TGO (Time Goes On), Steam soon becomes aware of one of the most impressive aerosol scenes today.

Hex, the 21-year-old artist who now makes his living from spraycan art, began in 1982 bombing at schools, in alleys and in handball courts by night mainly to establish his name in the vicinity. Not an easy task however - Hex has been chased hundreds of times by the police who, in California, have nightime helicopter patrols to combat the art form which makes the ghetto beautiful!

In 1984 Hex formed a crew called The Gifted Ones with members from New York, New Jersey and LA such as the man Legend, Empire, Bookwork, Fantacee, Maestro and himself. They sadly broke up and the remaining members became Time Goes On.

Today, Hex does a lot of commercial work for international companies, record covers, shop fronts, rapper Kid Frost and much, much more.

Credits:
- A commissioned piece called 'Octopus' for Cheap Comics, Hollywood.
- 'Lion' by Hex in the Belmont Tunnel Hall Of Fame, Los Angeles.
- Character from a piece done by Hex and Drift.
- 'Swimming Whales', part of an environmental mural.

Fancy being a Reader Writer yourself? Send in photos of a particular city - anywhere in the world - with a phone number so we can contact you and we'll do the rest. Peace.

PIECE BOOK April 1991

Steam aims his spotlight at Lokiss, 'don' writer in Paris.

French graf artist Lokiss, who has gained a solid rep in Paris for bussin' the baddest d-zines, first started writing around the mid 80s, sharing the risk with cru's such as Last Visions, The 'Kan'stars, and the Woodstaw crew - his fellow members holding tags such as Deub, Ran, Reiz, Zeae, Sect and Tinka.

Lokiss has now visited England twice to enter the annual International Street Art competition, and anyone visiting Paris should check out Lokiss's work. Showing his sense of unity and disagreement towards the unhealthy rivalry which tends to ruin the very healthy (despite the illogical opposition by various authorities) graf scene in France, Lokiss has sprayed a lot of collaborate pieces with the BBC (no, not the TV station, the Bad Boy Crew!) in the past around Paris, and now that Lokiss has finished his stint in the French armed forces, we hope to see more of his work again soon…

Steam says that if y'all want specially sprayed graf T-shirts fresh from the New York Bronx, with a fresh design saying 'Crash On The Line', send a cheque for £10.50 to F W Malt, 22 Middlesex Rd, Mitcham, Surrey CR4 1QP. Large sizes only available.

Credits:
- Piece done by Lokiss and Skki, Paris '89
- The decoration of the 'Ticaret' b-boy shop in Paris by Lokiss, Meo and Ash 2.
- Steam and Lokiss partially obstructing another creation by Lokiss.
- 'La Chute' from '89, by guess who?
- And da grand finale, 'Lokiss Lokiss' by Skki and the man in Paris two years ago.

PIECE BOOK May 1991

Risk one - Steam talks to LA's finest graf artist Risk.

Risk isn't just the most famous graffiti artist in LA - at the UK Street Art Expo, the Aerosolics (Risk and Slick) were voted best aerosol artists in the world. Now 23, he started seven years ago "to destroy my high school!" Since then his work has appeared on TV, and in newspapers and magazines all over the world - including the Arsenio Hall Show, MTV, Michael Jackson's video 'The Way You Make Me Feel', the Los Angeles Times and, of course, HHC.

"I paint to know I'm alive," Risk answers to the inevitable question of 'Why?' "It's the way I communicate with the rest of the world - that's why I love graffiti because it's all about letters and with the letters you can define anything. I guess that's why I don't really get into characters."

Risk is currently in big demand in 1991, saying "I've made plans to do a couple of video interviews and a back drop for a world tour - but I'm not going to mention any names because it's taboo! I'm also working with Can Control magazine to start a world wide mail order graffiti company for writers that's going to have everything from spray tips to stickers to clothes and even canvases. But most of all I just want to get busy and do a shitload of pieces." 

And the UK scene? "I think the English scene is real cool. I had a great time the last time I was there with Slick and Vulcan. We were bugging some of the clubs more. Their bouncers follow us around because we were buck wild, but by the end of the night we were chillin' with 'em. Some of the clubs would let us keep who we wanted and have after hour parties. The DJs were real cool and the girls... well that's another story that we won't get into! But let's just say they treated us real good and we can't wait to come back. As far as the graffiti scene, there were a couple of suckers that had to get put in check. Slick and Vulcan were laughing and kept telling me to chill, but a couple of these kids were too out of line. But over all English writers have come a long way and have a nice strong style going. Peace to ya."

So who's the best you've seen? "Who do I think is the best? Well I don't think anybody is in the position to judge anybody's artwork over somebody else's. I think once you get to a certain stage it's all relative because when you have, say 20 artists taking it to the highest level it's impossible to name one person the best because tomorrow someone's going to top it.

"But I give my teachers from the University Of Southern California crazy respect and would like to thank them for supporting my graffiti, especially Bob Alderette and Jay Wills. I'd like to say peace to the LA posse - Power, Dante, Slick, Muggs, Charlie, Dream, Nacho, Chaka, Green, Rev, Dread, Vision, Rival, LOD DTK UTI SMD; and the New York Posse - Vulcan, Reim, Ven Reas, Kool, Ket, Ja, Zeno, Tkid Bio, Brim." Right now, it's time for more Risky Business.

Credits:
- 'Radio'
- 'Can Control' by Risk and Polier
- Self-titled bus by Risk
- The man himself - Tougher than leather?

PIECE BOOK June 1991

We thought we'd give Steam a chance to catch his breath and stowaway on a couple more flights to graf centres around the world this month…

But fear not! Instead we're bustin' a couple of the murderous pieces we've been sent over the last few months (and a couple of classic oldie pieces), giving the HHC reader posse a chance to show the world how dett the graf scene has become.

Letters:
"Dear HHC, just thought I'd drop you a photo of my latest mural. Basically it's a dedication and mark of respect to the brother Martin Luther King. The mural also features the deserts and burning oilfields of Kuwait.

Respect out to Dave Roberts, the VOP cru, Ikonoclast Movement and the Barton Hill Youth Club, Bristol. The last two issues have been rockin' so keep up the good work. Peace." - Boyd

Credits:
- 'MKS, Busk, Cry, Skire' Bombed in Grove Park, South East London in February 1991.
- 'A Tree Is Always Full Of Ghostz: Cold-Ise' by Puppet (1989) for Disey, Ziggy, Circle 'n' Weird.
- 'Unity - Don't Make A Fad Out Of A Serious Thing': Shock One, Norwich.

If you're a graf artist, ​​then HHC would like to hear from you. We're always looking for new work to publish, but please pay good attention to the photo of your work - it should be in focus and correctly exposed - sometimes we can't publish good pieces purely because the photo is sub-standard.

PIECE BOOK July 1991

Just one page of Piece Book this month, but check Normski’s shot of Brio and Trim’s classic crack piece on page 31. Keep sending in your own work though - please mark all photos with your name and the piece's title, and try and send only good quality photos.

Credits:
- 'Who's The Mack' airbrush T-shirt by Dream.
- ​​'Krime' by Core and Wizard of Faze II, Leicester, completed in 1990.
- 'Duke l' by the man of the same name from Florence, Italy.

PIECE BOOK August 1991

After a taster of Dream last month, HHC's Steam goes back to Cali to check the man and his work.

Dream originally hails from Alameda in California, but the majority of his work is to be found in Oakland. He started writing in the at the age of 14 in the summer of 1983. "After peepin' out a few books and documentaries on the subject of hip-hop, I really started to take it seriously and produced some of my best works around '85," he remembers. "Since then I've been down with a few crews such as ATP (All Time Pimps) from Philadelphia and the ? (Question Mark Crew) from Oaktown. His favourite paint is Krylon, due to the wide variety of colours and he says, "Like a lot of writers on the West Coast my style was influenced by New York City writers such as Skeme, Phase 2, Dondi, Seen, Lee etc. In time I found out what being a true writer really meant - the concept of creating your own style and elaborating on it plays a big part."

Dream busts his own style on freeway walls, and more recently freight trains. "I paint mainly for self satisfaction. Bombing is like an escape for me when things get hectic. I end up going out late at night and tearing shit up."

While the work here is some of Dream's favourite West Coast pieces over the years, he reveals, "My plans have come to a temporary halt due to the new law passed in January banning the sale of spray paint. But I plan to try to make it out East, hitting cities like Philly and Chicago, before getting to New York. At the moment, I'm also pretty tied up airbrushing t-shirts (like the 'China Doll' piece here and last month's Cube shirt). Y'know, it's a shame that it took someone like Bell Biv Devoe to bring graffiti back into fashion - graffiti has always been part of hip-hop culture and always will be."

And the British scene?

"I think the English scene is really hype - a lot of dope writers are comin' up and the scene has really developed to a point where the majority of the best writers have their own individual style."

So who is best anywhere in the world? "As far as calling someone 'the best', I don't jock anyone. Like my homey Enem from Chilly Philly once told me, 'I'd rather be on my dick than the other guy's' right?! As far as giving respect, I give credit where credit is due and if anyone's deserving, it's the originators of this artform - Phase 2, Skeme, Tracy 168, Stan 153, Super Kool 223, Seen Lee, Dondi, Kel, Futura and Dez.

"Style to me is defined by the flow of letters - not necessarily saying that the more complicated the better, because a really dope style piece shouldn't have to be camouflaged by a bunch of unnecessary arrows, bars and characters. I feel that any time you start treatin' backgrounds and characters with more priority than the piece itself, meaning the letters, then you loose the sense of what graffiti is really about." - Steam

'The Best Of Both Worlds' and the man Dream

Credits:
- Dedication piece, LA 1990
- Dream and Steam chill in Oakland
- Airbrush Jacket
- San Francisco municipal bus 1987 - windows and tyres as well?!

PIECE BOOK September 1991

This month, Steam reaches New York and checks out one of the veteran writers on the graf scene, Quik.

Quik is from the neighbourhood of Hollis, Queens - best known as the home of Run DMC of course - but also the turf of other creative and leading American figures. "LL Cool J, Young MC, Mayor David Dinkins, Kareem Abduhl Jabaar, James Brown and blues musician Sonny Terry are among those who've emerged from Hollis.

"I began street tagging at the age of 10. At that time, the only way my parents would let me out at night would be for the purpose of going to choir practice. So, I would bomb all the way to church, and then on the way back home.

The always inevitable question is why?

"I first got turned on to the beauty of graffiti by seeing the #4 train in The Bronx. My grandmother would always take me to the Yankee stadium to see the baseball game and from the upper seats I had a perfect view of the trains. Some of the first fat-capped pieces I recall were AJ 161, Piper, Stayhigh 149, Star-IlI, Jace 2, Stop 700 and Frank 207. Other than trains, the black and Hispanic motorcycle and street gangs would bomb the city with their crew logos. That also impressed me.

I first painted trains to imitate graffiti's 'larger than life' quality. As a little kid, these pieces gave the impression that the people who wrote them must have been giants! Therefore the bigger I pieced, the more my name played on the imagination of others. Truly, a lot of my admirers were a bit disappointed when they met me, the police too! I'm skinny and only 5 foot 8 inches tall!"

Quik moved on to paint for exhibitions and galleries although he says "Of course there's no rush though - no high like bombing trains! I wasn't nearly one of the best when it came to painting trains. So I would do one nice piece, then 50 to 100 throw ups per night. Thus, the evenings were one long drawn out orgasm! Now, I prefer to make art that will last through time. It's important for me to be in the realms of art history." 

And the exhibiting?

"This year I've had a sold out exhibition in the Netherlands, with 16 paintings and over 20 drawings. I also participated in a totally happening Art/ Hip-Hop event in Connecticut. My next adventures will be in Germany during May, and a group show at the Federal Reserve Building in Washington DC. The Washington exhibition will include Lee, Seen, Futura 2000, myself and a few other old school bombers.

When it comes to style in graffiti it's just a matter of originality - this can be both individual and regional. I could go on for hours listing artists with their own styles and contributions to the evolution of spray painted graffiti, but location has a lot to do with style. Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan writers had their own specific touches when it came to regional style. And of course, look at the way homeboys bomb out in LA! Totally hip and original unto themselves! I try to bomb at least one train a year now. However, I'll be creating paintings as long as God provides me with hands and the breath of life."

On the matter of materials, Quik prefers Rustoleum and Red Devil for trains, but American and European Krylon and the German paint Maribu/Buntlack for paintings. Has he ever seen the UK scene?

"I can appreciate what's going down in the UK," he says. "The hip-hop is def, and the graf is totally cool - good creative things have been busting out of the UK since the 60's. But as far as bombing goes... New Yorkers were the originators. Nothing beats originality. We're the fathers of all graffiti style!

Who am I to say who's the best graffiti artist? But, over the last 22 years I've had my favourites. At the end of the NYC train dynasty no one could do whole cars better than Blade, Seen and Lee. They were totally unique and the best at what they did. Nevertheless, some of my old skool favourites were Flint 707, Super Strut, In, Jester, Mico, Shark 77, Moses, B-One, Uncle John 178 and Vinny.

"That's it for now homeboy! And remember, graffiti never dies! - Steam

Credits:
- Vintage Quik - two New York City subway trains from 1982.
- The man himself.
- Quik sitting in front of one of his creations in Heidelberg, Germany.
- A self-titled wall, again in Heidelberg.

PIECE BOOK October 1991

Steam's hiked off to the USA again, so this month we're taking the opportunity to catch up with some of the graf from Europe. Keep it coming!

Tune into next month's HHC to see how graf has developed over the years in London.

After literally begging with us, we had to print Mistone's 'Mone', painted this year in Sheffield.

This (un-named) piece is by West One, from Aalborg, Denmark - he obviously can't decide what time it is.

Piece Book regulars Epic and Mime have come up with three radically different themes with 'Why', 'Rachel and 'Grim Reality Part Il'. Epic also wants to put a shout out to Sean B.

Bega CWS's work can be found in and around Norwich - this one's from earlier this year and is simply called 'Character'.

Nottingham's Pulse is actually part of NYC's Magnum Squad, so this 'Fantasy' burner goes out with a big shout to his boys across the pond.

PIECE BOOK January 1992

The anti-pollution 'Blacktide' is the only second ever piece by Mista E and D Fase of Lincoln, England, dedicated to the boyz in the band of the same name. They also say, "Are we the only artists in Lincoln? Wize up and show yourselves!"

'True 2 Life' by Pulse/The Magnum Squad, Nottingham, England, 1991.

'Saez' by Germany's Saze and his crew Set, completed in November ’91. Just who is 'El Bastardo'?

Commissioned tram in Basel, Switzerland for "Wetten Das' TV Show. Bombed by Deal, Mare II, TNT, Theo, MA600 and Joe.

According to Denmark's West One, "the name is the whole piece, so why sign the name in the corner?"

HHC is always on the lookout for new artists in the UK, especially those outside London. Send photos (with details please) to 'Piece Book' at the usual.

Missing PIECE BOOK Feb/Mar 1992? (Unsure if they were printed)

PIECE BOOK April 1992

In the second of his graffiti profiles, Steam looks at the work of the Essex Rockers.

Formed in 1989, the Essex Rockers consist of three artists; Proud 2, Severe and Demane.

Proud 2 and Severe started painting around '85, before forming a crew called Two Bad Artists in

'87. They later hooked with Demane (previously from the UK Millenium Artists) to form the best in their area, the Essex Rockers. The Rockers were behind one of the UK graf scene's first magazines, 'B/W', in 1988, although it only lasted for four issues. They also formed a crew called Wolfpack which consists of DJS, Security and Friends and others.

At the moment, Proud 2 is studying graphic design at London College Of Printing for an Arts degree, while Demane is also doing an Arts degree in graphic design. As well as the three core members, the Rockers also occasionally feature Ma-One who helps out when they work on large murals.

Although they have done over 100 pieces, they have never painted trains - they feel that there is too much pressure, and prefer the time that wall painting allows. In 1989 they produced a 150ft wall titled 'Sonicol Titanze, printed in a previous issue of HHC.

The Rockers mainly paint in traditional style - characters and letters - and do not do abstract paintings.

The Rockers have their own hall of fame at an old gas works in their area where they do not get trouble from the police, and their work recently featured on Anglia TV and BBC TV. They'll also be painting at an exhibition in Ipswich in the next few months (details of which we'll print soon).

Their favoured paint is Belton or Sparvar, and their favourite artists are Mode 2, Hex, Slick, Bando and Meo, although they'll always give respect "if the work is good".

Personally, the Essex Rockers reckon that "there are too many writers with bad attitudes, and in a way, it's spoiling the scene". That's one of the reasons why they mainly just paint in their area.

But outside of the UK, they've hooked up with the likes of Iz The Wiz in New York, and plan to visit Spain to paint later this year.

Credits:
- '666'
- 'Jesus' (detail)
- '976 Death'
- 'Super Biterz'

PIECE BOOK May 1992

'CBS Dragon' by Jazi and Chaos, painted in Geneva, Switzerland.

'Who's Gonna Take The Weight (Hammerite RIP)! By Skore, painted in Maidstone, Kent.

A self-titled piece by Phoe and Tizm, painted in Manchester.

'Now They Got Me In A Cell', a commissioned piece by KMCEE who describes himself as "the last of Northampton's old skool kingz".

'Distorted Minds' by Sober and Rumah of the Imperial Creations Cru, painted in Leamington Spa in summer '91. Sober is currently attempting to put together a list of all legal wallspace throughout the UK. Anyone who can tell him of such areas, or who would be interested in obtaining a copy of the list should write to him at; 'Heronwood', Shepherds Place, Kineton, Warks CV35 ONS.

PIECE BOOK June 1992

Steam talks to Rough from VOP

"Planning the progression of oneself within a movement is quite simple," says Rough of VOP (Visual Orgasm Productions). "And this is basically my primary aim within the graffiti movement - progression."

Rough - aka Remi Morgan - started to paint in 1986. His first crew were TAA, The Awesome Artists, before he made a name for himself with Smart Art (along with fellow artists Jewel, Abstract and Head). His fame on the graffiti scene grew with TV appearances and in 1988 he hooked up with Stylo to become a "VOPstar".

Of the current scene, he says, "I'm fed up with the general public, media and a few would-be youth workers giving too much attention to the artists and not enough to the artwork. If people such as these left us alone then British graffiti would then have the space to progress to a much higher level.

"I personally intend to avoid such confrontations and to become selfishly involved in my work.

"I am comfortable to stay pretty much within the confines of my beginnings although I tend to change my views and directions constantly and adamantly refuse to use any environmental or political innuendo in my work."

​​This constant change has resulted in some personal worldwide recognition for Rough though. He's worked in France, America and Spain as well as painting his renowned commissions in the Midlands. As for future aspirations, they're coming together gradually. "I've been working on a magazine with close friends," Rough reveals. "It's called 'Graphotism' and it's the first of its kind in Britain." (For more information contact PO Box 352, Wallington, Surrey SM5 2WJ.) "But all that's left for me to say to other writers is, try your best, ignore all criticisms and put the artwork first."

Credits:
- The man himself by his work
- Posotive Vapours by Rough & Stylo
- Rough by Rough
- Designed by the designable
- Mural by Rough, Sari (NYC), Iz the Wiz (NYC)

PIECE BOOK July 1992

This month, the focus is again on your work from around the UK and Europe. Look out for a fanzine round-up in next month's HHC.

Keen One's 'The Insane Brain Strain' can be found at West Ham's hall of fame in East London. Painted last March, it took 16 hours to complete.

​​'The Power Of Darkness' by Part 2, of TAN - 'The Aerosol Nation', painted in Birmingham in 1991 (I-r: Lynn & Part 2, who is also down with VOP).

A shop front in Paris, painted in December '91 by Amaze, Nestor and Lek.

These two pieces were painted by Sober and Rumah of The Imperial Creations at Northampton's hall of fame, 1992. Sober's 'TIC' is the one on the left, Rumah's 'Aerosol Psychosis Part 1' on the right.

​​This piece, entitled 'O Is For Orange', was painted in Ladbroke Grove, West London. Painter Skore says, "it was only quick because we were on our way to see the

Kool G Rap & Naughty By Nature concert".

PIECE BOOK August 1992

Steam takes a look at the work of leading writer, Part 2

Started: 1984. First involvement was mainly breaking but was also involved with all aspects of the hip-hop lifestyle and culture.

Style: A portrayal of the world around him - as he sees it!He decided to break the rules in 1988 and instead of painting graffiti in a traditionalist style, he started to create abstract work, which many critics didn't actually consider as "graffiti". He feels that now a lot of people have jumped on the bandwagon and have adopted his style. He is planning a big event on Saturday August 1st at a place called The Hide-A-Way (12 Peter Lane, off High Ouse Gate, York city centre), a multi purpose arts centre where he has been given a warehouse to paint. He has also got his own private gallery in Clifton, York, called The Gallery Of Part 2.

Ambitions: He wants to start selling his work and getting it into galleries, but wants to retain his artistic integrity: he doesn't like working on commercial commissions and prefers to work on his own ideas, although he has done commission work for the Joe Bloggs fashion company and for snooker clubs and nightclubs. 

FANZINES LISTING Part 1

Sprayed In Full 
PO Box 1261, Santa Barbara CA 93101, USA
Style: photocopied in b&w.

Graffiti Rock Magazine
5706 North 6 Street, Philadelphia DA, 19120 USA
Style: photocopied in b&w, good pics.

Graphotism
PO Box 352 Wallington Surrey SM5 2WJ
Style: Glossy printed in b&w, good photos, interviews,

Flashbacks
J Edwards
PO Box 7572, New York NY, 10150 USA
Style: Good quality photos.

Artistic Tendencies
15 Gledhow Park Drive Leeds LS7 4JT
Style: A3 colour printed on two sides

Can Control Magazine
P.O.Box 406, North Hollywood CA, 91603 USA
Style: both b&w and colour, good quality.

Graphic Scenes Explicit Language
PO Box 2328, Astorio Station New York, 11102 USA
Style: b&w, all the action from New York.

Tox One
Reclamation Abonnement 2 Rue De La Concorde 922600 Asnieres France
Style: Colour graf, rap, hip-hop

Hype Magazine
PO Box 10222, Adelaide Street Brisbane 4000 Australia
Style: b&w colour worth checking out.

On The Run
Jugendtreff Berg Am Liam
Josephs Burgster 10 8000 Munchen, Germany
Style: both b&w and colour, good interviews

Sneaktip
Christian Hansen
Gadeledssves 90 3400 Hillerod Denmark
Style: b&w with lots of photos

Kingsway
3 Howell Street, Lalor 3075, Victoria Australia
Style: Full colour.

PIECE BOOK September 1992

For this issue we're featuring pieces from artists all over the UK. Steam will return next month.

These two pieces were both painted by Eyes of Third Team Kings. 'Desert' (on the left) was painted at his home in Hetton, Newcastle, and 'Escort' (on the right) was commissioned for a local garage.

This piece, 'Klines', was recently painted by Keen 1 of All World Experts in Selly Oak, Birmingham.

Tech One of Aerosol Damage painted this in Taunton earlier on this year.

Here's Keen 1 again with a piece entitled 'Kline Awe' painted in West Ham, East London, in June.

PIECE BOOK October 1992

Compiled by Steam

PIECE BOOK PROFILE: SHOCK

Age: 22.

Started: 1983.

Style: Can do all styles but likes to do characters because not many people can do them.

Career: Paint first full-scale piece in 1985 and form Norwich crew Bits 'N' Pieces. Norwich Union insurance group sponsors 60ft European Environment Year piece in 1987. Achieve local media attention and interest in further work. Approached by Council Parks Inspector in 1988 while painting 30ft wall without permission. This leads to committee meeting in which further work is requested in local parks and eventually in city centre. In 1989 local Students Union decide to commission painting of entire top floor of building. Apply to Prince's Trust and receive substantial grant for paint.

Ambitions: He is going on tour to Paris and Germany soon, as he feels that the English scene has some of the worst conditions in Europe: shit weather and little gallery commission opportunities. "I think English writers are some of the most diverse and experimental, creating the most new styles, but we're not getting props. Certain parts of Europe are dissing us. I think we need to get out of this island nation mentality and show these people. Also, a lot of people have dropped out recently. I'd like to see more up and coming writers with imagination and style to take the scene into the next century."

PIECE BOOK November 1992

Compiled by Steam

PIECE BOOK PROFILE: PULSE

"I first became involved within this unique art form in early '84, but before that I was breaking due to seeing Wild Style at the Midland Arts Cinema. There were no other writers in the city till late '84, then came BA Rip and Craze. We were all doing little pieces here and there but nothing special as we had to experiment with the spray can. Early writers in England will understand as there was not much information about the art.

"But in 1985 the boom came. After the Style Wars documentary the country went crazy, and English graf came of age. The majority of cities around the country were bombed. This country was the closest I've seen to the NY graf scene. Writers who were in the public's eye around those times were the Artful Dodger, Goldie, Mode 2 - these are just some of the many artists with the claim to fame; there were many more but it was a case of exactly who you were down with and where you were from.

"As time went on - after getting into trouble for one thing or another - it was time to break from the rest of the field. Off to NY where I hooked up with Seen, Pjay and a number of other writers. They became a very big influence on my painting career, especially Pjay who is like a brother. After painting in NY, the birthplace of graffiti, I decided to return home.

"I came back and hooked up with Alert and decided to form In Living Color in '89. We were painting every week we could, then it was time to branch out to different cities, different countries. In '91 we got down with a writer named Shock, originally from Norwich. He was to be the next member of the ILC elite to get down on the ILC tip. After a few trips into Europe, German writer, Kan, joined the crew which gave it an international flavour. Everybody was racking, painting, everything. ILC was going worldwide from America to Germany to England - even while you read this article."

"After the Style Wars documentary the country went crazy, and English graf came of age. The majority of cities around the country were bombed."

PIECE BOOK December 1992

Compiled by Steam

PIECE BOOK PROFILE: WESTONE

After seeing the film Style Wars at the age of 13, Westone started to write, and soon his involvement with aerosol art became increasingly more serious. His main influences include Phase II, Skeme, Mitch and Lee, the top of the New York old skool. He paints to keep quality, satisfaction and above all fun in his life. Put simply, he loves to paint. Bombing is a different story. Why waste the paint when you can do some creative shit? He prefers big walls, big pieces and sometimes trains just to know that the original graf hit and run ethic is still alive. He used to admire Quicks but after being in NYC he now looks to the likes of Krylon and Rustoleum for inspiration. His biggest project was his trip to New York and he's now planning another trip to the Big Apple - he says it's a dope city and the writers are cool. With a residency in NYC and maybe a tour around the world on the cards, he's got plenty planned and he claims he will paint till the day he dies.

"You know you've got style when writers look at your shit and know it's you before they've even read the letters," he says. "That's when you've got style. You've got to do everything, not just trains or walls. If you want to be the best you cannot specialise in just one thing, but you can never say who's the best. There are leaders and followers in each country and those few leaders will always top each other all the time. I think it's okay to go over somebody's work - it just has to be better, a lot better. The English scene doesn't move me. No one in Denmark likes the English scene, but I do what I like. I just want to do my thing."

"you've got style when writers look at your shit and know it's you before they've even read the letters!"

PIECE BOOK February 1993

Compiled by Steam

PIECE BOOK PROFILE: GRAPHOTISM

This year saw the launch of Graphotism, a magazine aimed at covering the UK and world aerosol art scene.

Already among the leading graf magazines, the aims of Graphotism are simple. They want to promote the work of graffiti aerosol artists, believing that the magazine will eventually become a basis of communication and debate between artists all over the world. They don't promote or encourage illegal graffiti but, obviously, cannot ignore the fact that this was an integral part of graf culture and always will be. This being so, they endeavour to cover the scene as comprehensively as possible in a purely journalistic and aesthetic way, including comment from artists and the public.

The staff of Graphotism includes Hoopskee, Rough, Stylo, Prime, Fame, Johnny, Score and HHC's very own graf correspondent, Steam. The magazine can be found on sale at various shops in London, such as Forbidden Planet, Black Market Records, Liberty Grooves Records, or direct by mail-order for £2.70 from PO Box 352, Wallington, Surrey SM5 2WJ (make cheques or postal orders to Graphotism International). Issue two is still available and issue three is out now, including 150 photos over 32 pages (four of them full colour).

HC piece book correspondent, Steam gets in focus.

Part One gives Piece Book the eye!

PIECE BOOK March 1993

Compiled by Steam

PIECE BOOK PROFILE: KEEN ONE/K-LINE

"I've been writing since 1986 after seeing the films Beat Street and Wild Style and, of course, the book Subway Art. I class myself as a graffiti writer, none of that aerosol artist bullshit! Graffiti art is about trains and rocking walls, not abstracts on canvas. So many writers just want to jump on the bandwagon because they might get fame and make some money. You're just not a writer unless you've painted a train at some point.

"I mainly paint in London, but recently I've been to Strasbourg to work on some commissions and pieces at the European Youth Centre. I then met Mester from Denmark. I later went to Denmark to paint some trains with Mester and Soda, but the weather was shit - it would not stop raining, so we just bombed the yard! I'm hoping to get back out there soon.

"I've seen a lot of these European magazines and they keep on dissing the English scene, but when it comes down to it they ain't shit compared to us. We burn ya! They just ain't been tuned into the right programme. They should get the facts straight before they start running their mouths. Let's unite and go forwards not backwards.”

Credits:
- 'Keen' by Keen, Bristol, 1992
- By Keen, Strasbourg, France, 1992
- 'K-Line' by Keen, Grove Park, London, 1993
- 'Euro!' by Keen One, European Youth Centre, Strasbourg, France, 1992
- 'Awe' by Keen One, York 1992!

PIECE BOOK April 1993

Compiled by Steam

PIECE BOOK PROFILE: PFB

The PFB crew was formed in 1991. Its members include about 50 hardcore writers from such top London crews as SBS, WRH, TKS and WD, all dedicated to bringing colour back to the London Underground. Most, if not all of the members, paint trains and their work is mainly illegal. They want to see the London graffiti scene put back on the map.

Apart from painting trains in England they've also painted them in New York, Chicago, Amsterdam, Berlin, Stockholm, Antwerp, Italy and Poland.

Recently, they organised one of the biggest graffiti events in London to date - 'Unity' - at their own site in Fulham with an aim of bringing artists together. The event attracted around 250 people with 15 artists actually painting on the day. More events like this are being planned for the summer.

Credits:
- 'Shun' by Shun, London 1992
- 'Daire-Wolfman' by Daire and Wolfman, London 1993
- 'Gym' by Gym, London 1992
- 'Robs' by Robbo, 1992
- 'Draks' by Drax, London 1991
- 'Moose And Brush' by Moose and Brush, London 1993

PIECE BOOK May 1993

Compiled by Steam

PIECE BOOK PROFILE: SKORE

"The crews I'm currently in are TRC (Troubled Children) and more recently DFM, a crew I feel proud to be part of, for I believe it holds true values and its members include some of the UKs best letter developers. I've been writing since about '84 and have, despite living in suburban Kent, been immersed in the London scene. Therefore my main influences in the early years were mainly London-based. From the TCA crew firstly there was Scribla and then later Mode and Bando. Also there was Tufarts and the styles of Mise and Kast.

"At that point I started working on the foundations of the style I paint in today - a style which sways from influence to influence, that I hope is individual to me. I always try to put a personal element to my work by portraying a view or a message with a soul-bearing glimpse of my inner self. I would note hip-hop, the film and concept of Hellraiser, the style of painter Rodney Matthews and my partners in DFM as recent influences. 

"In the last year or so my style has become a lot more ​​fortified, kind of tooled up, a lot sharper and crueller in a mediaeval sense, but I feel it's recognisable by its proportion, flow, possibility and balance - an almost symmetrical product. Tone, letters and the beauty of exploring and stretching their basic forms is the single most important thing to my translation of this artform.

"An outline with which I'm pleased with at sketch level is the most sacred of things and brings with it one of life's greatest highs. Having said that, I have yet to paint a wall with which I am totally happy, but then I suppose that's what keeps the hunger in my heart. To me the outline takes a great deal longer than executing it onto a surface - not just because I'm the fastest painter you'll meet but because 80 per cent of my work starts on paper. The form of the piece is paramount and a good design takes pure work.

"On the agenda for this year I hope to visit many cities throughout the UK to paint because we've got to build those bridges. As a whole, writers in this country must get together throughout and rock."

Missing PIECE BOOK June 1993?

PIECE BOOK July 1993

Compiled by Steam

PIECE BOOK PROFILE: THE BEST OF BRITISH

For all those who said that the British graffiti scene doesn't move them, for all those who said that it was dead, then check this out. Action speaks louder than words - and here's a selection of the best action we could find! This month we take a look at some of the work by Score, Keen, Kilo, Dreph, Scuba.

If you want to keep up with the latest graffiti videos from around the world - NY, LA, France, England - why not write to: Paint City Videos, 22 Middlesex Rd, Mitcham, Surrey CR4 1QP. Another video graffiti magazine is 'Visual Grafix', which features footage of trains, walls and interviews. There are currently four issues available. For more information write to: PO Box 263, London SW15 4TQ.

Don't forget, wherever you are in the world, send colour photographs of your best art to Piece Book at the usual HHC address.

Credits:
- By Score, Fire, Keen, Dreph and Scuba: Ascot, May '93
- By Scuba
- By Fluke & Kilo
- By Score, Fire, Keen, Dreph and Scuba: Ascot, May '93
- By Req & She

PIECE BOOK August 1993

Compiled by Steam

FLASHBACK: THE EARLY '80s

Remember Westbourne Park? From the early '80s until late '87 it was regarded as the centre point for graffiti - not just in London but for the whole of England. It was also an important meeting place for crime writers who often performed at the risk of being mugged for both their cameras and cash. Even now the crime scene still exists. Writers who visit Westbourne Park still have to watch their backs when painting there. Since the days of Non-Stop Art, No Limits and Tuff Times Ahead, the park has never been the same. For a while it looked like its impact has been lost for good.

However, the London scene has undergone a recent renaissance. New bonds have been forged and the collectives have emerged stronger than ever before. All across England new sites are being formed, most prominently in London. Best places are the DFB site in Fulham, Waterworks in Ascot, Crystal Palace, Grove Park, Maidstone flats and the ball courts in - you guessed it - Westbourne Park.

So don't believe other European writers who constantly criticise the London scene. They should wake up now! New walls are being painted every week and trains are being bombed heavily. It's official! London is back on the map.

Credits:
- 'Just' by Justice
- By Ice 3
- By Fade 2

PIECE BOOK September 1993

Compiled by Steam

PULSE IN THE BIG APPLE

Aer Lingus flight EL105 heading for the mecca of graffiti, where else but the Big Apple, New York. Landing at JFK airport, I was greeted by Echo MPC - a close friend of Pjay, an original Six Line King. Out came the usual chat about how the flight was, then on to the Bronx to see what was in store for me: Rustolem, Krylon and even Red Devil was the answer. There I was the next day, dropping a burner at Pelham Bay Amtrak line in the Bronx. Apparently it was hot due to a girl getting hit by a train and kids burning drugs on the track. But writers always get over, wherever in the world they go.

After settling in, after a few days I made my way to Walton Avenue in the South Bronx, to see a good friend Cope KD. I knocked on the door and it opened. The greeting I got was "Oh shit, Pulse!" I went in, sat down and went through crazy flicks of everything. That weekend I arranged to go painting with Cope, Per, Nomad, Serve, T Kid, Kingbee, Poem and Ces FX crew in control. Everybody came that day, including writers from back in the day - Spin, Cav, Sak, San II - and many others. The wall just burned, with T Kid even doing two pieces one after another!

After dodging around the Bronx for a few weeks, I headed into Queens to see the A Line Kings, Iz The Wiz and the TMB crew. I thought I was clued up on the history of graffiti, knowing all the same information as many other writers around the world, maybe even a little more having regular contact with NYC. I was wrong.

After going to Grant Layup with Iz and hearing some of those old stories of years ago, my mind was to be expanded in all directions, getting a glimpse of what was going down from the early '70s up to the present day. I have to give those TMB guys respect.

After around a month in the Big Apple, my eyes had been opened to many of the things that I had always wondered about life across the Atlantic. Painting at a few places where not many foreign writers go and meeting old and new US writers was an experience that every dedicated writer should aspire to!

Credits:
Above: By Cav and TMB: Pelham Bay Amtrak, The Bronx, 1993
Below: By Serve and Nomad: The Bronx, 1993
Above: By T Kid: The Bronx, 1993
Below: By Pulse, ILC and TMB: Pelham Bay Amtrak, The Bronx, 1993
Above: By Per FX: The Bronx, 1993
Right: From left to right: El Rok, Poem, Zev, T Kid, Pulse, Jeans, Cope, Mike, Kirs and Cav: The Bronx, 1993
Below: By Arab, Westo and Cope: The Bronx, 1993

PIECE BOOK October 1993

Compiled by Jamie Dye

PIECE BOOK PROFILE: CAN CONTROL

Can Control was founded in 1987 under the name Ghetto Art. Although it was the world's second graffiti publication, it was the first to be published in a magazine format and the first to be printed in colour. Can Control also broke the mold by selling writers graffiti supplies - such as extra wide tips! Now on its seventh issue, the magazine is going from strength to strength.

"It started in '87," remembers its founder, Power. "The main aim is sadly becoming more and more important - to let the art last. If it has a short life on a wall or a train, 1 can get a picture of it, put it in Can Control and give it some longevity and the world can see it.

"The graffiti art in LA is strong - stronger than ever. The authorities get hold of words like 'tagging', they think they have an idea of what's going on and they try and clamp down harder... but all that does is just makes it more hardcore, it gets people more riled to do it, to put more effort into it."

And what of Power's own graffiti exploits? It seems that, like many writers, Power splits his time between the legal and illegal. "We can have a paying job to do a backdrop on a Saturday and go and bomb the same night," he explains. "The good thing is we still have our identities because no-one who I know, including myself, takes jobs where we're told exactly what we have to paint. If they say that they want it to be a backdrop not just a big piece, that's cool... but they're not going to tell us what to paint. It's with the same spirit as bombing, so there's not a big difference if we're getting paid." 

The big firms are taking notice and, more crucially, they're selling Can Control across the states. "Tower Records picked it up around the world. I'm selling 12,000 issues every three months. It's doing alright, it keeps growing - every time I have to do more.

"I always put my stuff in but I never overplayed it. It's too easy to fill it with my own stuff or with a few of my friends. I always try to have a mix, keep it eclectic." The magazine has had its problems, albeit from the expected quarters. "Except for a couple of groups like the Anti-Graffiti Coalition and some of the other homeowners groups, property owners, everything else has been positive."

And finally, some words of advice to writers at home and abroad. "Keep graffiti alive. Decide for yourself what it really means. Don't do it just to get money, don't do it just because your friends are doing it, stay rebellious, stay anarchistic and get political. This is a really strong underground and if more people talked and if more people corresponded you'd have a really strong force."

To order your sample issue of Can Control, a free sticker and catalogue (cloths, sprays, tips, books, etc) send one $6 USA Money Order to Can Control, PO Box 406, North Hollywood, CA 91603, USA.

Credits:
- Stizip; Los Angeles
- Sane; Los Angeles, 1990
- Risko; Los Angeles
- Risky & Mear; Los Angeles
- 'Amerikkka's Most Wanted' by Risky & Slick; Los Angeles

PIECE BOOK October 1993

Compiled by Jamie Dye

WRITING ALL OVER THE WORLD

Trends come and trends go, but graffiti always survives. It may have highs and lows in different neighbourhoods, but from the pieces that arrive at the HHC office, it seems that things have never been stronger for spray can disciples around the world.

Keeping the Spanish graf torch alive is Tarantini, who sent in a selection of pieces from around Spain. They are particularly notable for the international calibre of the artists - 'The Wall', for instance, was painted in Barcelona by Jon One, Skki, Sharp and Nock. The whole piece measured 260m square and this detail features the part painted by Sharp (from NYC). For more info about the Barcelona scene or to swap photos, write to Tarantini at Apado.n.72-cp08960, Sant Just D, Barcelona, Spain.

Helping to keep the wildstyle alive in southern California is Saké One, who claims to have been among the first writers to bring graffiti to San Diego. Saké One is 23 years old and has been writing for 11 years - and the piece pictured here seems to have a pertinent statement to make about bandwaggon-jumping rap fans.
Keeping on the internationalist tip, Piece Book goes back to Switzerland, the rap stronghold featured in HHC earlier this year. At the time we pointed to the emergence of multi-lingual Swiss rap, but Chaos and Jazi of SPX Cru, and Dwane of the Vim Cru, have left us in no doubt that graf is also alive and kicking in Geneva.

Back in London, Skore, Cherish and Tener completed their piece at Maidstone Flats as an introduction to London's Burning magazine, a hardcore graf publication that claimed to tell "the inside story on a sub-culture fighting for acceptance in London."

Keep sending your best work to Piece Book and watch this space for details of an HHC graffiti photo competition with a big cash prize.

Credits:
- Below: 'Eyes' by Eyez, Sunderland
- Above: By Mode 2, summer '92; Madrid, Spain
- Right: 'It's A Sad World' by Sober 'n' Rumah of the Imperial Creations Cru; Northampton, 1992
- Below: By Chaos, Jazi and Dwane; Geneva, Switzerland
- Above: 'The Wall' by Sharp; summer '92, Barcelona, Spain
- Above: 'Phaké' by Saké One; Huntington Beach LA, 1993
- Below: 'London's Burning' by Skore, Cherish and Tener; Maidstone Flats, June 1992

PIECE BOOK February 1994

Compiled by Clyde Birmingham

UK OVERVIEW

Piece Book is back on home turf this month, concentrating on the UK graffiti scene, with pieces from readers up and down the country.

True, from Lutterworth, has been writing seriously for three years, a lot of his work influenced by Solo One. "I hope to be remembered for a unique style and generally
correct thought pattern," he says. "The hard part is getting it from your brain, to your hand, to your pencil, to your pad, back to your brain (for evaluation), to your hand, to your spray can, to your wall." He's currently finishing off the fifth and final issue of his fanzine, Don't Look Back (£1, plus SAE, from 21 Orchard Rd,
Lutterworth LE17 4DA), before a planned move to Amsterdam to start up a new fanzine that doesn't "follow the same old guide-lines and rules." Anything else? "I see nothing better than being a writer - a true, dedicated writer - and, if anyone thinks differently, then it's about time they put down their cans and became a bank manager, or something!"

"British writers are the best," says Rae from Lancashire, "and the rest of the world must understand this." His pieces were executed in Blackpool, during the summer.

Sober, of Warks' Imperial Creations Cru, wades in with a piece painted in Northampton with Rumah last year. "We did this to sum up what hip-hop means to us," he says.

"Remember, graf is an important part of hip-hop culture," says Deam from Newark, who, like many writers, would like to see more pages of Piece Book in HHC. So would we, Deam, in fact more pages of HHC all together! Anyway, he's down with a number of crews in the Nottingham area, but his main one is ISW (In Search of Wisdom) who consist of Ruby. Mobster and. of course. Deam himself.

Icea, meanwhile, has been writing for six or seven years in Cumbria, but feels "he still hasn't got the recognition he deserves". Well, Icea, you have now!
And finally, away from home, issue nine of acclaimed Italian mag Al Prod, has just hit the stores. Get yours now by sending an international money order for 45,000 Lire to AL Prod, CP22, 18031 Bogliasco (GE), Italy.

Credits:
- 'Untitled' by Rae, Blackpool
- 'Hip-Hop: Hopes, Dreams, Desires... Our Way Of Life' by Sober 'N' Romah, Northampton
- Left: AL Prod, issue nine of the Italian magazine
- Above 'Hurt' by Icea, Barrow, Cumbria
- 'Mode Pastel' by True
- Left: 'Critical Knowledge Seekers' by Deam, Newark
- 'Self Portrait' by True
- Left: 'Deam' by Deam, Newark

PIECE BOOK March 1994

Compiled by Richard Reyes

LONDON GRAFFITI: FULHAM HALL OF FAME

The Hall of Fame was organized and painted in late 1993, with the concept of artists from around the country to paint with unity and express themselves. It is a showcase of the UK's best spraycan artists. The pieces were painted at Fulham Cross Girl Centre and organized by PFB (Prophets From Beyond), whose members include Shun, Mint, Loan, Diet, Shutwo, Sub, Pic, Doze, Fiza, Rate, Honky, Snatch, Saker and Cike.

Additional photos of pieces by Seize, Kilo and the Crime Boys are taken from the Ladbroke Grove Hall Of Fame.

PIECE BOOK April 1994

Compiled by Guy Bird

Okay, so here it is. Yet another "who?" writing the Piece Book section... Well, maybe so, but you might have heard of Graphotism International - the UK's premier graf mag - at least. Anyhow, from now on (hopefully) you'll actually want to read this section. I am a writer so I know what it's like - so check it out... The aim of this column should be, I believe, to represent and kick UK graf out to the world as well as showing the top pieces from the rest of the planet.
HHC goes pretty much global so it's important that the job is done right, the text comes correct, and the pictures are crisp, colour, phat and accurately labelled and laid out - burners every one.

There's no time for toys on this page - no dis to new jacks - but when I was a toy back in the day (and everyone is a toy when they start out), not knowing his büntlack violet reddish from his dupli-colour brown metallic (ugghh!), I knew better than to front my shit to any self-respecting writer, let alone pretend it could grace the page of a glossy magazine (there was no HHC then, nor any graffiti magazine except an early version of IGT, the NYC original now called TIGHT - The International Get Hip Times - for doze who didn't know.)

So there it is - Piece Book is now going to show a selection of the best of the UK, using guest writers every other month to pick out particular favourites and discuss what they like and don't like about them. And if you're convinced you're good enough, send in your stuff and what you've got to say about it, and we might print it and discuss it too, but don't cry if we deal out a little constructive criticism once in a while. Also, please send in ideas/areas/artists/discussion topics you'd like covered in future issues of Piece Book to HHC's usual address. For now though, check out this month's parade of burners from the capital chosen by Piece Book's panel of experts/self-interested parties. Okay. Due to circumstances out of my control two of the connectors I had hoped to comment on this month were sliced up, incorrectly labelled and used in last month's Piece Book... Ho hum... So instead I've had to grab two of the nearest connectors I had to hand - still dope, but not what I had in mind - just so ya know!

Apology: In last month's Piece Book Taisha by Stet and "Seizism' by Seize, and Kio - Crime Pays' - Dreph by Shok were incorrectly labelled. Big, big apologies to all concerned for any distress caused.

PULSE - SHOK - ALERT - KILO '93: Acklam Play Centre, West London. Okay, first off is this fresh connector from the In Loving Color Crew plus 'Kilo' painted last summer in an all night graf jam in the heart of The Grove. Nice wildstyles combine with a wicked character by Shok featuring a teddy bear sitting on a considerable amount of dynamite about to blow his arse 'outta here', thus the title 'Toy Destroyers' - phat idea, phat execution!

KARL '93: More Unity event, Fulham, South West London. What the fuck? Has he lost it? No, he's actually a writer from Manchester, who has dealt with many styles and now deals with it on his own level doing what he wants and kicking innovative new shit whether you can get with it or not. Respect.

PRIME - 'PEACE OF EARTH '93: More Unity event, Fulham, South.
West London. A man from the old skool still kicking absolute quality with this colour extraganza of colour with a distinctly Islamic flavour into the wildstyle mix. The two styles interconnect well and the end result is a classic.

STYLO- GOR - DREPH - KEEN '93: Balace Festival, Scotland. A crisp piece dealt with on boards in extreme weather conditions and on an 'unstable' painting surface (i.e. the boards kept blowing over all day.) The subtitle of the piece 'Je M'inspire de L'Art De La Rue' (I Am Inspired By The Art Of The Street') was thought up by GOR from Paris and is a quote from Picasso on how even he was down with street art though he died before graf (as we know it) started to live large. Thus the ghostly portrait of Picasso looks on at the three fresh wildstyles with respect (but ya didn't need to know all that to recognize a tuff piece... Next!)

PIECE BOOK May 1994

Compiled by Pulse

NOTTINGHAM (ROBIN HOOD CITY)

There were many cities outside of London in the early '80s which never got the fame for their contributions to the English graffiti scene. One of these cities was Nottingham - a city with a healthy graffiti history starting around 1983 with writers such as Pulse, Craze, Artful Dodger, BA, Rip, Tez, to name just a few. It was a long hard struggle for this group of artists, who had no books or magazines to guide them in the early years of graffiti bombin' - it was a case of finding out by their own mistakes. I remember these artists doing things such as putting a first outline up in chalk, housepaint and even hard mud. These artists were pioneers in this city's graffiti history, a bunch of rebellious kids running around with no fear, only with one objective: to get their name everywhere and anywhere in their city.
As time went on new tags started appearing. This was due to two very important factors in graffiti history world-wide - Subway Art and Style Wars. This sent kids wild, not wanting to play with toys anymore, they wanted aerosol paint to destroy. This period of time brought a new generation into the city - Popz 100, Deze, Reka, Dak, plus others. Crews began to form like Bega Boys and Tuff City. Artists with different names would appear every week. One thing this influx of bombin' caused was to be competitive with the next crew. It was a time of battles between writers and their crews. The north/south battle in the city created great damage to property, which in turn brought the police to clamp down on this art they called a crime. This turned some writers to think about what was going on, some gave up the fight to express themselves with the spray can, others carried on despite increasingly negative media pressure about graffiti art.

As time passed attitudes were starting to change to how graffiti was being looked at in Nottingham, and we started to get acclaim as one of England's major cities on the graf scene.

This was due to tags starting to disappear, but that did not matter as burning pieces were getting painted everywhere in the city. Artists of old and artists of new with mad wild styles. crazy colours, pieces looked more complete as pictures rather than characters and letters time and time again - by writers such as Alert, Shok, Pulse and Craze, who had never given up the struggle when things got tough.
Writers from Nottingham started to travel more regularly to get their names up in different cities abroad and within England: In particular the ILC Crew were very prominent in doing this with a standard of art that was getting higher and higher. This was getting noticed by other writers world-wide, with more writers starting to visit the city regularly to see a large quantity of burning pieces. It seems the aim of the writers in Robin Hood City is to paint big beautiful pieces of art rather than tagging, which was more prominent in years gone by. Now the emphasis is on style, whether it is to be letters or characters, as long as it burns.

Credits:
- Craze, 1985
- Alert, 1993
- Dash - Alert, 1993
- Craze, 1992
- RIP, 1986
- Pulse, 1989
- Popz 100, 1990
- Pulse, 1993

PIECE BOOK June 1994

Compiled by Guy Bird

This month we welcome our first guest writer, Prime, to comment on a few pieces that have caught the eye of the Piece Book panel recently. Prime is, as most of you should know, a veteran of the London scene on both trains and walls, who likes to get deep on the subject we all love. So without further delay, it's time to bring on the first piece for discussion...

1. 'SHINEISM-KWESTAR' BY SHINE & KWEST - CRYSTAL PALACE '94
   P: "The first thing that strikes me about this piece is that it's very together as a whole wall, very consistent, especially in its use of colour. It's spread out proportionally giving a clean effect - the painting technique is very clean, skilful and I like it - the only negative is that the background could have been better to bring out the letters more."
   GB: "Yeah, I'd agree with that - the best piece I've seen of this prolific pair to date."
2. CANVAS BY SHARP (NYC) FOR PARIS EXHIBITION '93
   P: "What can I say... It's one of the best pieces I've seen using a mixture of styles, but mainly street-style and adapted to good effect on canvas. You can see it's by someone who knows what they're doing... someone who has developed their own character as an artist, who's been around for time. It's got a flow to it - pure movement!"
   GB: "All that and then some; check the Northern Line map stuck on the bottom too. Bad!"
3. 'SON OF WILDSTYLE' BY CHUMA - WALSALL '93
   P: "Personally I find this one a bit frustrating. I like bits of it but not other bits. The head of the monster and the bottom half of the piece are clean, though the top half looks like it was done long before the bottom. It's a bit confusing. Doesn't do much for me - The 'Son Of Wildstyle' label looks very '70s."
   GB: "I think this is pretty mad, it's different and there's a lot going on in it - the monster made up of letters, the spraycan with the catapult and the 'Pen-nib Reptile' above the fire... The more I look at it the better it gets. However, I would say that if the monster stood out from the background more clearly, the effect might be stronger."
4. LELAPIN(2) & SHE - CRYSTAL PALACE '94
   P: "You can't bite a Futura 2000 tag and get away with it - disrespect for that. It's a minor thing but he's bitten it so well and with strong teeth! I've been told it's an abstract which takes something away from it; if it was lettering I would have rated it more. It doesn't say anything to me as an abstract - I have a problem with abstracts on walls because I think we can say more than nice shapes and colours. If it's got meaning to it, fine, if not I can't relate to it.
   "... For me She's recent style (I've seen him develop) is the most refreshing and new thing that's come out of this country in a long time.
   The future is his if he promotes himself in some street places, not just by the beach! (She resides in Brighton)"
   GB: "Nice wall in parts but I don't think it comes across as a whole - annoying because individually I think both styles are interesting."
5. CHARACTER (DETAIL) BY CRYSE - BIRMINGHAM '93
   P: "Things like this work best on a train, but it's fun, it's cool - not the most taxing of pieces skillwise but something for the public... Waooh theesre blerp! (Raspberry sound)."
   GB: "Could it have been 'for the crack'?"

Anyway, thanks Prime for your time and comments. That's all for this month, see you in two with another superstar writer dropping a little knowledge on another Piece Book panel selection. Later...

PIECE BOOK July 1994

Compiled by Pulse

THE WAY IT USED TO BE IZ THE WAY IT OUGHT TO BE

I don't think I can relive the glorious and innocent days of exploring and pioneering in the '70s; for me they are just wonderful memories and stories. I have always tried to contribute something to this art form, and at the same time 1 have tried to keep it satisfying to myself.

"Turmoil With Transition'.. With all the political nonsense that surrounds us these days, this art form has been my passport to sanity, in what seems like an insane world at times.

The '70s were my rep years, mostly a loner and very few partners. I eventually built myself up to legendary proportions.

The '80s, in a way, were my halucinogenic days. As most writers today refer to the '80s as 'old skool', the '70s are in the background. This art form had reached such popularity and recognition in the '80s, but I knew what was happening. As early as in 1982, I was tagging, the beginning of the end in some of my pieces. Today, whatever pieces are done, they are brought directly to the buff. But I did manage to make a few meaningful accomplishments in the '80s before my retirement in 1986.

Now here I am in the '90s. Over 20 years ago I got involved in an art form never imagining where it would be today. How widespread, globally, it truly IZ. The same thing goes for rap, hip-hop and other musical styles. The message IZ the music.

There are many individual and exciting moments so far in the 90s, but in '93 to me, the most exciting event was what I call 'The Franklyn K Lane Experience' (known as the Queens Hall of Fame) - this had to be the largest project I ever took part in, and not without sacrafice. Earlier in '93 '2IL' had an altercation with the vandal squad, in which verbal permission from the school principle was not good enough. He beat it, and I, as well as WIL', wanted to add insult to injury; other TMB (The Master Blasters) members and wives encouraged '2IL' to attain written permission. Soon one of the greatest projects of the early '90s were underway. It took time, a lot of paint and money, but the entire schoolyard was completed. It was truly an enjoyable summer. There was nothing but positive energy and a sort of unity during the project. The TMB, SIC (Seriously in Control) and ILC (In Living Color) family did it again.

Sike 112 (old skool) came down for a piece, Lady Pink & Deal came down as well, while Ink 76 (old skool) as well as Sonic Bad inc, Mad Max, On One were also in the house. There was plenty to drink, music playing, old tunes of course, setting the mood for the over-30 club boys. It was the place to be with TMB. We're hoping to replay a similar experience this summer as well; I sincerely hope it all works out.

So for now keep on bombin' - the ultimate Master Blaster, IZ THE WIZ...

Shout outs: thanx Pulse, you're most kool bro, Mrs IZ, Sar 1, Vee & Louis, The Sachsoon, Mickey, go girl, Cavs, Sien 5, Oh yeah, Freight Kings, Two 11 Ski Rockwell, JG57 & Hickey, Key, (Swing batter batter batter swing), Ink 76, Sonic, Sike 112, Nip 112, Rocky & Cook, Quick & Haze, made in Japan, Poes, Pink, Fuzz, Krazy Nik, Midg, Smith, LSD 3, Caves & BMT Lines, good luck Kase 2 - home soon bro', Phase II, Flint, Bama and the boys, Blade & Comet, Clash and all the real old skool...

STOP PRESS: FUMES
In Living Color presents Fumes, some of England's best graffiti artists, who deserve the props. Russell Youth Club, 6-7 August 1994, Lowdham Street (off Carlton Rd), St Anns, Nottingham. For further information telephone (0374) 627724

If you have any of the missing columns of PIECE BOOK and are willing to contribute scans, please email me! - DampMagazines@gmail.com