sixcentz: what do you write?
done 101: I write "de" DONE 101.
sixcentz: when did you first start writing?
done 101: I started writing in 1978 to1982. I gradually worked my way from tagging up neighborhood spots to tagging and piecing on subway cars.
sixcentz: where you from?
done 101: I’m from uptown Harlem USA.
sixcentz: who are you down with?
done 101: Well I started out putting up TS5 (The Spanish Five) crew then WAR (Writers Already Respected TSC (The Subway Crew) TMT (The Magnificent Team) VSA (Vicious Subway Writers CYA (Crazy Young artists) and recently CACITY (Cool Artistic Creativity).
sixcentz: who got you into Graff?
done 101: I met STAN-ONE who lived on my block and was already known. We soon became partners doing one another’s black books, bombing together and then he introduced me to PRIZ aka PRISM who was also starting out and went to the same school as me. Then STAN introduced me to other writers like CHAZ, SONONE and then we all started hitting the lay-ups and yards together. I would say STAN was definitely a motivating factor even though I had already made up my mind to write. Like any other ethnic kid growing up in a rough neighborhood in NYC, you had choices. You could join a gang, deal drugs, or rob people. Graff was the least evil out of all of these.
sixcentz: what’s your favorite thing to paint?
done 101: Subway trains no doubt!
sixcentz: what is your favorite paint/color?
done 101: Krylon (paper labels) Baby blue, Almond, HotPink, JungleGreen, Bonfire and School Bus Yellow.
Rustoleum: Fed Purple and Avocado.
sixcentz: who were your influences?
done 101: STAN-ONE, PRISM, DOZE, FED-2, TEAN and KADE.
sixcentz: what do you feel about graffiti today?
done 101: Today’s Graff has definitely come up a notch from what we were doing back then. It’s cleaner and more refined but some writers emphasize more on characters and backgrounds than on letter flow. The real grit is not on walls. It needs to be back on the trains where it originated.
sixcentz: who do you give props to today?
done 101: STAN and PRIZ for still writing legally and illegally. Subway kings like…………..PART, SEEN TC5, KOOL131, DAZE and STAYHIGH149.
sixcentz: any good stories?
done 101: Yeah there was a time in 1979 where me STAN, CHAZ and PRIZ (who wrote MR/RM and SWAN-ONE at the time, went to the 1 tunnel. As PRISM and CHAZ started bombing the insides with spray paint and Marsh ink, STAN and I walked the two lanes of trains in search of a car to piece on. When we finally found one, we pulled out our outlines with the listed colors, outline caps, and started sketching out our pieces on the outside of the train.
I was half way through my piece, when I saw this local toy walk in on us. He asked us the writer’s universal question of whatchuwrite? And then introduced himself and kept walking. I heard STAN sigh and then say "toys are really getting hip to this place" and then went back to what he was doing. I pulled out a can of Glossy Black (paper label) that smelled like candy when sprayed and began outlining my Avocado filled in piece. About a half hour later, STAN and I neither saw nor heard from CHAZ or PRIZ nor the kid. STAN was finally done with his piece and was adding some final touches while I was packing up my paint. I then I pulled out my 110 flash cameras and flicked both our pieces from all angles.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the lights inside the second to last car come on, which was part of the set that was facing the 137th street station. I thought it was my eyes, probably a result of the camera flash. I then did a double take and now STAN also saw it.
I then realized that this was coming from the same direction where that kid
had just headed to a half hour ago. I was hoping that it wasn‘t CHAZ playing games but you can never tell with that guy. The one tunnels had a reputation for being unpredictable. We walked toward the lit car and took a peek from behind the tunnels steel columns and saw what was transpiring. It seems that CHAZ had vicked the kid’s paint. He was known for doing this but I think he had gone too far this time while PRIZ was exchanging words with him in disapproval. STAN and I climbed into the train and into the car. It seems that CHAZ had chased the kid out the passenger doors after taking his paint. PRIZ had grabbed the bag from CHAZ that only had two cans inside and threw it on the seat in disgust while they began getting in one another’s faces.
The kid probably went to the token booth clerk in retaliation because within 20 minutes the NYPD was swarming the uptown 137th street
platform. I could see two of them and STAN saw two more climbing down the yellow ladder and fanning out towards the rear car.
At that moment we all decided to drop the drama and jet out of they’re towards the emergency exit. Since I was the one left in the dirt, I could here the sounds of the cop’s footfalls on the gravel from behind me. I then saw the first cop four cars down yelling out to his partner on the outside "I see them!"
STAN, CHAZ and PRIZ were way ahead of me and I was dead last. I had heard stories about the police and the Vandal Squad beating down writers when they caught them, this made hustle even faster. When I finally jumped down from the train onto the wide-open track that lead to the 145th street station, I saw the four cops giving chase as the southbound local train shot by me. Luckily, when I got to the exit, there were no cops waiting for me.
Everyone was climbing and slipping while trying to push the grate open. STAN held the grate open while CHAZ and PRIZ looked out for any sign of cops. I got up to street level and we all dashed towards125th Street.
sixcentz: any shout outs?
done 101: Thanks DRIL and SIXCENTZ for giving TSF members an opportunity to express ourselves with words. Much love for Manhattan and Brooklyn yall. The Spanish Five, The old #1 Broadway line, Goodtime and Bad times while standing on those boards over the third rail and CORNROCK RTW.
sixcentz: thanks a lot....
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