sixcentz: what do you write?
mone: Metal Mone Oner

sixcentz: when did you first start writing?
mone: I started writing back in late 88 early 89.I started out doing tags and throw ups. It wasn't till around 91 that I started to learn to do pieces.

sixcentz: where you from?
mone: I grew up in Mt Vernon and the Bronx.Now i live far from those 2 places.

sixcentz: who got you into graff?
mone: There wasn't a single person that got me into writing.There was graffiti all over my neighborhood.Everywhere you turned it was in your face. Walls,highways,mailboxes,my school.Everything was bombed. I grew up in Mt Vernon which boarders the Bronx.In 84 I had problems with my eyes, and my mom had to take me downtown every week to the Doctor. I was young back then, but i remember numerous times getting on the train with her at 180st station, and just being fascinated by all the tags on the inside, and all the different colors on the outside of the train. I don't remember specific names, but do remember being in a trance by everything that was around me.I hated seeing the doctor, but loved the ride there and back.I didn't actually start painting till 4 years after this because I was young, and had a very strict mother.

sixcentz: whats your favorite thing to paint?
mone: Freights.Hands down.When i came out graffiti was pretty much at its end on the MTA. In 1988 you would hardly see any bombed trains in the bronx(accept at rush hour here and there). I always wanted to see my name on a train. I could only imagine what it must be like to see your piece running past Gun Hill station.The rush it must have been. In 1992 I met some writers that had been around for a while, and already were established.CAVS,SIEN5,KEY, and VISM.I started hanging with these guys and all they wanted to do were freights.I did about 5 freights in 92. Up until then all I knew were walls along train lines, and some handball walls. Hanging with these guys,and going with them instantly got me hooked. These days i only see 2 options.Freights and walls.Alot of people who were around in the subway era knock freights because they say they are nothing compared to subways.Know what?They are probably right.But considering todays options i find freights the most fun. There is nothing like seeing a picture of a piece you did next to some palm tree in Florida, or in the hot desert in Utah, or near some ice mountains in Seatle. If you do something in NY today you are lucky if it lasts a month.There is a piece that I did back in 92, and it was caught in Florida 3 months ago, for the 4th time!No tags, no lines over it.Its just very faded.That is 11 years old! The respect factor with freights is something that i feel was lost a long time ago in NY.

sixcentz: who were your influences?
mone: I was influenced by alot of people.The first person that i must say that I have the utmost respect for is VET TMC. When I was young VET was up everywhere like no other. I was starting out, and could barelly tag.His pieces just seemed amazing to me.When i would see his stuff i would be thinking "thats who I want to be like.Someday I want to be as good as that guy."He had a piece on my old school, and i would go out on lunch break and just stare at it.JENT was another writer.Not known by many, but JENT was dope.He was the first person to ever take me out to paint, and show me some basics. He gave me some outlines, and gave me some perspective on style.REM 311, and TGF Mob(OZZIE,LEROY444,FRE) were also up alot with some wicked style.As I started getting more into graff and venturing out of my hood I saw stuff by guys like SENT,GHOST,CAVS,SIEN5,and WANE.I still think to this day that they did some of the best pieces ever.GHOST style is unbelievable.His stuff has so much soul.I would take a classic GH throw up over the illest production anyday.SENT also. Watching him paint is unreal.The way he paints, and his techniques.He is simply on a whole other level then other people.

sixcentz: what do you feel about graffiti today?
mone: Well im not in NY much now, but the last years that I was there it seems that productions were really the big thing.They aren't really my thing ya know. I give everyone who is doing them alot of props because all the crews painting those walls do some AMAZING stuff. Also they are out there doing it, and thats respect in itself. Its just my personal preference.I grew up on seeing pieces on some desolate bridge, or some handball court. The pieces wouldnt be very detailed, but did the job.The characters were more cartoon like.The work back then hardly looked perfect. They would have drips, or missed spots in them.I love seeing pieces like that.It gives it a raw feeling.That was one of the things that attracted to me to graffiti in the first place.It looked good, yet not perfect. It was dirty.When its too perfect i feel it looses something.

sixcentz: any good stories?
mone: 1 cold and snowy night VET,CER,AME, and myself decided to go to a spot that had freights, and a few scrap trains.We get to the spot, and notice that the freights are too out in the open, and not layed up right. We were there, and had the itch so we decided to do the scrap train since it was in a chill spot. We start painting a end to end window down.We had alot of bright greens, and blues.The colors were popping off of this old train.Whenever i paint i am always looking over my shoulder.Im sure that everyone does.Some more than others.Im looking to my right, and all is well.Very quiet.Nothing but my boys doing their thing.2 minutes later i look to my right again , and i see(at a decently far distance) a cop car sitting with its lights off. I quikly notify everyone, and we all crawl under the train.Now on a normal night the cop wouldnt of been able to see us, but there was snow everywhere so everything was lit up as day.Behind the train is some bushes that lead out to a highway you that you must cross to get too and from the spot.You cross the highway, and run up a exit ramp which leaves you right on the street next to your car.No problem.We climb through the bushes, and quikly run across the highway.We start running up the exit ramp.Now what we didnt know was there was a cop on the exit ramp with his lights off in the emergency lane ready to catch us.Since his lights were off we couldnt see him.We started to run up the ramp twords his car.About 10 feet from his car I realize he is there, and quikly turn around.I ran by everyone screaming "5 0, 5 0"!! VET,CER, and myself run straight across the highway to the bushes that are near the train.We have no clue where AME went. Now we're screwed.We are between a train yard, and a highway, and no way to get to the street. We're just stuck in this island of bushes, and we see cop cars all over the highway slowing down shining lights in our direction.Im thinking how i messed up, and who am i gonna call to bail me out. It was any moment before they got out there cars and busted us.We waited untill we saw less and less police cars on the highway.It finally gets to the point where we dont see any at all. We waited an additional hour in the bushes until we felt it was ok to make the dash for the car. I remember my heart pounding, because if we ran across the highway this time, and they were waiting for us we were surelly getting caught out there. We ran across the highway and up the exit ramp to the street.It only took about 15 seconds to run up the ramp, but at the time it felt like it took forever.We jumped in my ride and broke out. We still were wondering "wheres AME?".We had no clue what had happened to him.Just as i got home that night the phone rang.It was AME.He was ok.He had ran under a underpass and pulled himself into the fixture of the bridge.He said that the cops were walking right underneith him, and at one point he could of stuck his hand out and pulled the cops hat off his head(thats how close he was to them!).I remember going to bed that night and thanking god for being home.That was one of the best nights of sleep i have ever had!

sixcentz: any shout outs?
mone: I cant remember everyone so if i left you out my bad:
CAVSTER,MAKE,SIEN5,VISM,GHOSTY GHOST,VEN,WANE,CORE2,TL1,MAZE/JASE TMC,JENT,VET,SENT,ZEPHYR,SB1(N).
Last my boys I started out with way back when:
MEZ,FACT,NERD,POET,AERO,LEVE,INC/VCR,and my eternal homeboy
VEO1 RIP.

mone: Peace MONE ONE BFK,RIS,TMC,IMOK,COD

sixcentz: THANKS ALOT .......