UncouthYouth: Do you have any amusing old tags or crew names?
Drax: Some of the spellings I’ve used for my name are pretty bad.. Draqz (With a London Underground symbol for the Q was er! Ill-advised) Drakse (With a French flik over the e ‘pronounced Drak-seh’ was er! Totally gay) Dracks (just didnt look right) Ive never really had any other name. I used to be in a crew called Tone Def Krew (TDK) Which sounds daft as a graff crew but it was actually born out of a Cambridge sound system of that name and it’s a cool name for a sound system. They later became the infamous Tonka sound system that rocked many a mad rave in the early 90’s. Me, Seize and Furra had a short lived crew called (BN) Bad Nooze (Crap name) and Me and Elk had an even shorter lived one called BFV (Bat F**k Vandals) (Awful name for which you can blame Elk- No idea how he talked me into that one) In essence it was a pilot for PFB which we started a while later with Robbo)

UncouthYouth: Would you say graffiti is an addiction?
Drax: Yes 100%. I’m still addicted. and like any other addict I have to stay away from my old haunts, friends and habits if I want to stay ‘clean’, Fortunately most of my friends (Like myself) are a bit long in the tooth now so we dont exactly hang out in a graff enviroment on a day-to-day basis. That helps. and I keep myself busy with other stuff so I dont ‘relapse’. I am 100% still addicted to the feeling of writing my name on a wall and ‘like an arsonist’ even more so to the feeling of riding past anonymously and viewing my work. In England I am now a recovering addict that manages to not walk the streets at night writing on walls. I still paint and catch a few tags/throw ups but I resist the desire to be “UP” as when I succumb to that it can be all consumming and then like most of life’s excesses, something that you love can be the thing that destroys you. When I go abroad I am “a writer”. I carry paint, pens etc and try not to miss an oppurtunity to piece, tag or bomb. Abroad! Im only somewhere for a fleeting moment so my addiction does not have the time to consume me. Yes! graffiti writing is an addiction but not all writers are addicts. I am. To the grave.

UncouthYouth: What do you think of the jail sentences being handed out for graffiti these days? Im pretty sure you turned up at the Courts of Justice last valentines didn’t you?
Drax: Yes I was there. I thought it disgusting that a young man should die in prison over “graff offences”. How can the powes that be in this country pontificate over “pios zealotism” in Iran, Afghanistan, North Korea etc and imprison its youth for what amounts to no more than an over exuberant sense of self expression? I’d truly love to see the sons (Or grand sons) of the judges that give prison sentences for graff end up in prison themselves for such an offence then watch the hypocrites whine and protest or more likely use their “old boys” network to get them released. It disgusts me. Society has the right to protect itself but it does not have the right to destroy people that dont play by its rules… House arrest. Community service. Cleaning trains in a “Im a graffiti twat pink suit”. Fines etc. It has the tools. Imprisonment for such offences is the weapon of a vindictive state and a state that lacks compassion for its own people is doomed to fail. . . . Nonces, drunk drivers, wife beaters and tax evaders get an easier ride than graffiti writers. That will not be forgotten and when the oppurtunity arrises the sinned against, angry, dissenfranchised, miss treated and discarded practioners of this sub culture will happily and prejudicially DESTROY THE SYSTEM.

UncouthYouth: Would you encourage younger generations to go out and paint illegal graffiti?
Drax: NO. Graffiti writing should be left to find the individual not the other way round. I show younger members of my family/circle what I do/did if they decide to write I’ll advise them accordingly. But that’s it. To encourage anyone to do something that could quite possibly kill or destroy them would be morally bankrupt.

UncouthYouth: Have you ever regretted being a writer?
Drax: Never. Not even for the tiniest percentage of a nano-second. For better or worse it has shapped the person that I am today. I do however regret that I didnt start writing in 1980 when I first became intrigued by the phenomenon of names on walls. I lost 5 years and feel that Ive been trying to make up for it ever since.

UncouthYouth: Do you think being a graffiti writer can ruin your life?
Drax: Undoubtably. But it can also ‘make it’. You have to know when to step back and re-stratagize/moderate/adapt ect. Its nuts thinking that you’ll walk the streets for ever writing your name. That behaviour will one day destroy you. Writing is something to embrace as a means of uplifting, fullfilling or reinventing yourself, the day it starts taking you apart is the day to walk away or at least “step sideways”. If you ever see me again out there writing,bombing all day every day then be assured that for some reason I have embarked on the path to self-obliteration. Im not saying it will or wont happen. Im just telling you why. Graff can give you life. But it can also take it away.

UncouthYouth: If when you were younger you wanted to “be somone” why did you choose graffiti?
why didnt you want to be a rap star or someone more in the public eye?
Drax: Like most writers that at one time or another have been prolific I was shy, un-assuming and meerly a dreamer. I did not have the desire or confidence to embrace those worlds. Writing offered me the chance to live my dreams encapsulated in a bubble of anonymity. That suited me. It still does. I hate having my photo taken in a graff context. Not because Im secretive but because I do not have an ego that goes beyond “the name”. That’s a monster. I’m still just “lil old me”

UncouthYouth: What would you say was more important for you. The fame you have got through graffiti or the experiences?
Drax: As a writer: The Noteriety (Its not for me to attach the word fame to myself). As a human being: The experiences (the buff can never take those away)

UncouthYouth: In graff what gets your vote quality or quantity?
Drax: QUANTITY. . . Writing for me is the art of getting your name up. Any art school kid of creative designer could probably produce quality work. Getting up takes dedication. Being artistically talented doesnt. If you can be both thats great. Quantity alone will suffice but having the ability to write a few nice tags or do a nice piece means very little.

UncouthYouth: What writer do you have the most respect for and why?
Drax: I respect many writers for different reasons: To name a few: Elk, Robbo. JA. Cast. Oker. Sub. Zomby. Wane COD. Egs (Finland) Seth and Metro KOA (Australia) Crash 151. Fuel. Prime. Skore. Tox. PIC. Arek (Baltimore) High and Rhyme(Amsterdam) Nema. Some are up, some are amazing artists. Some have style to die for. Some are just awesome people. Too many names to mention really, It’s unfare to name just 1 but if I really have to name the writer I have the most respect for it’s Reas AOK WD. Trains. Walls. Style. Travel. Dedication. Success and Humility. If I had a natural artistic bone in my body he’s the only writer I’d want to be.

If you are hoping to see the usual questions like why did you start writing? then you are probably best off reading this interview that The Real State did with him.

UncouthYouth: You grew up in the country, what was it like doing graffiti outside of a city?
Was there much of a scene where you were from?

Skore: Good question. Well back when graffiti started, there were so many writers around that it was a very active scene wherever you were… so in that sense it was no real disadvantage. There were probably 150 writers hitting the BRs coming in and out of South East London from Kent so there was plenty of competition and a healthy scene. Naturally though I wanted to come into London and get involved.
I was coming into London from a child. Where I lived was a hop-picking area so many families had London roots. My dad had relatives in Lewisham & Bermondsey, and my writing partners family were from Peckham/Brixton/Oval so I was used to coming in. There was a really good scene in Bromley, and we used to spend a lot of time walking the streets around Peckham marvelling at the tags as well.
The only diadvantage of coming from out of town was being a bit green at first to the aggressive nature of London writing scene. Although where I came from was far from Middle class, you wouldn’t get robbed on the way to school at knifepoint, which happened a couple of times in and around London.

Skore Circa 1988

UncouthYouth: Do you have any amusing old tags or crew names?

Skore: My first name was ‘Crazy King’ which was held over from breaking days. After that I got up quite heavily with the name ‘TUA’, which stood for ‘The Unseen Artist’. That’s pretty embarrassing. Lol. Other names I toyed with were ‘Demand’ & ‘Stylist3′…

UncouthYouth: Would you say graffiti is an addiction?

Skore:Definately. It taps into a psychological need for attention and self-affirmation. it builds confidence and becomes like an alter-ego that you can’t let go. I almost feel sometimes that I only exist through my pieces. It’s what makes me stand out from the crowd.

UncouthYouth: What do you think of the current graff scene compared to what it was like when you first started?

Skore: To be honest I am unaware of what is going on on the ’scene’ nowadays, if there even is one. I’m just doing my thing.

UncouthYouth: How do you think the internet has changed graffiti culture?

Skore: The main difference is that it is all there for you now. Google has made information available at the drop of a hat. Information was power and you didn’t give up your secrets easily. It has also made the need to go all city to see what is out there, spread your name… in a sense it had destroyed the London scene completely.
No one rides the lines, there are no benches, no individual scenes. Nowadays Everything is one thing. Mono-culture.

UncouthYouth: You did that whole thing with Adidas along with a load of other writers what was that like? did you make much money off it?

Skore: Lol. A little bit. Not as much as you’d think. No where near what we should have got.

UncouthYouth: I walked into a sports shop in Copenhagen and saw your shoes and clothes. Was it weird being able to walk into sports shops around the world and find your sketches on shoes and clothes?

Skore: Yes. totally. I saw my shoes in Copenhagen, New York, Germany, Italy and Australia… It was a bit of a trip I gotta admit.

UncouthYouth: Whats your opinion on street art?

Skore: I like what Banksy has done and a few other guys but I think it’s all a bit crap that there’s not one person out there that I’ve seen that is doing anything true to what we do on the street on a canvas…. A lot of it seems like Banksy rip-offs or one of the other few successes (Shepard Fairey, Twist etc)….. I hate the shallowness of the whole thing. The whole gallery scene is full of sychophants, hangers-on and wannabe trendies. A lot of them people make me cringe. I can’t deal with all that psuedo-intellectualising and bullshit.

UncouthYouth: What do you think of the jail sentences being handed out for graffiti these days?

Skore: I think it’s inevitable. Pointless but inevitable. People are led in this country by sensationalist media. There is a real herd mentality here that there’s no point raging against really. Infact a lot of it is kinda funny (The mentality, not the kids going to jail obviously). Sending kids to jail solves nothing. Writers are not criminals in any sense that makes sense. Yes the act is criminal damage, but the mentality behind that is not really criminal. Nobody is trying to damage anything, they’re just trying to get up!

UncouthYouth: Would you encourage younger generations to go out and paint illegal graffiti?

Skore: Yes. Definately. I and every other older writer I should hope, regret we didn’t do more (however much we did do). Live your dreams. Do as much as you possibly can whilst you are young, cos you only get so many chances……. and when your older other shit gets in the way. Enjoy it!

UncouthYouth: Have you ever regretted being a writer?

Skore: Never. Writing is the best thing I have ever done. No contest. I have had the most mental times, been in the most mental situations, and travelled to the most mental places all because of writing. I have had so many positives from writing. I have learnt so many life skills through my determination to dominate in the writing scene. It’s been amazing.
The only negatives have been the house-raids, the time sitting in cells and the court appearances. They were traumatic and horrible but they come with the territiory.

UncouthYouth: I can image you will be still writing for a good while yet, what do you think will make you stop?

Skore: Bad health I guess. Hopefully no time soon. As long as I’m breathing and can move, I’ll be writing.

UncouthYouth: Any final words?

Skore: Thanks for asking me. Good luck to all writers out there. Keep pushing this forward. Keep getting up. Strive to keep taking it to the next level. And most importantly respect each other and respect the art.

Uncouthyouth: what do you write?
Tek33: ‘Tek 33′ and I smash my pitchfork/Trident Throw ups more than writing ‘Tek33′ in the last ten years

Uncouthyouth: when did you start writing?
Tek33: I started Tagging in 1986 aged 11

Uncouthyouth: what made you pick up a can and start writing on walls?
Tek33: I was a breaker in 1985, through those guys I found out about New York graffiti, in April 1986 i got Subway Art

Uncouthyouth: would you say graffiti is an addiction?
Tek33: Part of my daily routine, Like a smoker smokes every day, i put up habitually.

Uncouthyouth: you seem to be a big fan of the old skool scene what do you think of the current scene in the UK?
Tek33: Londons always good. Bristol and Leeds I visited in 2008. the Writers in Leeds were super cool, nice attitude, Big yo to Migz ,gastro, Phese and the crew

Uncouthyouth: how do you think the internet has changed graffiti culture?
Tek33: It depends on how much you rely on it, the more you bomb, the less you need it.

Uncouthyouth: have you done much travelling through graffiti?
Tek33: i never went abroad any where especially writing. I paint where ever life takes me, where ever i stay or live I bomb. over the years I have bombed Paris,Rome,Sao Paulo,New york,Sweden

Uncouthyouth: got any good stories you can share? was there one about someone falling through a roof, maybe im imaging that actually.
Tek33: No roof incident . The best story is I have not been arrested yet. I made a decade with the Tridents, 10 years across london. i guess soon they will get us, but its been sweet, we didn’t think we could make it this far in the marathon.

Uncouthyouth: whats your opinion on street art?
Tek33: Qualitly stuff no problem if its good, look at :Twister/Barry Mc Gee, Espo/Stephen Powers, Reas/ Tod James, whats the problem if a writers day jobs is working as full-time gallery artist,doing shows, like these three genius Kings.Its only fake people like Pure Evil and D. Face I can’t stand, no soul, no passion, DGA ‘Don’t get around’,getting up is what its all about to be a real street Artist. i respect people who work illegally on the street with paint or ink illegally. Fly posting only or putting up tiles of space ships ain’t going to get you beaten up by a crazed vigilante, or rugby tackled by a policeman.We have to deal with these obstacles,tha’s what gives you the edge, the gamble, the adrenalin.

Uncouthyouth: do you prefer bombing or piecing?
Tek33: Both equally as long as its illegal I love it.

Uncouthyouth: who has influenced your style over the years?
Tek33: Obviously Subwaty Art, that whole book and Style Warz.
My American hero’s are Lee TF5, ‘Seen’ Blade,Dondi, Kase 2, Tack FBA, Cliff 3yb,Twist,Reas. New York City street throw ups since i 1st went in 1998/1999. In London Elk, Diet, Shuto, Sub, Drax. Last 5 years on the streets Oker, he smashed it more than anyone,a way of life always on it all city. This year 2009 10 foot King of da streets across London , all city.

Uncouthyouth: what do you think of the jail sentences being handed out for graffiti these days?
Tek33: Terrible , over the top,ruining lives unessarily.

Uncouthyouth: would you encourage younger generations to go out and paint illegal graffiti?
Tek33: If a young persons attracted to it on there own, im happy to teach them some tricks of the trade, its a good route into art, learning to draw etc, graffiti is a positve thing , it saves lives, it makes life’s, its a very special thing.

Uncouthyouth: what do you think graffiti will be like say 10 or 20 years down the line?
Tek33: 10 years it will be similar to now i guess, carrying on like the RAP industry and UK drum and bass, just on and on…

Uncouthyouth: do you think you will still be painting?
Tek33: Yes

Uncouthyouth: any final words?
Tek33: ‘Keep Living The Graffatarian Life’

UncouthYouth:what do you write?

Mr. Nylon:more than one name at the moment, other than nylon there are three others that get pulled out for various purposes.

UncouthYouth:when did you start writing?

Mr. Nylon:I always wrote on stuff, from the pavements and bathroom walls, then it was punk stuff and in the eighties I discovered it could be something a little more special by way of lifestyle and artwork content. So you could say over 20 years.

UncouthYouth:what made you pick up a can and start writing on walls? was it
the normal story of friends doing and seeing it around you?

Mr. Nylon:No friends were doing it except for the odd bubble letters and band names on our school books, what really got me was the movies from New York like Death Wish and Warriors.

UncouthYouth:would you say graffiti is an addiction?

Mr. Nylon:if it is then there is no cure, I can only speak for myself, it totally gets a hold of you and is on your mind every day.

UncouthYouth:what do you think of the current graff scene compared to what
it was like when you first started?

Mr. Nylon:It is made very easy now, better paint, legal spots, too much media circus, sponsoring, credit cards, mobile phone companies, jams, clothing ranges. If the bubble would burst it would be no bad thing.

UncouthYouth:how do you think the internet has changed graffiti culture?

Mr. Nylon:It hasn’t changed graf so much as it has any other apect of modern daily life and it takes away all the thrill of the chase, basically nothing is sacred any more and everything is too instant. An internet commenter recently asked me why the piece on my site wasn’t there when he went down to the spot on the same day! and secondly…….People making up fake names and being a twat is the weakest shit of the internet ever.

UncouthYouth:whats your opinion on street art?

Mr. Nylon:Too many hipsters doing it, yawn.

UncouthYouth:who has influenced your style over the years?

Mr. Nylon:Im influenced by the idea, the hard work ethic more than the style, those people that walk streets, tracks, river paths, sleepless nights. Grafters.

UncouthYouth:have you made much money through graffiti?

Mr. Nylon:Hardly any and I dont go lookin for it either, my artwork is similar in style but generally graf is just graf and done for the fun of it. If the question were in reverse, I dont even wanna consider what graf has cost me in travel, materials and bullshit.

UncouthYouth:what do you think of the jail sentences being handed out for graffiti these days?

Mr. Nylon:The sign of a weak government too fuckin spineless to catch real big time crooks who make people’s lives a misery. Jail for graf is bullshit, handed out to win favour and public votes.

UncouthYouth:would you encourage younger generations to go out and paint illegalgraffiti?

Mr. Nylon:Yes kids, go out and wreck shit.

UncouthYouth:what do you think graffiti will be like say 10 or 20 years down the line?

Mr. Nylon:The divide between legal and illegal graf at the moment is pretty weird and I get a bit confused when I see blogs showing their latest clothing line alongside all the tags they bombed up, so im hoping in a few years time people wont be so ‘accepted and trendy’.. maybe we could get back to being careful what we say in future?

UncouthYouth:do you think you will still be painting?

Mr. Nylon:I dont consider for one minute that I wont be painting well into old age, what the hell else am I gonna do.

UncouthYouth:any final words?

Mr. Nylon:Learn Respect Earn Respect. Do your homework kids and keep a clean house.