OvieOne

What do you write?	OVIEONE

Where are you from?	THE BOOGIE DOWN BRONX, NY

What neighborhood did you start writing in?	I STARTED IN THE KINGSBRIDGE SECTION OF THE BRONX, KINGSBRIDGE AND MORRIS AVE BY THE 4 AND D TRAINS. IT WAS REAL CRAZY BACK THEN BEING FROM 196th ST AND MORRIS AVE. IT WAS LIKE BEING FROM THERE U HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO BE A GRAFFITI WRITER, YOU HAD WRITERS LIKE TRACY 168, DREB, LP5, ALROC, ROD, KAZE2, ROB.SOD, SAZE.TNG CREW WHICH WERE CRAZY MOTHER F*s. ALSO COPE, TRIM, AND MED.KBK, WHO LIVED FOR KILLING ALL THE 4 LINE ROOFTOPS. IT WAS CRAZY LIVING THERE CAUSE IF U WASN'T FROM MY HOOD YOU STR8 UP GOT JUMPED, STABBED, ROBBBED OR KILLED. KINGSBRIDGE AND MORRIS AVE WAS ONE AREA U DIDNT WANT TO GO IF U WASN'T FROM THERE. IT WAS VERY TUFF GROWING UP IN THE HOOD!!!!
Ether, Ghost, Ovie
What year did you start writing?	1991, BEING THAT MOSTLY EVERYONE IN MY HOOD BOMBED, I REMEMBER MY FIRST TAGS WAS CROCK 2 BECAUSE BACK THEN EVERYBODY USE TO WRITE THE NUMBER 2, BUT ONCE MY FRIENDS, LIKE MY BOYS NEX, 3BEE, MAME.BMF, AND XS, THEY WOULD ALL MAKE FRONT OF MY TAG AND SAY CROCK OF SHIT SO I THEN SOON CHANGED IT TO OVIE. AFTER THE CHANGE I SOON STARTED GOING TO JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL CUTTING CLASSES LIKE CRAZY TO GOING RACKING FOR PAINT, MARKERS OR WHATEVER I COULD GET MY HANDS ON TO VANDALIZE. SO BY 1992 I STARTED GETTING UP SOONER THAN I THOUGHT AND RECOGNIZED AS WELL!!!
Ghost, Ovie
Who would you say influenced you to start writing?	CRIME2, KAZE2, ALROC, MED.KBK, SAZE, AND THE OLD SCHOOL KD MEMBERS. YOU ALSO HAD KGB CREW KIILLING THE 4 LINE LIKE NEAR, COKE, SARC AND ELSE. WATCHING THOSE DUDES REALLY HYPE ME UP. I REMEMBER I ALSO WOULD CUT CLASS JUST TO HOP ON THE TRAIN TO SEE WHO DID WHAT NEW ROOFTOP SPOTS AND ON THE 4 LINE AND 2 & 5 LINES AS WELL, ALSO LOOKING AT JA HITTING EVERYTHING IN SIGHT AND HAVING WAR WITH PJAY, COPE, SAZE AND ALL OF THE KD MEMBERS — JUST HAVE ALL OUT WAR WITH RIS CREW. I WOULD ALSO HAVE TO SAY THAT I GOT LUCKY WHEN COPE2 NOTICED ME FOR BOMBING HARD IN 92 AND THEN PUT ME ON AND DOWN WITH GOD CREW. IT WAS LIKE A NEW BEGINNING STAGE IN MY LIFE BEING DOWN WITH ONE OF THE MOST HARDEST BOMBERS OF THE BRONX. I CAN'T FRONT I FELT PROUD. SOON AFTER THAT EVERYBODY WOULD HATE ON ME BECAUSE I WOULD REP.KD.GOD TO THE FULLEST BUT I DIDN'T CARE CAUSE I WAS DOWN WITH COPE 2 NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Which crews are you down with?	GOD, WHICH STANDS FOR (GOD OF DESTRUCTIONS) FC (FAME CITY) and TNB (THE NASTY BOYZ) . I CANT FRONT BEING DOWN WITH FC I FELT REALLY GOOD KNOWING THAT I ACCOMPLISHED MY ERA OF GRAFF AND WAS NOTICED BY A REAL TRUE LEGEND LIKE WEST.FC AND A REAL HARDCORE CREW AND HISTORY STATUS LIKE FC, KNOWING THAT THEY WAS THE REAL KINGS OF THE 1 LINE OF BROADWAY — PEOPLE LIKE SHAMA, KAZE.TC5, WEST, FLITE, ZEAR, CRAZY\PYSCHO.TC5, POKE, AND RISK, SO BEING DOWN WITH THEM WAS A REAL HONOR AND ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR ME. ALSO HAVING A REAL GREAT LEGEND LIKE TKID 170 WAS ALSO POPPING. MEETING AND GETTING TO KNOW TKID WAS LIKE RIDING A WILD HORSE THAT JUST LEFT THE HORSE RANCH I DIDN'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT RUNNING PEOPLE OVER, THAT HOW HARDCORE IS TKID170, SO YEAH THESE ARE THE CREWS I WILL REP FOR LIFE UNTIL THE DAY I DIE!!!

If you could travel to paint in other places, where would you most like to go?	BRAZIL, PARIS, ITALY AND DENMARK, PLACES LIKE THAT JUST TO KNOW THAT I CAN MAKE A REAL BIG IMPACT. ESPECIALLY ITALY CAUSE I'M A HARD TRAIN BOMBER, SO GOING TO ITALY WHERE TRAINS ARE BEING BOMBED I WOULD AIM THERE FIRST CAUSE I JUST DON'T GIVE A FUCK UP. I LOVE TRAINS AND THAT'S WHAT I DO BEING HARDCORE AND I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!
Ovie and Jaes
Things are notoriously beefy in New York. How do you deal with all the drama?	WELL IT DEPENDS BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO PIECE IT OUT AND NOWADAYS PEOPLE ARE MUCH OLDER WITH FAMILIES, BUT IF U GOT A HOT HEAD THEN I WILL FIGHT THE 1 ON 1 AND LEAVE IT IN GOD'S HANDS WHETHER I GET K.O. OR IF THE OTHER PEOPLE GETS K.O. THAT'S MORE OR LESS HOW I TRY TO DEAL WITH IT, BUT NOW U GOT PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO SNITCH AND ONCE YOU PULL THEIR CARDS ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY WANT TO JUMP YOU, SO WHEN IT COMES TO BEEF IT'S EITHER A FAIR OR ODD CAUSE PEOPLE ARE SO PUSSY NOWADAYS THEY EVEN WANT TO PULL OUT GUNS AND SHOOT U, LIKE MY MAN SPEK, RIP, WHO WAS A REAL WARRIOR, HAD A FIGHT WITH SOME PUSSY KID BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF HIM, THEN YEARS WENT BY THE KID AND HIS FRIENDS SAW MY MAN SPEK.BTC PULL OUT A GUN AND SHOOT HIM TO DEATH. NEW YORK IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN I COMES TO BEEF SO I'M ALWAYS AWARE AND ALERT AT ALL TIMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ovie and Utah, Ovie and Jee
Who have been your main painting partners over the years?	WELL WHEN I STARTED IT WAS MY BOYZ NEX, 3BEE, MAME.BMF, SAZE, VK, AND WAS. NOW WHEN IT CAME TO MAME.BMF I CAN FRONT, THAT NIGGA WAS SO CRAZY HE GIVE ME THE HEART TO BE REAL AND FIGHT ANYBODY, MAME WOULD STAB AND STICK UP PEOPLE AND EVEN SHOOT THEM. IF I HAD BEEF WITH ANYBODY MAME USE TO FUCK ME UP WITH THE HANDS AND PUNCH THE SHIT OUT OF MY FACE IF I DIDN'T FIGHT HIM BACK UNTIL ONE DAY I PUNCH HIM IN THE FACE AFTER THAT HE BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF ME BUT THEN GAVE ME MY PROPS AND HAD MY BACK FOREVER. HE GAVE ME REAL HEART TO BE A KILLER PITBULL, AND LATER IN MY CAREER IT WOULD BE JAES, KERZ, JEE, SKUF, ETHER.MUL, AND UTAH. AS FOR PAINTING LEGAL WALLS, TKID, EWOK, FLITE.TDS, AND GHOST.RIS. JUST A FEW TO LET U KNOW BUT MY ALL AROUND PARTNER FROM THE BEGINNING TO PRESENT NO OTHER THAN MY BROTHER KING COPE2 !!! WHO SHOWED ME MORE OR LESS THE ROPES OF THE GAME AND MADE ME A ALL ROUND IN 1 HARDCORE SPIC GRAFFITI KILLER !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jee, Ovie, Cope2
How would you describe your style?	WELL I WOULD SAY BRONX CLASSIC NY STYLE FILTERED DOWN TO ME BY PEOPLE LIKE COPE2, KERZ, AND WEST.FC. WHEN IT COMES TO STYLE I TRY TO KEEP IT NOT TOO SIMPLE AND NOT TOO WILD JUST NICE EVEN SIZE LETTERS, BUT I WOULD SAY ALL AROUND NEW YORK BOOGIE DOWN STYLE!!!!

What are you hoping to do with your writing next?	WELL MAYBE IF GOD WILLING, DO MY BOOK DEAL, TRAVEL THE WORLD AND MAKE MONEY FROM IT, WHY NOT I PAY MY DUES AND WHAT BETTER TO DO WHAT U LOVE. ALSO TRY TO HELP AND SHOW THE NEW JACKS AND FILTER DOWN TO THEM AS WELL, BUT U HAVE TO BE WILLING TO BE HARDCORE NOT NO PERMISSION WALL WRITER, I HATE THAT SHIT IF U HAVEN'T PAID DUES!!!!!

If you could paint on or make whatever you wanted, what project would you most like to do?	WELL I DON'T KNOW CAUSE I'VE PRETTY MUCH ACCOMPLISHED EVERYTHING I WANTED TO DO, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO TRAVEL AND PAINT A LOT OF EUROPEAN TRAINS!!!
Ovie, Cope2, Swet, Eaz
What is it about writing that keeps your interest after all this time? What gets you out the door?	WELL FOR ONE A LOT OF MY FRIENDS WERE STILL DOING IT AND AT ONE POINT I STOPPED FOR ALMOST 3 YEARS AND JUST THE ADDICTION — LIKE SOMEONE ON HEAVY DRUGS. AS FOR ME THE PAINTING, BOMBING AND GETTING UP WAS STILL IN ME AND ALSO JUST TO LET FUCKERS KNOW THAT I'M HERE TO STAY WHETHER THEY WANT TO THINK THAT I'M A SNITCH OR NOT BUT I GOT NOTHING TO HIDE AND NOBODY IS GOING TO DO SHIT ABOUT IT, AND IF SO I WILL DIE FOR MY NAME CAUSE NOBODY IS GOING TO REMOVE ME ALONG AS I'M ALIVE. U WOULD NEED TO KILL ME IF YOU DON'T WANT ME AROUND CAUSE GRAFFITI IS MY "GET HIGH WEAKNESS"...
Ovie and Jaes
What kind of other creative or business stuff are you doing or interested in? What is your dream job?	BEING A PIMP. LOL. I REALLY LOVE WOMEN AND WATCHING PORN AND BEING A FREAK. WOMEN SAY I'M A SLUT, MAYBE SOMETHING IN THE ADULT INDUSTRY BUSINESS, JUST KIDDING. I DON'T KNOW STILL SEARCHING, WELL I WOULD LIKE TO BUILD MY BRAND OF SPRAY PAINT, BEING FROM THE U.S., IF I HAD BIG MONEY$$$$$ LIKE THAT.
Ovie, Ghost, Cope2, Ewok, T-kid 170, Ket
Do you like to do work for hire of any kind, or commissioned murals?	SURE WHY NOT ESPECIALLY IF U LOVE WHAT U DO. I WOULD GO ANYTHING AS LONG AS I DON'T HAVE A BOSS ALWAYS UP MY ASS!!!!!
Ovie, Ghost, Smart
When you're drawing, what level of detail do you like to go into before you go to the wall? Or do you only freestyle these days?	WELL IT DEPENDS. MOST OF THE TIME IT'S FREESTYLE OFF THE HEAD. NOW IF IT'S A GOOD LINEUP WITH AN ALL-OUT PRODUCTION THEN I COME WITH A DRAWING FROM A FEW NIGHTS BEFORE. MOST OF THE TIME I DON'T GIVE A FUCK CAUSE IT'S JUST A PERMISSION WALL, BUT LIKE I SAID IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE WALL FOR THAT DATE!!!!

What kind of paint, colors, supplies and tools are your favorites?	WELL I USE ALL BRAND OF PAINTS AND COLORS, BUT MAINLY WHEN IT COMES TO PERFECTION I LOVE USING MONTANA GOLD AND BELTONS FOR OUTLINES AND DESIGNS. PLUS FOR SOME REASON I ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE A PURPLE, WHITE AND BLACK ON HAND, DON'T ASK ME WHY. BUT IN THE FUTURE I HOPE ONE OF THEM CAN MAKE ME AN OVIE COLOR OR A SPONSOR CAUSE I BUY TO MUCH OF THEIR FUCKING PAINT TO DO MY STEELS AND THEN END UP BROKE AS HELL, SO BELTON OR MONTANA CONSIDER IT CAUSE I'M GOING BROKE. HAHAHA. LOL..

Which artists do you most admire and what is it that you appreciate about their work? Who are the artists or writers you learned the most from?	WELL FOR ONE I HAVE TO SAY CES AND IVORY.TM7 I WOULD SAY THE WAY THEY COME AND PERFORM THEIR COLOR SCHEMES AND STYLE, AND CES ALL AROUND WITH LETTERING AND DESIGNS, ONE OF MY FAVORITES AND STILL IS, I WOULD SAY, IS BIO. I THINK HE'S THE BEST PIECER FROM TATS CRU. ALSO SENTO AND KERZ WITH HIS MOVEMENT FLOW OF LETTERS. ALSO GHOST.RIS WITH HIS UNIQUE STYLE THAT TAKES U INTO ANOTHER WORLD, WHICH I ADMIRE. AS FOR FEMALES I GOT TO GIVE IT TO ACET — BEST FEMALE PIECER ALL AROUND AND UTAH FOR A HARDCORE BOMBER, PIECER AND ALL AROUND WRITER AS WELL. ALSO WEST CAUSE HE IS REAL CLEAN AND NEAT WHEN IT COMES TO LETTERS AND OLD SCHOOL B-BOY CHARACTERS AND TKID FOR BEING A WILD HORSE STALLION!!! LOL.
Utah and Ovie
What are some of the best and worst things that writing graffiti has brought into your life?	WELL THE BEST GRAFFITI'S DONE FOR ME IS HOW PEOPLE ALL AROUND THE WORLD APPRECIATE ME AND HOW PEOPLE TEND TO LOOK UP TO ME AND ALSO MADE ME HAVE GOOD FRIENDS THAT CARE ABOUT ME, ESPECIALLY WHEN I WAS LOCKED UP. MY FRIENDS PUT MONEY TOGETHER TO BAIL ME OUT. NOW THE WORST IS THAT FOR ONE GRAFFITI NEVER SAVED MY LIFE, IT DESTROYED MY LIFE. FIRST OF ALL VANDAL SQUAD, FOR EXAMPLE, DESTROYED MY REP WITH THE WONDER TWINS FROM GERMANY SAYING AND WRITING A FAKE POLICE REPORT THAT I RATTED ON THEM AND PEOPLE BELIEVED THAT UNTIL I STOOD UP FOR MY INNOCENCE WITH MY REAL NIGGAS LIKE COPE, AND ESPECIALLY WEST AND PYSCHO TC5. IT IS JUST FUCKED UP THEY HAD TO BELIEVE COPS OVER ME AND COPE. I'M JUST PISSED OFF TILL THIS DAY THAT FRIENDSHIP HAD TO END WITH TATS CRU ESPECIALLY WITH BIO CAUSE I LOOKED UP TO BIO FOR YEARS AND I WAS COMING TO BE A HARDCORE MEMEMBER WITH TATS CRU AT 1 POINT BEFORE HELL BROKE LOOSE WITH THESE FUCKING NYPD PIGS, BUT IT IS ALL GOOD. I JUST WANT TO GIVE MAD LOVE TO NICER TATS, CAUSE HE SEEMED MORE OPEN TO ME AND COPE AT THE TIME OF THE BULLSHIT AND ALWAYS COOL WITH ME WHEN WE BUMP HEADS, WHILE EVERYBODY ELSE BELIEVED THE HYPE!!! ALSO NOW THE PIGS, THEY ARE TRYING TO PUT ME AWAY FOR LIKE 2 YEARS IN JAIL FOR GRAFFITI, AND THEY MADE ME LOOK LIKE I'M A MURDERER AND LIKE A BIG DRUG DEALER AND PUTTING $10,000 BAIL ON ME AND BASICALLY DESTROYING MY RECORD THANKS TO A SNITCH NIGGA. I DON'T WANT TO SAY NAMES BUT HE KNOWS WHO HE IS AND NOW THE SNITCH DOESN'T WANT TO SETTLE THE SCORE WITH ME CAUSE HE GOT HIS BOYS WANTING TO JUMP ME IF I STEP TO HIM, THIS IS WHY I STOPPED FOR 3 YEARS AT 1 POINT HEARING THE SNITCHING RUMORS ABOUT ME, THEN MY MAN SPEK GETTING KILLED AND ALL THE BULLSHIT PHONY FRIENDS, THAT'S MORE OR LESS THE WORST THAT GRAFFITI BROUGHT TO ME. BUT AT THE END I'M STILL HERE REPPING LIKE A HARDCORE KING!!!!

What do you think about the "street art" that's going on now? Any of it interesting?	STREET ART IS GOOD BECAUSE I CAN SAY THAT I PAID MY DUES AND FOR ME IT WAS MORE REAL AND RAW THAN SOMEONE WHO JUST CAME OUT OF ART SCHOOL AND DIDN'T PAY NO STREET DUES WHATSOEVER. U HAVE ALOT OF PEOPLE LIKE THAT NOWADAYS THAT SWEAR THEY DID THIS AND DID THAT BUT DIDN'T DO JACK, BUT I WON'T SAY NO NAMES THEY KNOW WHO THEY ARE!!!!

What about the scribing and etching?	ETCH IS GOOD I LOVE IT AND IS HARD TO TAKE OFF, IT'S JUST THAT IT STINKS LIKE CRAZY. LOL. I USE TO GO TO 1 TRAIN LAYUP BACK IN THE DAYS BY VANCOURTLAND AND BOMB THE WHOLE 10 CARS BOTH SIDE OF THE WINDOWS CAR AFTER CAR IT WOULD TAKE ME ABOUT A HOUR TO HIT ALL TEN CARS AND AFTER THE MORNING MY FRIENDS WOULD CALL ME TO TELL ME THAT THEY SAT DOWN ON THE TRAIN HEADING FOR WORK AND THEY SAW MY ETCH TAGS ON THE WINDOW, SO THAT RIGHT THERE HAD ME GOING BACK FOR MORE AND MORE INSIDE LAYUPS FOR ETCH. I GIVE IT TO SMASH FROM BROOKLYN HE REALLY KING THE WHOLE MTA TRANSIT SYSTEM WITH INSIDE OF ETCH, MAD PROPS TO SMASH!!!!!

What's most annoying about graffiti world today?	OH MAN THE GOSSIP ON THE INTERNET ABOUT ALL THIS SNITCHING BULLSHIT AND PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT EACH OTHER, IT REALLY SUCKS. AND COPS COMING TO YOUR DOOR — IT REALLY REALLY SUCKS. AND JUST BASICALLY THE BULLSHIT RUMORS AND PEOPLE ASKING U 20 MILLION QUESTION ABOUT THIS AND THAT IT JUST CRAZY. IT'S LIKE SO MUCH MORE IN LIFE THAN TO BE WORRY ABOUT GRAFFITI. PERSONALLY IT'S A WHOLE SOUL POPPER SHOW!!!!!!
Ovie, Indie, Fafi, Cope2
Who are the new kids to watch for in your town?	IT'S JUST TOO MANY. FOR ONE I'LL SAY YMI CREW. THEY ARE SO HOT WITH STYLE I WOULD PUT THEM ON TATS CRU LEVEL OR EVEN BETTER THAT'S HOW GOOD THEY ARE. AND ONE OF MY NEW TROOPERS, FEWS, THIS FUCKING GUY IS A PURE BREED PITBULL.LOL, SHOUT TO HIM AS WELL.

Any advice for the younger generation?	FOR 1 LEARN THE HISTORY ABOUT GRAFFITI AND WHERE IT CAME FROM, THEN BE ORIGINAL. FIND A NAME THAT NO ONE'S EVER USED. THEN GO ALL OUT AND PAY YOUR DUES AND DON'T JUMP ON PEOPLE'S DICKS CAUSE THEY'RE HOT OR BANDWAGON CAUSE YOU'LL LOOK LIKE A ASSHOLE AT THE END WHEN PEOPLE ARE TALKING SHIT ABOUT THE WAY U SUCK ON THEM. AND LAST DON'T BE A RAT TO THE COPS. THEY WILL SAY ANYTHING FOR U TO BELIEVE THEM, SO REMEMBER AT THE END THEY ARE PURE PIGS DOING A JOB TO ARREST YOU AND SET U AND YOUR BOYS UP. THAT'S REALLY REALLY WACK! TRUE STORY!!!!!!

Shout outs?	HELL YEAH MY GIRLS INDIE 156, AND UTAH. MY NIGGAS COPE, ALROC, FEWS, EAZ, JAES, JEZ, QUEST, JEE, GHOST, JA, KET, SKUF, ETHER.MUL, EWOK, THE WHOLE FC CREW AND MY BROTHER JAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WOULD LIKE TO THANK SUSAN AND ART CRIMES FOR THIS INTERVIEW AND SHOWING ME LOVE, JULIE AND MY SON KRISTOFER FOR BEING THERE WHEN TIMES WERE RUFF. I WILL ALWAYS LOVE U BOTH DEEPLY TILL THE DAY I DIE. MY BROTHER COPE LAST OF THE REALIST PURE BREED AS THEY COME. ALSO WANT TO SAY FREE, SINCE, AND ATE, HOLD YA HEADS, AND FOR ALL MANY NIGGAS FOR KEEPING IT REAL WITH ME FOR 10 YEARS AND BETTER, MINE AND SPEK REST IN PEACE!!!! AND LAST, TO BE AWARE IS TO BE ALIVE, MAY GOD BE WITH US ALL, GOD BLESS PEACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Featured Artists

Art Crimes Front Page