Kodak 2 3YB Interview @149st

KODAK 2 3YB INTERVIEW

© 2003 @149st Do not republish without permission.

Where and what year did you start writing on trains?
I started writing in Queens in 1973.

What inspired you to become involved in writing?
Seeing all the buses in my neighborhood all painted up to where you couldn't see out the windows was what sold me to this art form.

Did you have a mentor?
Yes! His name is FUGIE 2. He was from The Bronx. He gave me my first Uni and introduced me to my very first visit to the train yard.

Who influenced your style?
It was a combination of a few people but I must give TRUE 2 the edge because we were together a lot and he loved to help amp up your lettering. However RHINO, TEAR, and FUGIE helped out on a couple of occasions.

How did you get the name KODAK?
I was getting some film developed and that yellow and red sign caught my eye, and the name itself wasn't being used so I claimed it.

List all the other names under which you painted?
CHEEZE, DR. KOOL, MR. KOOL. None of which made any noise in the tunnel.

What borough are you originally from?
I'm from Queens.

What lines have you hit?
The E, F, EE, GG, A, J, and the M trains I also had three pieces on the IRT 3 and 5 lines.

Who were your most successful partners?
In the beginning it was FUGIE 2,and KENON 35. After that it was the whole Parsons Bench family.

What crews have you written for?
TK (The Killers), SSB (Stone Soul Brothers), 3YB (The Three Yard Boys).

Did you have any memorable conflicts with other crews on the subway?
Yes we had many. That was part of the game, but one sticks out a little I can't remember the year but PAUL (STOP 2) had left our bench and started to hang with CLIFF and his crew (3YB) smoking and drinking and out of the blue they jumped him gave him a black eye took his markers and books so he came crying to us at Parsons. Me, SOUL, TRUE, PAUL, and some other folks went to 149th Street, but couldn't find CLIFF, however we did find some other writers and kindly returned the favor who they were we didn't know. All we knew is that they had markers and was from The Bronx.

Any good raid stories?
I got raided once in The Three Yard, but it was over quick. But here is a good story for you. Me, TEE 3YB,LIL SOUL, KONG 1,CADD, and I believe XL-5 was racking up out in Five Towns (2 weeks after STIM's passing) and was on our way home when a lady in a car accidentally splashed TEE with water. He was heated so we followed as best we could to see where she parked her car and we all went inside this shopping center asking who car it was, and when we got no response we went out and TEE tagged his name on the whole side of her car along with a tag or two from us. As we begin to walk away security picked up the chase. With no where to hide we all ran into the swamps that surrounded the mall and got caught. Everyone except TEE who started the whole thing by getting splashed, and writing on her car. They let us go a few hours later (KONG 1, and CADD were older so they were kept), and when we finally caught up with TEE he had told us he had to stay inside that swamp water until night fell and that he had to ride all the way to Brooklyn smelling like sewer water that was crazy.

Did you go to Atlantic Avenue, 149th Street, Parsons, Blvd. or Continental Avenue writer's benches and if so do you have any interesting memories?
I have been to Atlantic Avenue bench once to link up with STIM, DIABLO, TEE, and some other writers however that was the day we lost STIM. Only been to 149th Street once and that was to look for CLIFF (RIP.). Parsons, and Continental was like home base for us Continental had UNCLE JOHN, TEAR, JESUS, DUKE, EX, and one good snack stand that sold everything we mainly went there to see what we did on the EE. GG line relations wasn't that good between our benches because we knew that UNCLE JOHN was snitching, and helping to get writers busted. Parsons was home for us. Paradise! Just meeting different people down on Parsons and the closeness that we shared made our bench successful and memorable.

Are there any writers of your era that you feel need more acknowledgements in history?
Yes! LIL SOUL 159, LOOT 153, KOP-OUT, KEO, REO, DEO, TRUE 2,SIN 158, XL5, PAUL, STAR 206, MINGO, TOKE, VIPER, RHINO, SNIPER, NAIL 170, KONG 1, CADD, MR. ED, SOFIVE, Rover226, ROB 1,TEE, KODAK 2 (smiles), SHAUN 67 (RIP), SUPER KID, MANO, KEITH67, KENON 35, FUGIE2, OZ109, EX 1, (DUKE 9 honorable mention again), TEAR, JESUS, (two mad letterers), and LAW MANÉ For those that I forgot please forgive me it's been 30 years.

When did you quit painting trains?
Actually I started losing interest around the time that STIM lost his life in the tunnels. But I officially hung up my Flo-Master pen in 1978.

Here's an added story for you. Me and KENON 35 was in the E Tunnel when we heard two people arguing so we peeped around the corner and there was DUKE 9 and EX 1 going at it. Me and KENON just watched for a second, because EX 1 even though he was much younger and smaller then DUKE he put up a good fight until DUKE bust him in the head with a can of Krylon and looked like he was about to third rail! This is when me and KENON put a stop to it. DUKE was really mad and if I'm not mistaken it was because EX 1 followed him into the lay-up and as we all know DUKE is a soloist.

Any closing words?
Thanks for providing a way for us writers to stay in touch with what we once ate, slept, and drank, and for those that are still out there no throw-ups please.
KODAK TOO 3YB

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