L.A. Crews - Interview with 125ER*C.U.L.T L.A. CREWS * L.A. CREWS penalcode594@mail.com 125(The downtown L.A. king)chillin with YOTA. First of all what crews are u down with? (125) Originally I'm from an old breaking crew RCR short for ROYAL CITY ROCKERS". I'm also down with K.N.S "KIDS NEVER SURRENDER" as well as the crew I made up which is CREATED UPON LONELY TRAVELERS or CHARGED UP LIKE THUNDER" Otherwise known as the "C.U.L.T" or "CULTURE" crew. I got a lot of up heads in the crew because I strive for that. Every writer down with the crew has an individual history in the graff scene. So how long have you been writing.??? (125) About 18 and a half years. Word! that's a long time. So how did u get your name? (125) I got my name from breakdancing in 1981. I was in the 7th grade and all my homiez weighed 60-70 pounds. and I weighed 125 pounds and the name stuck with me and when I stopped breaking I started writing my nickname "125er". So why did you stop breaking? (125) Well the breaking scene died out around 1983 so, most of the culture went from breaking to graffiti and I started writing 125er from D.M.C. So when did u start getting up? (125) I originally started getting up in my own neighborhood from 1983-85 and from 1985-87 I started hitting busses. What about after that? (125) Well after that I went "ALL CITY" from 1988 all the way to now. What does" ALL CITY" mean to u? (125) "ALL CITY" means that u have to bomb first of all, Secondly u have to hit back streets u have to hit city busses, trains, and, overall of everything; to be "ALL CITY" u just can't be doing one thing and say you're all city because if u don't hit busses which a lot of people don't and claim to be all city when they're really not. U have to hit everything to be an "ALL CITY" writer! So whats up with you & those trains? (125) "Oh yeah, thats my thing now. I love them fr8's thats what im about now! So whats up with KNS? (125) Well im the last and only survivor of the original 11 "KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE" which it was orginally called, and we came up with "KIDS NEVER SURRENDER"! In 1984 most of my other homies just went their separate ways and eventually stopped writing. Do you got any beef with anyone? (125) I got beef with alot of "up writers" but most of my beef has got squashed, but there's some cats out there that just try to hate on me because I'm "ALL CITY" and I'm still representing for Los Angeles. So what can I say if your down with graffiti and you know where you're at u shouldn't even be mad at niggaz out there. But what can I say, It don't slow me down! As far as bombing and getting up, What tends to go thru your mind when you're out there puttin' it down! (125) Well what goes thru my mind is that now a days u got shit that gets buffed everyday, U got the transit police, crazy as heroes, and gangsters. It's just not the same. Graffiti in the 1990's just isn't as dope as it used to be because the seen was more true & original back then! We had writers benches we used to kick it at like the one on Santa Monica and Vermont in Hollywood. We used to exchange flix and do piecebooks; those were the the dayz...When graffiti was true and real know what im sayin?. Word!!!! (125) To me, Im always gonna be oldschool. Everything I do is oldschool style, from the way I get up to the way I'm living. So I'm still down for graffiti because I've been doing it for so long. How Does it feel to be one of the most reconized graffiti writers in the history of L.A. as far as writers that's been around they can't front. From the oldschool to the newschool you've been there, and you're still here as well as for your age and the amount of time you've been writing. How does it all come together? (125)Honestly? Sometimes I can't believe I'm "125", but really it feels dope because in my heart I set me goals I set everything aside for graffiti and I feel that if u don't bomb u ain't a real writer. What can I say not to sound "BIG HEADED", But u know I've been "ALL CITY" for years basically I'm happy with it because 10-12 years ago I would of never thought I would of came as far as I have. I just got addicted to this shit. I feel that powerfull attraction that makes me feel that I can still put it down the way I always have but, as for the city it's just no good anymore. 6-7 years ago my bombs used to run for 2-3 years the least, and now they run 2-3 days, which is really fuckin' wack but fuck it!!! Have u ever been busted? (125)Unfortunately, I have got busted. How long did u put in work before u got busted? (125)A good 15 and a half years!!!! Basically nowadays it's just a sign of the times that "graffiti" (bombing); The way it's going writers are bound to be "busted" or at least chased be authorities!!! (125) Writers are bound to get busted, But I was fortunate to have started writing at such a young age back in the early 80's, When you didn't have any fuckin transit cops on the fuckin transit system, when we used to be down with the R.T.D busses. But now in the greater Los Angeles area they have that "1-800-Fucking Buff" they got all these punk undercover police, crazy heroes and shit, that's why now in the 90's graffiti bombing is wack to me, Even though graffiti in general is still dope because I lived thru it all in these years and I know what it was about back then and now! Well do u have any last words or advice for anyone? (125) Basically if you're gonna be in this game and put it down make sure ur doing it for the right reasons. U know people see a muthafucka "gettin' up" and I think when there is a lot of "criticism" a lot of "big headed" niggaz alot of "haters" or just plain "punks" hating trying to have beef with u because of jealously or putting u down in a negative way, because you're "too fat", "too skinny", "too short", "too tall",; those are the people that shouldn't be in this game. The people in the game should be down with everybody there should'nt be no beef there should be empathy and understanding(coolness).It's bad enough that we have the dumb ass cops, the dumb ass transits, the dumb ass heroes trying to get after us all, and basically it's not even about all the jealously, hate, and drama. You know u got people out there that are big ass "hypocrites" that talk so much shit about me and my homiez behind our backs, and then later on they say "what's up 125 how u been dawg"! ........You know what I'm sayin? No doubt I know exactly what u mean 125!!! (125) You just can't hate. I do my thing you do your thing and it has to be all good. thats it!

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