For all that don't know please introduce yourself and let the readers know a bit about your crew, i.e. what do the initials in your crew name stand for and what are the areas you paint?
Yeah, yo I write TESCK. I'm in bare crews, I'll just tell you a few and what they stand for. So firstly my crew that I own is KOT (Kings Of Time) and here are other crews I'm in CWF (Crazy Writing Factory), MBZ (Millennium Bugz), BK (Beyond Kontrol), ahh fuck it man, I mostly paint Birmingham but I will slowly move onto different places..
As individuals what do you write? What are your tags?
I write with people like KLECKS, AREST, OBAE and PHOE. I write with all different people man and my tag is TESCK.
What was it that got you into graffiti and when do you think it was that you would have started drawing on paper, maybe keeping a pad?
I dunno how I got into writing it was just like the other kids from around my area had tags so I thought I would get one and soon as I started I was like ahh yea I'm sick, but they started calling me a toy n shit. I was like yea yea innit what the fuck does that mean but then I just carried on tagging and now I'm here.
What was it that got you onto the next level and actually throwing up on walls etc?
Well I met dis kid who writes Kaiko n some and I went to Selly Oak park (legal graff park in Brum) and I did my first dubb with him and I just carried on doing them from then.
So that was your first piece. I guess it is unusual to start off legal. What was the feeling you got after putting it up? Did it turn out how you expected?
Yeah, because Kaiko did the outline and I did the rest I was pleased with it because I thought it was quite a good outline.
So, by now you must have done a few pieces. Which one was your favourite piece? Where was it and when would it have been done?
Ahh man I dropped loadsa pieces my favourite one was probably out Selly Oak park I did with Klecks. Semi full colour I got pic if you want?
Yeah, give us a pic. What has been your craziest or worst writing experience?
Well I was wit Klecks again and we went up Selly Oak park to white wash the tracks over the fence, but we went up there white washed the wall then come back down waiting for it to dry. Then nuf kids came out with sticks calling us. I was like yo what the fuck is going on here then they chased us so we jumped on the nearest bus caught it into town and came back around to Selly Oak. Then we met this next kid who we was safe wit RUMERZ! and he said ahh I know a way so we went with him across the bridge of the tracks then jumped down some big ass wall ting and when you land your on a ledge so there is no way of getting back up and you have to jump off the ledge but very close to after you jump is a big hill with loadsa empty cans so I shit it and said na fuck am I jumping im staying so they jumped and left me the bastards but in the end I jumped haha..
Are there any other crews or artists in your area who you know or whose tags you see all over?
Yeah man, I know loadsa writers whose tags are all over Brum.
What do you make of the whole stickering phenomenon? Do you think it is just another way of getting over, or do you think it is a bit of a cop out?
Na, stickers are all good man like if you tried bombing town for example with a pen you got more chance of getting caught, but with stickers walk past slap em on there all good man..
Why do you think that Graffiti artists are so demonised in the media? OK, you have to admit what you are doing constitutes criminal damage, but often times you are brightening things up and you aren't hurting anyone.
Yeah man graffiti shouldn't be legal by all matters, but they shouldn't be like they are with it man they have proper cracked down on it I think they should look for real crime not art … fuk BTP...
Similar to the stickering, what do you think of Etching? Is this connected to graffiti in your eyes, or does it give more conventional spraycan artists a bad name?
Yeah etching that's damage, man have to replace the window and shit to get it off, haha but yea that's bad although I do it and shit it's bad.
Did you hear about Enzo having to go on the run after there was a major campaign about him in London?
Na, can't say I did... what happened?
What do you think of the zero tolerance policy many councils are now having on graffiti, will this make your lives more difficult?
Yeah, but like graffiti will never be outlawed. Too many ways of getting around all dis bull shit they're trying to stop us with.
I ask everyone about politics, because I think it is important that we have knowledge of what is going on. Do you have anything to say on that? Any issues you think people need to open their eyes too?
Yeah man, council and police etc are screwing about graff maybe because there ain't enough legal spots etc. I don't know exactly, but they are pricks the way they see it...
If you could change something about society, what would it be and why?
More legal places..
Are you at all concerned by the way George Bush is carrying on? Looks like there will be war with Iraq and it is a bit worrying that Bush seems to be picking on one country after another. What is your perspective on this?
Yeah man this war thing is all fucked up although it does need to happen I don't wanna be around when it does because its all gonna go off man in England etc. Not being racist or nuting but with all these asylum seekers and Muslims etc. in England.
Overall then, do you have an opinion on whether the graffiti scene is getting better or worse? And why?
Yeah man, its defiantly getting better more writers etc. and now we got net up its easy to look at graff in different countries by a click.
Would you consider doing legal pieces and getting paid for your work? Sometimes artists who do this are frowned upon by the underground artists…
Yeah man I would do legal work commissions etc. Its up to them what they think but its your choice at the end of the day…
Are there more opportunities for legal work these days, or have those days gone and in fact the council provided walls are coming down?
I dunno much about that I ain't really looked into legal work and getting paid etc not yet anyway..
How do you feel about the connection to Hip Hop and Graffiti? Is Graffiti an element of Hip Hop, or like so many graf artists do you think that Hip Hop over the years has largely ignored graffiti and therefore disown the connection?
Na, its definitely connected with Hip Hop. Yeah man, Hip Hop don't show graff world much respect, although people like KRS 1 who does tagging in his videos is sick and the new Nas one etc. Loadsa Hip Hop vids have got graff in so that's all good.
You mentioned before that the web is good for seeing graf. How do feel about the graffiti on the web? Do you have your own website?
Yeah like I said above just a click and your there yeah I got a web site mine and Phoes, its
http://www.cantstop.2ya.com.
In General how do you view the Internet? Do you think it is a way for the small man to have a voice, or are there too many idiots too willing to spout a load of rubbish with no control over them?
Yeah, the net's all good, although guest books etc. cause beef and stir up shit with other writers, which is fucked.
What do you think about the graf in other countries? Sometimes it seems like it is a much bigger thing and is more accepted in foreign lands…
Yeah man like the vid Dirty Hands 2. Fucking hell, they're hot bastards man, no one even says shit, its all mad mann...
Where do you get your paint? Do you keep it real and rob that as well, or do you buy it?
Ya know what, I don't even rack no more, if im gonna get paint I go to the graff shop in Birmingham on the Hagley Road I either get Belton (£3) or Montana the German shit which is £3.50 but they also do mad deals so that's all good.
Do you have a favourite brand or colour? Belton seems to be popular, but then maybe there is a cheap Halfords can that'll do the same job?
Na, Belton I like although I do like the Montana electric blue...
Do you have any tips or techniques you want to pass on, like how to get even coverage, or avoid drips?
Na man, still working on it myself…
OK, what advice might you have for struggling graf artists in the UK? Perhaps you know how to avoid certain cameras, or know of areas where it is simply never safe to paint?
Na, but if your gonna do summet you think is gonna get you caught go early in the morning man, don't be a prat and go at like 8 o'clock or shit go at like 3 in the morning etc.
Have you planned out your next piece, and if so what is it going to be?
Na they just happen, although I do wanna do a full colour up Selly Oak.
What is going to be keeping you busy over the next few months?
My web site..
What are your longer-term plans and objectives for you as an artist?
To paint all around England…
Do you see your work in the future moving into other art forms, maybe films, animation, calligraphy, or cartoons etc?
Hopefully that will happen..
Which writers and/or artists most inspire you?
RISK, MES, SEEN, KORSA, fucking loads man. I like the 3d stuff to man that's sick.
Outside graffiti what other art forms give you inspiration? Are there any more conventional artists you like?
Na some of its good, but don't really take note.
What do dislike about the graf scene?
Beef..
What are the things that you like to do when you aren't doodling or tagging? Do you like sports or the Cinema for example?
Errr, yea cinemas is all good. I like going on my decks, just normal person really innit. Just fit graff in when I can... although I do it alootttttt.
Any shout outs?
Yeahh, deep breath...
OBAE, AREST, RISK, KAIKO, IKON, SMEARZ, PHOE, KAWT, KWOAT, COMMER, VEPS, IRATE, CREDZ, DIS ONE. Fuc that, too many to mention...
Is there anything else you would like to add or mention?
