GRAFFSTARS.COM

GRAFFITI-NEVER DIES!

SYE

HECK: WHAT DO YOU WRITE AND HOW DID YOU GET YOUR NAME/TAG?

SYE: SYE. I ACTUALLY TOOK THE NAME FROM A KID IN MY NEIGHBOORHOOD WHO COULDN'T ROCK THE NAME. BESIDES, HE WAS USING IT AS AN ALIAS AND AT THAT TIME NO ONE WAS WRITING THAT NAME.

HECK: WHAT CREWS DO YOU PUSH?

SYE: I PUSH TC5 AND FC. TPA IS MY ORIGINAL FAM AND ALWAYS WILL BE. EVEN THOUGH I DON'T PUSH TPA LIKE BEFORE, I WILL ALWAYS BE KNOWN AS SYE.TPA

HECK: WHEN DID YOU START WRITING?

SYE: 1980

HECK: WHAT NEIGHBORHOOD DID YOU START WRITING IN?

SYE: I GREW UP IN QUEENS.

HECK: WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT THE HOOD?

SYE: THE CREW...TPA. THE SIMPLICITY OF LIFE AND THAT The Crew…TPA. The simplicity of life AND THAT WHOLE TIME PERIOD IN THE GRAFFITI CULTURE.

HECK: WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THE FIRST TIME YOU DID YOUR FIRST FILLIN, BURNER, OR PEICE?

SYE: I REMEMBER DOING MY FIRST PIECE IN 176 PARK ON A HANDBALL COURT. IT WAS SILVER AND IT WAS BITTER WACK.

HECK: WHAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A LEGEND IN YOUR EYES?

SYE: A WRITER THAT WAS ALL CITY (ON THE TRAINS). A WRITER THAT DID THE INSIDES AS WELL AS OUTSIDES. ONE WHO CREATED STYLE AND OTHERS EMULATED.

HECK: WOULD YOU SAY YOU GOT INTO GRAFF FOR THE FAME, RESPECT OR SENSE OF SELF-ACHIEVEMENT?

SYE: EVERY WRITER GETS INTO THE CULTURE FOR ALL OF THOSE THINGS, BUT MY INTITIAL INVOLVEMENT WAS BECAUSE I WAS FASCINATED WITH THE ART FORM: THE MANIPULATION OF LETTERS. I WAS NEVER A BOMBER. I ALWAYS ENJOYED PIECING.

HECK: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO MAKE PEOPLE RESPECT GRAFF AND WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU?

SYE: TO SEE IT FOR MORE THAN WHAT IT'S PERCEIVED TO BE - VANDALISM. LOOK AT THE ARTISTIC FORM, THE IMAGINATION AND ABILITY TO CONVEY IDEAS OR MESSAGES.

HECK: WHO WOULD YOU SAY INFLUENCED YOU TO START BOMBING?

SYE: MY YOUNGER BROTHER INITIALLY PEEKED MY INTEREST, BUT TAKING NOTE OF GUYS LIKE BABY168, 0E3...HOW I WOULD SEE THEIR NAMES ALMOST EVERYWHERE WHEN I WOULD RIDE THE TRAIN TO SCHOOL. I WOULD WATCH THE J LINES THAT USED TO RUN ELEVATED ON JAMAICA AVE...I REMEMBER SEEING CATS LIKE BOLT, JAMES.TOP, ETC.

HECK: HOW DID YOU LEARN TO WRITE?

SYE: I COULD ALWAYS DRAW, BUT YOU LEARN TO WRITE FROM YOUR MENTORS AND FROM BEING COGNIZANT OF YOUR GRAFFITI SURROUNDINGS. I CAN'T SAY THERE WAS ONE SPECIFIC PERSON THAT TAUGHT ME. YOU LEARN, PICK UP DIFFERENT TIPS, TRICKS WHEN YOU PIECE WITH OTHER HEADS.

HECK: HOW DO YOU GET YOUR PAINT? ANY FUNNY RACKING MISSIONS?

SYE: RACKED IT...WHO DIDN'T?

HECK: ANY FUNNY STORIES?

SYE: I REMEMBER A TIME WHEN WE, TPA, WERE GOING AT WITH RTW. WE WENT TO KEY LAY-UPS TO MAXIMIZE OUR BOMBING EFFORTS. ONE NIGHT, WE DECIDE TO GO TO FORT HAMILTON, BECAUSE IT WAS A MULTI-LEVEL LAY-UP, TO KING THE DING DONGS. EVERYONE HAD MAD BAGS OF PAINT. NOW TO GET TO THE LAY-UP I REMEMBER WE HAD TO RUN DOWN THE TRACKS FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE A MILE. I REMEMBER GETTING MAYBE HALF WAY THERE AND I TRIPPED AND FELL. I GOT UP AND CONTINUED RUNNING UNTILL I GOT TO THE LAY-UP. SUDDENLY, I REALIZED THAT WHEN I FELL, I CUT MY HAND OPEN...MY WRITING HAND. I HAD DEEP GASHES DOWN THE MIDDLE OF MY FINGERS. IT WAS BLEEDING PROFUSELY AND WAS FULL OF GRAVEL AND DEBRIS. I REMEMBER SAYING THAT I WAS HURT AND CER TURNED AND LOOKED AT MY HAND AND SAID, "THAT SHIT AINT NOTHING!" I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. I COULDN'T CLOSE MY HAND AND HE WAS LIKE, "COME ON. WE GOTTA PUT IT ON THEM CATS!". SLOAN WAS LIKE, "YO, YOU SHOULD GO..I'LL GO BACK WITH YOU." I COULD SEE THE DISGUST IN CER'S FACE, BUT I HAD TO LEAVE. I WAS IN TOO MUCH PAIN.

HECK: BEEF: HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT IT? ANYTHING YOU WANT TO GET OFF YOUR CHEST?

SYE: GROWING UP, IT WAS PART OF THE CULTURE , BUT NOW AS A GROWN MAN, IT'S LAUGHABLE BUT YOU STILL HAVE CATS WHO GET REAL SENSITIVE WHEN YOU DON'T AGREE WITH THEIR THINKING OR WHAT THEY ARE DOING. I TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM IT BECAUSE FOR ME, AT THIS AGE, GRAFF IS A WAY TO RELAX FROM THE NORMAL PRESSURES AND STRESS OF LIFE.

HECK: WHAT ADVISE WOULD YOU GIVE TO WRITERS OUT THERE?

SYE: IF YOU PIECE, LEARN LETTER STRUCTURE. LEARN THE COLOR WHEEL. KNOW THE HISTORY...KNOW THAT YOU MAY NOT BE THE ORIGINAL "WHOEVER". IF YOU DECIDE TO USE A NAME THAT HAS BEEN USED BEFORE, (WHICH YOU SHOULDN'T), PUT A NUMBER ON IT.

HECK: HOW DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO REMEMBER YOU BY?

SYE: JUST THAT I WAS VERSATILE WITH MY PIECING AND COULD ADAPT TO WHOMEVER I PAINTED WITH.

HECK: SHOUT OUTS?

SYE: SHOUT OUTS TO CER, DEMO, LUST, KAP, PW, SLOAN, ADAM, CEY, EZO, BREAK, SPICER, ABBY, 2NICE, SOFINE… SHOUTS TO MY TC5 AND FC FAM.