INTERVIEW BY HECKSTAR

If you would like to contribute any pics, email Heckstar@graffstars.com.

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

JOEY: OVER THE YEARS (1972 - 1981), I HAVE WRITTEN A FEW NAMES HERE AND THERE. LIKE ALL OR MOST WRITERS, WE CHANGE OR ALTER OUR NAMES FOR VARIOUS REASONS. SOME OF MY TAGS HAVE BEEN LIL' MOUSE, ROCKET, JOE-188, AND PRESTO! MY MORE FAMOUS TAGS WOULD HAVE TO BE WHEN I STARTED HITTING THE MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM IN NEW YORK CITY; JOEY TC, JOEY TPA, AND RC. (SHORT FOR "REAL COOL", "ROYAL CROWN" OR "ROCKET").

HECK: WHAT CREWS DO YOU PUSH?

JOEY: THERE ARE A FEW. AS THE YEARS WENT BY, SO MANY CREWS WANTED NOTORIETY. THE ONES THAT MEANT THE MOST TO ME WERE (ARE) OBVIOUSLY, THE PUBLIC ANIMALS OR TPA, CHILDREN INVADING THE YARDS (CITY) AND THE CREW OR (TC). ON A SECONDARY BASIS, I PUSHED THE SUPER SQUAD, (TSS) THE KILLER CREW (TKC), THE BAD YARD BOYS (BYB), MASTERFUL ADMINISTRATION FOR INCREDIBLE ARTISTS (MAFIA) AND THE MASTER BLASTERS (TMB)

HECK: WHEN DID YOU START WRITING?

JOEY: I STARTED WRITING IN THE STREETS, BUSES AND ELSEWHERE IN 1972 AND ON THE TRAINS LATER IN 1976. IT WAS A SMOOTH TRANSITION. I MADE MY BONES IN THE BUS YARDS AND EASILY GRADUATED TO THE TRAIN YARDS.

HECK: WHAT NEIGHBORHOOD DID YOU START WRITING IN?

JOEY: I GUESS IT ALL STARTED FOR ME IN QUEENS, NEW YORK CITY. FROM THE MOMENT I COULD TRAVEL ALONE THOUGH, MY "NEIGHBORHOOD" WAS NYC...ALL OF IT; THE BRONX, BROOKLYN, MANHATTAN AND STATEN ISLAND. QUEENS WAS MY HOME BASE EVEN THOUGH I WAS BORN IN THE "MIGHTY-MIGHTY" BROOKLYN.

HECK: WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT THE HOOD?

RE: MORE THAN THE HOOD, I MISS THE TIMES. EVEN THOUGH LIFE COULD BE DIFFICULT AS IT IS FOR ANY TEENAGER, WHAT I MISS MOST IS THE INNOCENCE.

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

JOEY: THE SMELL AND THE SOUNDS. I'M NOT REFERRING TO MY STREET HITS. THOSE WERE REDIMENTARY AND THRILL-FILLED TOO, BUT I AM REFERRING TO MY FIRST HITS ON THE TRAINS. IT WAS AN ASSAULT ON ALL MY SENSES. IT BECAME A SMELL AND SOUND ADDICTION. I CAN STILL FEEL IT EVER TIME I TAKE A TRAIN IN NYC. I ALSO TOTALLY REMEMBER THE ADRENALINE FEELING OF "GETTING OVER". NOTHING LIKE IT! NO PLACE OR TIME COULD EVER REPLACE THAT.

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

JOEY: IN MY EYES, A LEGEND IS SOMETHING OR SOMEONE THAT HAS GAINED THE STATUS OF IMMORTALITY. THEY ARE UNFORGETTABLE. UNDENIABLE. TRADITION AND MEMORIES CONTRIBUTE TO LEGENDARY STATUS. TOO MANY GUYS WALK AROUND CALLING THEMSELVES LEGENDS OR KINGS; THAT DOESN'T MEAN A THING WHEN IT'S IN THEIR OWN MIND. LEGENDARY STATUS IS DETERMINED BY WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY AND RECALL ABOUT AN INDIVIDUAL. YOU DON'T NEED TO CALL YOURSELF "KING" OR A "LEGEND". OTHER PEOPLE WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT FOR You YOU IF YOU DESERVE IT.

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

JOEY: GOOD QUESTION. I THINK IT CHANGES OVER THE YEARS AND BY THE COURSE IT (YOUR GRAFF CAREER) TAKES. I THINK FOR ME IT WAS THE SO-CALLED "FAME". LET'S FACE IT...GRAFFITI GOT ME GIRLS. IT WAS ALSO A WAY OUT OF WHAT COULD BE AN OTHERWISE BORING LIFE. I ALREADY HAD SELF-RESPECT AND WASN'T CONCERNED WITH THAT OR SELF-ACHIEVEMENT IN GRAFFITI. IT WAS A KID'S GAME AND THAT'S WHERE IT WAS IMPORTANT. IF YOU ARE OVER YOUR TWENTIES AND STILL PRACTICING ILLEGAL GRAFFITI FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN SOMETHING THAT CAN BRING YOU CAPITALL, THEN YOU ARE TAKING FOOLISH RISKS.

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

JOEY: I AM DOING IT NOW. I HAVE EXPANDED TPA OR THE PUBLIC ANIMALS TO WORLDWIDE STATUS. IT IS THE LONGEST LASTING, OLDEST ACTIVE GRAFFITI CREW IN HISTORY. THAT SAYS IT ALL. BY EMBRACING AND FOSTERING THE TRUE TENETS OF WHAT GRAFFITI WAS, IS AND WILL BE, I AIM TO HELP OUR NOBLE STREET ART GAIN THE CREDIBILITY IT DESERVES. THE TRICK IS THAT WITH EACH NEW GENERATION, THERE ARE NEW ANGLES AND TECHNIQUES, NOT TO MENTION NEW SOCIAL PRESSURES AND DEMANDS. GRAFFITI HAS GROWN ON ITS OWN QUITE NICELY, AND DUE TO THE ADVANCED METHODS PRACTICED BY TODAY'S ARTISTS, IT HAS BECOME A GREAT WAY TO EXPRESS ARTISTIC NATURE AND IN SOME CASES, IT CAN BE DONE SO, QUITE PROFITABLY. I TRY TO MENTOR AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE quite profitably.

ON A MORE SOPHISTICATED BASIS, I HAVE CREATED AND PREPARED STREET LEVEL NINE AKA SL-9 FOR A SPRING 2008 LAUNCH AT THE MAGIC SHOW IN LAS VEGAS. IT IS A LIFESTYLE BRAND WITH ITS ROOTS IN TRADITIONAL MASS TRANSIT AND A NOD OF RESPECT TO THE GRAFFITI WORLD WHICH WILL ALWAYS BE IN MY BLOOD. STREET LEVEL NINE WILL BE MY HOMAGE TO THE RESPECTABILITY OF GRAFFITI AND WHAT IT CAN BE TO ASPRIRING YOUNG WRITERS. IT'S A SYMBOLIC RELATIONSHIP; GRAFFITI ALLOWED ME TO DISCOVER STREET LEVEL NINE AND STREET LEVEL NINE ALLOWS ME TO SHOW THE GOOD SIDE OF WHAT A GRAFFITI ARTIST CAN ACHIEVE.

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

JOEY: WELL, BACK IN 1971, THEY'RE SOME PEOPLE WHOM YOU WOULD NOT EVEN RECOGNIZE. PEEPS LIKE AMX, FILTER, MOSS-1, SHAZAM. MOST GUYS WILL TELL YOU IT WAS OTHER WRITERS THAT INFLUECED THEM. IN ADDITION TO THAT, FOR ME IT WAS ALSO THE GREAT COMIC BOOK AND MODERN ARTISTS. THE STAN LEES, PETER MAXXS, THE LETTER MASTERS THAT DID ALL THE SUNDAY FUNNIES AND I HAVE TO ABSOLUTELY MENTION THE GREAT UNDERGROUND ARTISTS LIKE ROBERT CRUMB AND BACK THEN, EVEN MATT GROENING (OF CONTEMPORY SIMPSON'S FAME) WAS COOL. HE USED TO DO A ONE-EARED RABBIT COLUMN IN THE VILLAGE VOICE.

HECK: HOW DID YOU LEARN TO WRITE?

JOEY: I GUESS THE WAY I STARTED WAS BY EMULATING THE LETTER-MASTERS FROM THE SUNDAY COMICS, MARVEL AND DC COMIC BOOKS AND THEN ONTO THE STYLE MASTERS FROM THE TRAINS BACK IN THE DAY. IN THE 1970'S, MAN, THOSE LETTERS WILL ALWAYS BE UNIQUE TO THE GRAFFITI STYLE.

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

JOEY: I GOT IT THE WAY ANY KID WOULD GET IT BACK IN THE DAY; I HAD STICKY FINGERS TRAINED AND SHARPENED BY YEARS OF PRACTICE. THE COOLEST DEAL WAS AT NESCOTT DRUG ON NORTHER BOULEVARD IN QUEENS WHERE THIS YOUNG FEMALE SEEMED TO LIKE ME WOULD TURN THE OTHER CHEEK WHILE I LOADED UP ON KRYLON AND RUSTO. WEEKS LATER, SHE WAS STILL TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK IF YOU GET MY DRIZZLE.

HECK: ANY FUNNY STORIES?

JOEY: SOME OF THE BEST STORIES WEREN'T ABOUT ACTUALLY DOING GRAFFITI. INSTEAD, IT WAS GRAFFITI THAT DID ME.

I WILL NEVER FORGET THE NIGHT FDT-56 AND I DECIDED TO GO TO BOND'S INTERNATIONAL. I GOT “F” TO GET DRESSED UP. HE WAS WEARING THESE CAPEZIOS OR SOME POINTY TOED SHOES, HAD HIS AFRO ALL PICKED OUT REAL HUGE, A NICE SHIRT WITH A GIANT COLLAR, AND SOME DOUBLE-KNIT SLACKS ON. HE WAS PIMPIN'! I HAD ON MY BLACK SUEDE SPECTATORS, SOME CAZALS, A SUEDE BUCKET-HAT, A KIANA SHIRT, A PINKY RING AND A WATCH. HERE WE ARE ON JAMAICA AVENUE, AT 10PM AND AS USUALL, I WAS CARRYING A BAG OF PAINT (DON'T ASK ME WHY), AND SOME MARKERS. WE PULLED OVER TO GET SOME BEERS AND AFTER WE GOT THE BEERS IN HIS CAR AND CLIMBED BACK IN, "F" TRIED STARTING THE JALAPY, BUT IT WOULDN'T TURN OVER. THERE WENT THE NIGHT AT BOND'S. MAN, LET ME TELL YOU...ASK ANYONE AND FIND OUT IF FDT-56 EVER WENT OUT TO CLUBS THAT OFTEN. "HELLLLL NO!"

“F” WAS THE SORT OF CAT THAT WOULD RATHER CHILL LOCAL AND GRAB A SMOKE, DRINK A "QT" AND JUST BE MELLOW, COPPING A FEW TAGS AND THAT WAS ENOUGHT. SO HERE WE ARE, ALL DRESSED UP AND NO PLACE TO GO THANKS TO THAT PIECE-OF-SHIT CAR HE HAD. I THOUGHT IT WAS A MIRACLE THAT I EVEN TALKED HIM INTO GOING TO A DISCO, AND HERE THE CAR WAS DEAD. FIGURES. ANYHOW, I'M LIKE, "FRANKIE, GOT A FEW CANS OF RUSTO HERE, LET'S AT LEAST DO SOMETHING".

WE GET BACK IN THE CAR, FIRE UP SOME DOOBS, GET WICKED BUZZED AND GET OUT AND START DOING SOME TOP-TO-BOTTOM OUTLINES ON SOME STORE-FRONT GATES ON JAMAICA AVENUE. I WOUND UP DOING ABOUT 10 OF THEM FOR 3 BLOCKS WHILE FRANKIE LOOKED AT ME AND KEPT SMOKING HIS DOOBIE. I WOUND UP DOING HIS FDT'S BUT I THINK HE LIKED THAT. HE THREW UP TWO. BY THE TIME WE WERE DONE, I LOOKED LIKE A WRITER AGAIN INSTEAD OF THE MACK-DADDY I LOOKED LIKE ONLY HALF AN HOUR EARLIER. FDT I THINK PREFERRED BEING IN HIS JEANS AND SWEATSHIRT ANYWAY. WE COULDN'T STOP LAUGHING AND WOUND UP WALKING TO SOME HUGE STREET JAM THAT NIGHT THAT WENT DOWN IN A PARK ON JAMAICA AVENUE. THERE WERE OVER 800 PEOPLE THERE FROM ALL OVER NYC. AFTER A SHOOT-OUT AND A POLIC RAID, WE SLIT. WE WERE LOOKING FLY AND THE NEXT DAY, OUT T TO B'S WERE FIGURING PRETTY PROMINENT IN THE HOOD. INSTANT FAME!

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

JOEY: BEEF SUCKS. NOTHING TO GET OFF MY CHEST AS ANYTHING THAT WAS EVER THERE WAS HANDLED NEARLY 30 YEARS AGO. NOWADAYS, TPA ACTS AS A FEDERATION TO UNIFY CREWS. IN THE WORLD OF GRAFFITI TODAY, WE NEED MORE COLLABORATIONS INSTEAD OF DEVISIVENESS. BEEF? TAT'S KIDS STUFF...EGO OVER WALLS AND PAINT IS JUST PLAIN DUMB AND A WASTE OF TIME.

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

JOEY: IF THEY'RE 12 TO 17, I WOULD SAY PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. GET A MENTOR AND ASK QUESTIONS. KNOW YOUR HISTORY. 18-24? I WOULD SAY EITHER GET SERIOUS AND DECIDE IF THIS IS A COMMERCIAL VENTURE OR JUST A JOBBY. 25 AND ABOVE? EITHER YOU'RE NUTS OR DEFINATELY KNOW WHAT THE HELL YOU'RE DOING; WHAT ADVICE I GIVE A 30-50 YEAR OLD MAN WHO WRITES ON WALLS, EXCEPT TO STAY OUT OF JAIL.

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

JOEY: I WOULD RATHER PEOPLE NOT REMEMBER ME JUST YET; I'M NOT DEAD. I USE MY INFLUENCE TO PROMOTE AND FOSTER UNITY, WORLD COLLABORATION, AND RESPECT FOR THE GRAFFITI MOVEMENT AS A WHOLE. TEACH THE YOUNG TO KNOW THEIR HISTORY AND THE OLD TO RESPECT THE NEW-JACKS. GRAFFITI IS AN ART, NT A CRIME, BUT YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHEN TO PLAY AND WHEN NOT TO PLAY. IT NEEDS TO GROW AND BE RECOGNIZED EVEN MORE. THERE ARE TOO MANY GOOD GUYS OUT THERE THAT DO GOOD THINGS NOT TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR TALENTS. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO BE RECKONED WITH AS A GUY THAT HELD IT DOWN FOR TPA - THE PUBLIC ANIMALS, THE GRANDEST AND LONGEST LASTING GRAFFITI CREW IN HISTORY, 30 YEARS OLD THIS 2007 AND STILL ACTIVE IN OVER 13 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE.

HECK: SHOUT OUTS?

JOEY: DEFINATELY. TO VADE (RIP, DEMO, ALL THE GUYS AND GIRLS I PARTIED AND BOMBED WITH, ALL THE CREWS I SUPPORTED AND WHO SUPPORTED ME OVER THE YEARS, AND TO EVERY SINGLE GRAFFITI WRITER ON EARTH; PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE. YOU WERE AND ARE THE GUYS AND GIRLS THAT CARRY THE EVERLASTING TORCH OF ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE ART-STYLES KNOWN TO MAN. I SALUTE YOU. of one of the most unique art-styles known to man.

I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT SINCE I QUIT WRITING BACK IN 1981, I HAVE ENCOUNTERED A NEW BREED OF WRITER AND HAVE YET TO REALLY SEE ANY OF THEM HAVE A BAD THING TO SAY. THEY ALL SEEM TO BE VERY RESPECTFUL, EXTREMELY CURIOUS TO LEARN AND EAGER TO KNOW THE HISTORY, YET PRACTICE THE STYLES, SKILLS AND CRAFT THAT THEY KNOW IN TODAY'S AGE. I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT TODAY'S GRAFFITI WRITER IS AN OVERALL COOL PERSON. HE OR SHE COMES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD AND THEY ALL SEEM TO REALIZE THAT THE GRAFFITI THEY LOVE HAS IT'S ROOTS IN NYC LORE AND MYSTICISM.

HECK: FINAL THOUGHTS?

JOEY: YES. FIRST, I WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO DELIVER THESE QUESTIONS TO ME. I ALSO WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I THINK THAT YOU ARE DOING A GREAT SERVICE TO ALL HIP-HOP PEOPLE ON THE PLANET BY HELPING TO KEEP THIS ART FORM ALIVE AND WELL. BY MAKING PEOPLE MORE AWARE OF ALL THE DELICATE INTRICACIES THAT SURROUND THIS WONDERFUL PLATFORM OF OURS, YOU HELP TO EDUCATE EVERYONE. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE WORLD OF GRAFFITI UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE IT'S ORIGINS AND PROGRESS. THIS WILL TAKE IT OUT OF THE "UNDERGROUND" STATUS THAT HAS HELD IT BACK FOR SO LONG. I PERSONALLY LIKE THE UNDERGROUND FEEL, BUT I ALSO REALIZE THAT IN TODAY'S WORLD, THAT IS A THING OF THE PAST. BACK THEN, WE DID IT FOR FUN AND IT WAS PART OF THE GROWING MOVEMENT OF HIP-HOP ANOTHER FORM OF REVOLUTION, POST-60'S. TODAY, IT'S MORE COMMERCIAL AND THAT'S GOOD TOO. ALL THINGS MUST GROW AND CHANGE. THANK YOU FOR THAT AND MUCH RESPECT TO YOU FOR THE WORK.

SECOND, GET READY TO CHECK OUT THE STREET LEVEL NINE (SL-9) BRANDS THAT WILL BE LAUNCHED AT THE LAS VEGAS MAGIC SHOW IN THE SPRING OF 2008. THE LINES WILL HIT IN THE FALL OF '08 AND IS BASED ON MASS TRANSIT. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO GIVE A NOT OF RESPECT TO ALL THE PEOPLE THAT MADE IT HAPPEN. TPA PRODUCTIONS, LLC HAS COME A LONG WAY AND WILL CONTINUE TO STRIVE TOWARDS THE GOAL IT ALWAYS HAD; BRINGING HEADS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TOGETHER IN THE TPA NATION! PEACE!

Thanks for taking time to check out the site. Here you will find pics of names you know and names you don't. I just want to thank all those who have sent in pictures, and played a key role in contributing to the site. Hope you enjoy it!