INTERVIEW BY HECKSTAR

HECK: HOW DID YOU GET YOUR NAME/TAG?

RD: I WROTE '2 ROB' WHEN ESP WAS THE CREW....THEN I WROTE "REDO", BUT I WANTED A TAG I COULD GO OFF ON THE INSIDES OF THE IRT'S WITH SOMETHING SHORT, SO I USED RD. IT WAS TWO GOOD LETTERS IF I EVER WANTED TO DO A BURNER.....BUT I REALLY ONLY DID BIG ASS BLOCKBUSTER WHOLE CARS. I ALWAYS STAYED AWAY FROM THE REAL WILD STYLES BECAUSE I FELT IT TOOK TOO LONG TO READ WHEN THE TRAINS PULLED INTO STATIONS, SO I DID CLEAR AS HELL TYPEWRITER STYLE LETTERS....

HECK: WHAT CREWS DO YOU PUSH?

RD: I ONLY PUSH 357....I WAS PUT DOWN WITH A LOT OF CREWS, BUT NEVER FELT THEY FIT ME...PLUS WITH ALL THE WAR I HAD, ME PUSHING ANOTHER CREW WOULD ONLY GET THAT OTHER CREW CROSSED OUT.

HECK: WHEN DID YOU START WRITING?

RD: I STARTED WRITING RD LATE 1983.

HECK: WHAT NEIGHBORHOOD DID YOU START WRITING IN?

RD: I WAS INTO TRAINS, BUT ALWAYS CAUGHT TAGS IN MANHATTAN.

HECK: IN TODAY'S DAY WE HAVE THE INTERNET TO SEE PICTURES, BUT FOR THOSE THAT WERE NOT THERE TO EXPERIENCE THE TRAIN ERA, CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT IT WAS LIKE?

RD: ...IT WAS LIKE BEING IN HELL AND LOVING IT...THATS FOR ME BECAUSE I ALWAYS WENT AGAINST THE GRAIN...MOST WRITERS HAD IT EASY BECAUSE THEY WERE FOLLOWERS....

HECK: RD, DESCRIBE HOW YOU FELT TO HAVE A TOP TO BOTTOM WHOLE CAR RUNNING

RD: ...IN 1986 I HAD LIKE 8 OF THEM RUNNING ON DIFFERENT LINES...THEY DIDN'T LAS LONG WITH ALL THE BEEF AND SHIT, BUT EVEN AFTER THEY GOT CROSSED OUT AND THE WINDOWS WERE BUFFED IT STILL SAID RD...BECAUSE IT'S 2 HUGE ASS LETTERS TAKING UP THE WHOLE CAR....

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

RD: NN, TRACY 168, SADE TCM, TKID, BAN2 OTB, LACE, ESP 357...

HECK: CAN YOU NAME SOME OF THE ORIGINATORS BEFORE YOU THAT MAY HAVE INFLUENCED YOU?

RD: BAN2 OTB, ELKEY, JAM2, TRACY168, KM, RUSH MPC, DUEL, FED5, SWAN TVS, AND BENO TVS.

HECK: YOU'VE SEEN A LOT OF WRITERS COME AND GO..WHO ARE SOME OF THE MOST UNDERATED/OVERATED ONES IN YOUR OPINION?

RD: I MYSELF AM UNDERATED, BUT I LIKE THAT (BEING IN THE SHADOWS)...COPE2 IS OVERATED BEING HE LIVES IN THE SPOTLIGHT.

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

RD: ...I WAS FORCED TO GO TO TUNNELS AND WATCH OUT FOR THE OLDER CATS WHEN I DIDN'T EVEN WRITE...LACE 357, MY BROTHER SUPER, SHAUN SD, ESP 357

HECK: HOW DID IT FEEL TO WALK INTO THOSE TUNNELS OR TRAIN YARDS? ANY CRAZY OR FUNNY STORIES?

RD: ....IT WAS THE BASIC STORIES OF GETTING THE UPPER HAND ON WRITERS, ROBBING THEIR PAINT, DOING INSIDES AND OUTSIDES...I GUESS HAVIN' SEX IN THE 6 TRAIN LAYUP WITH A GIRL FROM MY HOOD IS ONE OF MY FUNNEST RECOLECTIONS.

HECK: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND GRAFF AND WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU?

RD: I HONESTLY DON'T CARE TO FILL SOME REGULAR JOE IN ON GRAFFITIi. THEY EITHER GET IT OR THEY DON'T...I LEAVE THAT TO THE GRAFFITI MEDIA WHORES WHO SPREAD THEIR LIES FOR MONEY.

HECK: HOW DID YOU DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS?

RD: MY STYLE IS DEVELOPED FOR SPEED AND MY MOVEMENTS ARE NOT SO DRASTIC AS TO BE ABLE TO GET MY TAGS AROUND WITHOUT GETTIN' CAUGHT...IT SEEMS TO HAVE WORKED BEING I NEVER EVER BEEN ARRESTED FOR GRAFFITI IN MY LIFE, BUT I GUESS IT'S KIND OF SLOPPY AND TOY LOOKING, BUT IT'S EVERYWHERE IN MANHATTAN.

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

RD: NAH, NO RACKING STORIES, BUT UP TILL 1990 I'VE BEEN BUYING MY PAINT BUT STEELING THE MONEY TO BUY THE PAINT.

HECK: BEEF: YOU'VE SEEN SO MANY WARS AND HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THEM AS WELL..NAME SOME OF THE NOTABLE ONES AND WHAT ARE SOME CRAZY STORIES....ANYTHING YOU WANT TO GET OFF YOUR CHEST?

RD: ....I LOVED THE TMR/357 WAR THE BEST BECAUSE TMR WAS NOT HAVING IT AND WE WAS NOT HAVING IT..A LOT OF CUTS AND SCRAPES ON BOTH ENDS...MUCH RESPECT TO THEM.

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

RD: ...DON'T FUCK WITH MY SHIT.

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

RD: RDRDRDRDRDRDRDRDRDRDRDRD THE LONGEST RUNNING KING OF THE CITY.

HECK: SHOUT OUTS?

RD: ...TO MY 357....MOST AND FOREMOST TO RE, SOEL, CHEM...THEY REAL STRAIGHT SHOOTERS AND I WOULD GO TO WAR FOR EITHER ONE OF THEM IN A HEART BEAT AS THEY HAVE PROVED THEY WOULD DO THE SAME FOR ME...I LOVE YOU FUCKING GUYS...THE REST OF MY CREW IS A BUNCH OF LAZY ASS BUMS LOL LOL, BUT THEY KNOW I LOVE THEIR LAZY GROWN UP ASSES.

HECK: FINAL THOUGHTS?

RD: GRAFFITI WRITERS OUT THERE AINT WALKING RIGHT. THEY WALKING SIDEWAYS LIKE CRABS...THEY ALL ON THIS "HE SAID, SHE SAID" BULLSHIT LIKE A BUNCH OF OLD LADIES IN A FUCKING LAUNDRY MAT...RATTING ON EACH OTHER TO GET OUT OF FUCKING COMMUNITY SERVICE...REAL BITCH SHIT...CAN'T TRUST ANY OF THEM...I TELL MY YOUNG GENERATION TO AVOID THESE TACTICS IN THIS GAME...ALL YOU HAVE ARE YOUR UPS/STYLE/HONOR...DON'T EVER DO ANYTHING TO COMPROMISE HOW YOUR PEEPZ VIEW YOU...TO ALWAYS STAY IN THE SHADOWS..NO BRAGGING...WE NEVER GET CAUGHT AND IF FOR SOME REASON SOMEONE FROM MY CREW GETS POPPED BY VANDAL SQUAD, THEY CAN'T WRITE FOR 5 YEARS AND ARE ASKED TO STEP DOWN UNTILL STATUE LIMITATIONS WEARS OUT OR THEY MUST LEAVE THE CREW...THIS NEVER SITS WELL WITH WRITERS WHEN THAT DAY COMES AND THEY ARE IGNORED...THEY GET DISGRUNTLED AND LASH OUT AGAINST ME, BUT HEY, IT'S A RULE MADE AND UNDERSTOOD FROM THE BEGINING...SO FUCK THEM...WE RUN A TIGHT SHIP...WE DON'T CHILL WITH WRITERS WHO'VE BEEN COMPROMISED BY VANDAL SQUAD....IF I CAN AVOID THIS VANDAL SQUAD SHIT FOR OVER 27 YEARS WITH MY HEAVY HITTING, I'M SURE MY WHOLE CREW CAN...AND IF NOT, THEY SHOULD NOT BE INVOLVED WITH US...THIS IS NOT NEGOTIABLE..IT'S ETCHED IN STONE..NO IF'S AND'S OR BUT'S ABOUT IT...THIS RULE IS IMPORTANT, IF NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE EVER....

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!