INTERVIEW BY HECKSTAR

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

RISE: I WRITE RISE...THERE WAS THIS WRITER THAT USED TO LIVE AROUND MY COUSIN'S OLD NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WROTE RINSE. I USED TO SEE IT ALL THE TIME WHEN MY MOM AND I WENT TO GO VISIT MY AUNT, SO WHEN I WAS FORCED TO CHANGE MY TAG DUE TO LEGAL ISSUES FROM MY OLD JR. HS, AND A POSSIBLE ASS WHIPPEN FROM MY MOM..I CHANGED IT TO RISE..

HECK: WHAT CREWS DO YOU PUSH?

RISE: I MAINLY THROW UP KOA, BBK AND SIC..BUT TO HONOR MY FALLEN COMRADS I THROW UP TPA AND WTO..I THROW UP FTR HERE AND THERE, AND WHEN EVER I DROP A PEICE OR 2 SHOW RESPECT TO ONE OF MY INFLUENCES..I ALSO THROW UP CWK UTW STF TEAM W2D BSK..I MEAN THEY'RE TOO MANY TO MENTION..

HECK: WHEN DID YOU START WRITING?

RISE: I STARTED PHYSICALLY WRITING AROUND 89/90 WHEN I WAS ABOUT 12/13YRS OLD..I CAUGHT MY FIRST TAG AROUND THAT AGE..

HECK: WHAT NEIGHBORHOOD DID YOU START WRITING IN?

RISE: I LIVED IN RIDGEWOOD QUEENS AT THE TIME..I'M ORIGINALLY NOT FROM QUEENS OR BROOKLYN, WE MOVED AROUND A LOT AND LIVED IN A FEW DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS AND BOROS..BUT I DO REP BROOKLYN BECAUSE WE'VE LIVED THERE LONGER..BUSHWICK, EAST NY, BROWNSVILLE, BEDSTUY AND SUNSET PARK..

HECK: WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT THE HOOD?

RISE: I DON'T MISS TOO MUCH BECAUSE LIKE I SAID WE MOVED AROUND A LOT, BUT IF I HAD TO SAY THEN THAT WOULD BE RIDING THE TRAINS.

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

RISE: WHEN I THINK BACK ITS ALMOST LIKE BUSTING A NUT...I WAS SHIT SCARED WITH BUTTERFLIES IN MY GUT AND I WAS ANXIOUS TO GET IT DONE, I WAS WITH A FRIEND AT THE TIME WHO USED TO WRITE AND WE WENT TO THE METRO MALL FREIGHTS (IT WAS CALLED TSS AT THE TIME) AND I DID MY FIRST FILL ON A FREIGHT TRAIN..

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

RISE: AWE MAN...I CONSIDER A LEGEND TO BE SOMEONE WHO POSESSES ALL ASPECTS OF A WRITER: A DOPE HAND STYLE, A DOPE FILLIN STYLE AND A WICKED PEICING/BURNER STYLE, ALONG WITH DOING IT FOR YEARS AND KILLING SHIT AND BEING CONSISTENT..I MEAN THE ONLY ONE THAT STICKS OUT IN MY MIND IS PG3..

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

RISE: WHEN I THINK BACK I DON'T THINK IT WAS ANY OF THE ABOVE..I THINK IT WAS MORE FOR A SENSE OF BELONGING AND ACCEPTANCE..

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

RISE: YOU CAN'T REALLY MAKE PEOPLE RESPECT GRAFF, TO THE MASSES IT'S BAD, IT'S ILLEGAL..YOU CAN'T MAKE PEOPLE RESPECT SOMETHING THAT'S ILLEGAL..

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

RISE: WELL THAT'S AN INTERESTING STORY, THE ONES WHO HAVE INFLUENCED ME TO WRITE HAS TO BE BLONE, DORO WDD TMR and WEP YB

HECK: HOW DID YOU LEARN TO WRITE?

RISE: AWE MAT THAT'S A HARD QUESTION..I DON'T THINK WE PHYSICALLY LEARN IT, I THINK I JUST SAW THE WRITINGS ON THE WALLS AND BENT MY HEAD IN EVERY DIRECTION TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT SAID AND RECREATING WHAT I SAW AND APPLIED IT TO MY OWN STYLE, BUT ONE THING IS FOR SURE IT TOOK MANY, MANY YEARS AND COUNTLESS TIMES BEING CALLED A TOY AND YOUR SHIT IS WACK THAT REALLY MOTIVATED ME TO GET BETTER AND EVEN NOW I'M STILL IMPROVING..I MEAN I DON'T HAVE THE BEST HAND STYLE IN THE GAME BUT IT GETS ME BY AND I'M OKAY WITH IT..I CAN'T COUNT HOW MANY BLACKBOOKS I'VE HAD OVER THE YEARS, DOZENS I'VE LENT OUT AND NEVER GOT BACK AND DOZENS LOANED TO ME AND I NEVER GAVE BACK...I SKETCH EVERYDAY..IT'S LIKE MY HEROIN..I HAVE TO SKETCH. IF I DON'T, I GET MOODY AND IRRITABLE..

HECK: HOW DO YOU GET YOUR PAINT?

RISE: WELL I USED TO GET MY PAINT FROM MY UNCLE'S TOOL CLOSET IN THE BASEMENT OF THE BUILDING THAT I LIVED IN, MY UNCLE OWNED THE BUILDING SO I HAD EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO THE BASEMENT...WHEN I GOT BAGGED TAKING HIS PAINT HE TRIED TO BREAK MY ASS BUT MY MOM WASN'T HAVING IT...WHEN I COULDN'T GET PAINT FROM MY UNCLE ANY MORE, I USED TO JUMP TO THE BACKYARD OF MY NEIGHBORS AND OPEN THEIR CELLAR DOORS AND LOOK FOR PAINT. SURPRISINGLY ENOUGH EVERY BASEMENT I BROKE INTO HAD A LOT OF PAINT, I THINK I HIT EVERY HOUSE ON MY SIDE OF THE STREET, BUT EVENTUALLY THAT GOT BLOWN UP..SO LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, I HAD TO GET MY PAINT THE OLD FASHION WAY, DOWN THE PANTS, UP THE SLEEVE, DUFFLE BAG, SCHOOL BAG, U NAME IT...

HECK: ANY FUNNY STORIES?

RISE: THEIR ARE A TON OF FUNNY STORIES MAN. I GOT A FUNNY RACK STORY..ME AND NAT WENT RACKING ALL OVER THE CITY AND I TOOK HIM TO ONE OF MY DOWN LOW RACKS..WOOLWORTH ON BROADWAY ACROSS FROM WOODHULL HOSPITAL. THEY WERE GOING OUT OF BUSINESS AND I WENT IN FIRST AND BODY RACKED ABOUT 12 CANS, THEN NAT WENT IN AND CAME OUT WITH ABOUT THE SAME.. SO WE STASHED WHAT WE HAD AND WE BOTH WENT BACK IN TOGETHER TO TAKE THE WHOLD STOCK..NAT STOLE A DUFFLE BAG AND I WAS LOOKING OUT AND NAT GOT BUSY. HE OPENED THE CASE AND STUFFED THE DUFFLE BAG TILL IT COULDN'T CLOSE. THE BODY RACKED AND I BODY RACKED TOO. NAT LEANED OVER TO PUT THE GLASS BACK ON THE CASE AND HE DROPPED THE GLASS AND IT SHATTERED ALL OVER THE PLACE. WE FROZE FOR A SECOND AND THOUGHT IT WAS OVER FOR US, BUT NO ONE CAME...SO WE WALKED OUT STUFFED WITH PAINT, LAUGHING AND GIGGLING AND WHEN WE GOT TO THE EXIT, THE SECURITY GUARD LOOKED AT US BOTH UP AND DOWN AND SMILED AND OPENED THE DOOR FOR US TO LEAVE..WE MUST HAVE BAGGED ABOUT 75 CANS JUST FROM WOOLWORTH ALONE THAT DAY...

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

RISE: I DON'T WORRY ABOUT BEEF, I CAN HANDLE MY BUSINESS, BUT I'M TOO OLD FOR THAT NONSENSE..I'LL LEAVE THAT TO THE KIDS AND THE INTERNET GANGSTERS...

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

RISE: ADVISE? SHIT..IF YOU THINKING ABOUT GETTING INTO GRAFF, IT AINT WORTH IT FOR REAL..CHOOSE ANOTHER HOBBY CUS THIS SHIT WILL CONSUME YOU AND TAKE OVER YOUR LIFE..FOR THE VET'S, IT'S BEEN A GREAT RIDE AND A GREAT EXPIRIENCE AND IT AINT OVER CUZ YOU 30 PLUS...

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

RISE: BEING REMEMBERED IN THE GRAFF WORLD IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE IF YOU'RE NOT FROM THE TRAIN ERA, AND I AM NOT FROM THE TRAIN ERA..I REALLY HAVEN'T GONE ALL CITY OR BEEN CONSISTENT OVER THE YEARS DUE TO PERSONAL ISSUES, BUT IT WOULD BE COOL FOR FUTURE WRITERS TO SEE MY FADED TAGS OR WHEN I CATCH A NEW TAGE OR A FILLIN HERE AND THERE, SAY "HEY I REMEMBER HIM"... FOR ME THAT WOULD BE A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT...

HECK: SHOUT OUTS?

RISE: SHOUT TO YOU HECK AND THE GRAFFSTARS STAFF..AND A BIG RIP TO VE, PG3, ORO AND ASP

HECK: FINAL THOUGHTS?

RISE: YEAH MAN, THANKS FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY MAN...GRAFF AINT LIKE WHAT IT USED TO BE EVEN FOR MY GENERATION...NOW IT'S REALY BULLSHIT..YOU CATCH A BID FOR BOMBING..RESPECT TO THE OLDSKOOL AND THE ONES THAT DID IT BIG...

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!