Back when “street wear” still meant LEE jeans with a piece you painted in acrylics down the leg, I started airbrushing T’s and sweatshirts. First in Newark NJ, on Halsey St. and Market, apprenticing under TOO SWEET HAKIM and REVENGE V.O.S. (R.I.P.). Eventually, I moved my show down to the Fulton Flea Market in Downtown Brooklyn. I did shirts for everyone from BIZ MARKIE, the Real Roxanne, JUST-ICE and DMX (the original DMX, who was JUST’s beatbox) to the infamous drug dealers of Ft.Greene like Killer Ben and Fiddy Cent.
Here is an early example of work for a client from the JBC crew (whatever that was) which would have cost about $45. I used to make a few hundred a day, which was living pretty large in 85. Now, I know what you’re thinking “85? But it says 1986 right on the shirt!” See, back then we were futuristic (unlike today when every thing wants to be 1977) If you see a photo of a whole-car burner that says 80 on it, I guarantee you it was painted in 1979. It was like a race to beat everyone to next year. “Check it, I got that 198SIX shit, Yo!”
Posted by Keo on July 24, 2009 at 05:44 PM
