Done One Interview @149st

DONE ONE INTERVIEW

©2002, 2003 @149st Do not republish without permission.

Where and what year did you start writing on trains?
I started writing DE, DONE-ONE on trains in 1980 before that I was doing a lot of black books, street bombing and subway stations.

Did you have a particular inspiration or mentor?
My true inspirations came from the pieces on the trains that rolled by when I benched at 125th street elevated station. Crews like " First Generation: TSF", TMT, MTA, TDS "gave me that edge to paint". My mentors were the first generation of TS5 and STAN-ONE who was definitely a motivator "to staying fresh."

What lines have you hit?
The main line I hit was the 1s. (Broadway line) but sometimes I would catch some 2s and 3s at the Ghost Yard or on the downtown side of 145th Street lay-up or the middle track from 103rd to 116th Street.

What borough are you originally from?
I was from Tieman Place on 125th Street, uptown Manhattan.

What crews have you written for?
In the early '80s STAN put me down with TS5 (The Spanish Five). So I was hitting that up with "no mercy." I also hit up WAR crew (Writers Already Respected) then TMT, OTB, AW and CYA. I still hit up TSF today and now CAC (Cool Art Creators) which PRIZ-ONE/PRISM who is presently the third vice prez of TSF put me down with.

Who was your most successful partner?
My first and most successful partner was STAN-ONE because of his drive and creativity. I can still remember when we were planning something big the night before; we would always bounce ideas, styles and themes off one another. "The man was always on point!" After I had a long night of clubbing, this cat would come over my crib early Sunday morning and drag me out of bed just to go to the yards.

How did you get your name?
I guess you get a name or nickname if you are good or known for something or do it repetitively. In my case I had a lot of girl friends back in those days and when I broke up with one I was through with them or in my case "done" with them. "Don't call" "don't come around!" "We're done!" I guess the name stuck.

List all the other names under which you are known?
I only hit up DONE-ONE and DE (abbreviated) with my small "d" and "DE's" on the outsides with throw-ups and tags.

Did you prefer hitting exteriors or interiors?
I preferred hitting the outsides with burners "panel pieces" (window downs), throw-ups, "top to bottoms" and "married couples" when we had paint. Sometimes when there were cars with clean insides which was rare at 145th Street, I would open up the cars with my IRT keys and get loose with original Rusto Flat black, Flow master/Marsh ink and homemade eraser jammies on the head boards and ceilings.

Do you have any good raid stories?
Yeah, I remember one incident on a Saturday night in the Ghost Yard...STAN and I were doing a window down, stretchy married couple in the last set toward the water while the rest of the crew MON, FRESCA-5000, MANIA and ADROC 2 were doing insides. Someone suggested that we have a race to some imaginary finish line, not on the tracks but on the top of the trains from one set to another! I looked at STAN and we put our cans down and climbed up on one of the cars and it was on! We ran from one train to another to the last set and back laughing and out of breath. Anyone seeing us would of thought we were wasted or lit up.

Well some yo yo must of thought just that because the 5-O's showed up and joined us in our race. We were jumping by one another so fast we didn't know the cops were below us. We couldn't tell the cops from TSF till the flashing lights and sirens came on. "The race was over!" "No one made it to the invisible finish line!" The other half of TSF that didn't join the race were long gone and the few that remained including us jumped down from the roof of the trains and out the fence into the street and scrambled. Till today, STAN and I still dispute who won that race. I say I did, he disagrees. I know the 5-O's definitely didn't!

How did you become a part of TS5?
One afternoon after school, I was introduced to STAN who had mad ups all over the neighborhood in red Rusto. He had already been made prez of TSF by DJ OC aka Oscar from the "Fearless Four." and LEO. Later I found out he lived down the block from me. So we linked up and starting writing together. I soon became the first vice prez of TS5.

Did you meet many members of first generation TS5?
Yeah, we all lived in the same building and knew one another First Generation TSF: FED, RATE125 and LEO. The funny thing in those days were that writers were real low key in regards to their activities, so when you were introduced to a writer that guy was usually your neighbor who you saw on a daily basis.

Are you currently involved in art in any form?
Once in a while I still do my thing! I've done a few productions with STAN aka RS and PRIZ aka PRISM aka SWAN-ONE who back in the days was in high school with me. He brought STAN out of retirement and STAN in turn brought me back.

Any closing words?
I'm happy to have contributed something to the graffiti movement that has come "back and beyond" and is still spinning its wheels. I still remember the preparations, late night painting missions, early picture patrols and the beefs. Old paper label Krylon. Those colors: Aqua Turquoise, Jungle Green and Pastel Aqua. All those things that existed hand in hand to create something that many people at that time wish they could do but didn't have the balls to do it.

Much respect to "Shades of Grey Hall of Fame" and to my bro STAN, PRIZ, first and second generation TSF members who never really got the recognition they deserved. "My brothers know who they are!" "We" The Spanish Five were definitely a major force from the 1970s-1983 on the Broadway number 1s. The attitude was "We Roc!" and we did just that! Writers either hated us or wanted to be part of us. In my opinion, anything or anyone after that was irrelevant.

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