INTERVIEW: CRIS MSG KOI 28 2DX

What up man, thanks for the love, lets start off by letting the people know who you are and what crews you rep?

Yo, whats up? I write CRIS1 and I represent MSG, KOI, 28 and 2DX crews.

When did you start writting and how did you get your name?

well im not gonna bullshit and say ive been doing graffiti since the 90s or for 20 years cause i picked up a marker and wrote in my elementary school bathroom. although i did start writing on shit in 5th grade, i really started getting around and catchin tags in early 2002. everyone went through several names until they finally stuck with one or were given one. i dont know why but i just decided to write my name. i mean its how everyone knows me and its so common thats it kinda hard to pinpoint, in fact ive heard some crazy shit about cops askin people whove been caught or whatever, if theyre me.

How about your crews, how did you get into those?

i got into 2DX basically through Ifuk. Its a New York based crew and he is down with the prez Dek (from nyc). unlike some people in MSG, i became KOI after i was already in. I used to work with and around Sefer and for two years we were oblivious about our personal lives. we discovered eachother at the grand opening of Culture Kings and we started hangin more, although i was already down with all the people in the crews; i wasnt crew yet. i met Doper and after some time i got put down in MSG, then Doper put me down with KOI. later on i wanted to be down in 28, and ive always had shit easy, never really worked too hard to be down or have things, but for 28… shit, the King Orange had put in work.

Who were some of the writters and crews that influnced you when you were coming up?

When i started comin up, like really starting to get influenced, it was by my crews now and people in em. i used to say, Im gonna be MSG one day and low and behold here i am. one of my early and very important influences was Atomik and Quake when i met em at a pro am jam. they gave me very positive/constructive feedback, which back then was a big deal cause i looked up to them and had no idea who they were. i also met Junk at that jam. Junk has a major part in my success as a writer, well him and Rekal. they taught me almost everything it takes to be a well rounded writer, mentally and especially how i express my style; basically foundation. later on i fed off of and learned a lot from Sefer. there are still writers i feed off of and learn from because although ive been painting for a bit, im still a student and will always be a student. MSG, TSC, FDC, VOR for always goin big on spots, STV for straight letter simples and highway signs.

What part of Miami do you rep? Also, what are some of your favorite parts or spots of Dade to paint? 

i dont really rep a certain part, just miami in general. ill tell you my least favorite is downtown, but ive always dug spots that can be seen from the rail. i like to paint anywhere i can get away with it, and even where i think i cant or wont.

Would you Rather peice or bomb? Ive seen your stuff on trains to canvases whats your favorite thing to paint?

i love to bomb shit, thats why i started. i dislike following order and laws, im a Criminal Mischief type of guy. even though piecing is fun and an important part of being a well rounded writer, but i prefer to go rock some illegal shit with big bold letters and using stolen paint is a must. my favorite thing to paint is probably transit. the feeling you get when painting a train is like no other. cold steel for real!

What’s your favorite paint to use? back in the days and now?

my favorite paint to use was rusto and the non watery krylons. i still love rusto, and when i can get my hands on the ones with the old valve system, i feel at home. as far as ‘made for graffiti paint’, mtn hardcore is my number 1, basically cause its not too low pressure, which is a bombers favorite cause it doesnt take 50 30 minute strokes to finish one letter. even for piecing, cause i learned with high pressure cans and you had to outline or fill quick or else… drips. then there are the other paints, i really dig Clash paint too.

What Music do you jam to while painting?

is that a trick question? haha i never listen to music when i paint, mostly cause i barely paint legal shit. gotta keep my senses working always. when i do paint with music its almost always Gang Starr, Wu, Nas, Rakim, Common, Krs, Big L… you get the point, pandora has my taste on lock

What’s the best spot you’ve hit?

Depends on what best is. right now the best spot i have running that i agree with is one you can see off the rail. but i think the best spots are the ones that put my name in the news, so highway signs i guess?

Have you painted outside of Florida, if so wheres the best places you’ve painted?

yes, i painted in Louisville and Boston, both really dope places. Louisville cause it was so calm and i love that place, it has a special place in my heart, but Boston. shit, i loved painting there, mainly cause if youre not from there, who gives a shit? youre goin home eventually. the whole city is dope to begin with, and theres a lot of dope history and writers from there.

Do you perfer the traditional NY shit or the wildstyle Cali shit?

wildstyle is cool, but i like my graffiti with letters. then again if you ask older writer what wild style means to them, its totally different. some of the old cali styles are similar to old miami styles too, but i like what its evolved to. some foundation but also breakin rules.

Have you been roped? if so, how?

yeah i got roped for graff related shit several times as a teenager. but the one that hit me the hardest was when the Kgu got me, i got ratted on. so when they caught up with me, they came at me calling me by my full name. i took the fall for a few of my boys and their shit, you wouldnt believe the shit you find out about people from cops how many people roll over.  nothings confidential.

Any good chase stories you’d like to share?

so last year during basel, a few of us were walkin down north miami ave, bombing shit. then this one guy whos not from this city ends up in the back seat of the cop car that pulled up on us, by then were like wtf!? the cop then goes ‘freeze or you motherfuckers are goin to jail. guess who didnt freeze? This dude Tesoe runs down the block, i take my glove off and run in what i though was a good alley with two other homies whom i doubt wanna be put out there. whatever i asked if they were gonna run and they said no so i was like yeah, fuck that im fuckin outta here! but this wall was in the way and i was sort of drunk too. so this walls in my way but im like shit, im goin for it, as i start climbing it starts crumbling and i got over, in through some construction site and out. i walked down the block and this nigga Tesoe starts yelling ‘yo!’, i was like where is this guy? then he got up from laying next to a homeless person and puts his shoes on and we got away. so one homie got roped, one kicked in the face and the outta town kid got jacked for his loot by the pig. fuck cops!

What do you think of the graff scene on the internet? 

well when i started, graffiti was already on the internet but it was still like a magazine or whatever, you couldnt or didnt have the resources to put your shit online so if you did, it was a big deal. you couldnt upload to some blog cause most people still didnt have computers, scanners and much less digital cameras and smart phones werent even a question. shit was still somewhat underground and it was hard to meet writers and there were myths and crazy made up stories about writers. now any toy knows some dope writer cause he met em at art basel or creepishly added them on facebook. other than that it has helped writers unite easier and helped expose shit to the masses, some positive and some negative.

Thought’s on Art Basel?

i hate hipsters and yuppies and every fuckin person riding their fixie bike stamping lame stickers on shit claiming to be down. fuck stencils and street art, fuckin wannabe ass posers tryna be down with our culture wheat pasting over writers. go back to texas. only steers and queers come from texas!  niggas hate on writers cause they bomb shit but want us in their galleries mannnnn!  the only positive is getting to meet other writers from around the way and to some, the exposure. also, all these wynwood only bombers who come out, fuck you guys! seasonal ass niggas. i sound like the mad rapper. Cris the mad graffer, minus the jealousy shit though.

Any words of wisdom for the noobs/toys?

yeah, if you started graff so you can be revok next year and be sponsored, fuck off, quit and find something else. do graffiti for you, and stay true to its origins and follow tradition. earn your stripes before you start getting legals, shit looks sloppy… practice on paper before goin out, then practice more. be humble, steal all your supplies, dont get greedy. follow rules or guidelines dealing with respect.

What sites do you visit to get your graff fix? How did you get you fix back in the day? 

i like to visit 12oz theyre pretty up to date with current events and dont only have graff related shit, some blogs, UsVstheBuff for always being unbiased with the flics and videos.

Shout outs?  
i hate shout outs cause someone always feels bitter when you forget em. but ill shout out all the dudes who show respect and give me the positive feedback that keeps me goin. thanks to the old heads who school me, and the new jacks who show love and to dudes who are too full of shit to look at you in your face when you talk to them cause they think theyre hot shit. yeah fuck you, im glad you proved me right, you get the bboy cack! MSG KOI 28 and 2DX, USVSTHEBUFF for showing love, WORDZ aka The King of South Beach for being a good friend, most importantly ADROCKISM for being the reason i look forward to tomorrow, for making me a better person and a person you can look up to,  i love you.

i think i showed respect throughout this whole thing. a lot of names were mentioned earlier, those who werent, stop crying were still cool.

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