Easy: Erase Everything You Were Ever Taught by this System
Credits: interview by T.K. Mills for Thirdrail Art - Images courtesy of Easy
T.K. Mills: What is the relationship between Joz and Easy? When did you guys first start writing graff and how did you meet?
Easy: Me and Joz had a brotherly relationship. Right from the beginning, it just felt like the higher energy always had premeditated this incredible connection. We first started our journey into the art of writing, what people describes today as graffiti, back in 1982. However, the name Easy was not born that year.
T.K. Mills: Where did you get your writer names from?
Easy: I utilized my rap name LC in 1982, but it was short lived for various reasons… The letters weren’t appealing, and my family made an alternative (hilarious) meaning (Low Class) which became very annoying. January of 1983 was the genesis of a new era, when a few females in school gave me the nick name Easy. That was a breath of the freshest air.
T.K. Mills: How do you think graffiti differs from street art?
Easy: I honestly don't perceive it as a difference. Simply because the origin of all art forms started with letters. Before there were hieroglyphics, it was Paleo Hebrew letters, thousands of years ago throughout the lands of what is today called the Americas and Africa. After a period of time pictology was developed as a tool to communicate with each other.
This is the same outlook with which I view both current art forms. That being said, I've recently developed a new challenge for myself, by putting up my texture art, which will be displayed throughout the city and eventually throughout the country and beyond.
T.K. Mills: To clarify, and apologies if this is a sensitive subject, Joz passed away? Given your brotherly relationship, is this why you choose to carry on the name?
Easy: It's always a sensitive subject whenever his name is in a discussion. There are multiple reasons why I choose to keep his name present amongst people. In particular, his name could potentially be forgotten. More importantly, he's my brother.
T.K. Mills: How has your style evolved? What kind of aesthetics do you aim for in your graffiti and art?
Easy: For the last few years I've been directing most of my attention on my artwork. What was a simple experiment has blossomed into an art niche that I love and enjoy doing. While in the process of my evolution-period, my goal was and is to set on enhancing the homes and cities around the world with some of the most creative textual art pieces. Art agent, director, editor, and filmmaker Koz, CEO of Silver Tuna Studios played a significant part in my newfound street movement.
T.K. Mills: Last summer, you spoke at an event with Beyond the Streets. How did you get involved and what were your thoughts on the talk?
Easy: I initially got involved in Beyond the Streets through Chino Byi. I believe Roger Gastman, Chino, Atrak, and Dave1 from the band Chromeo collectively suggested it would be a great idea if I participated on discussing the pure meaning of graffiti. My take on our discussion was very informative, however we weren’t able to cover the totality of our art culture. Still, I believe people took home the general idea.
T.K. Mills: What are your thoughts on the shifting public perception of graffiti? Traditionally it was frowned upon as just vandalism, however now there is wider acceptance. Will this acceptance help or hurt graff writers?
Easy: During the 1970's the 1980's we collectively viewed it as a competitive activity, which some writers utilized as an escape to their current reality. I personally believe it was widely viewed as vandalism in past times, simply because art dealers and collectors had no market for it, which gave the art form no value. When money got involved, not only did the art dealers and collectors see its potential for making tons of money, but a host of old-school writers wanted to cash in as well. This was the death of traditional, or what I describe as organic graffiti. Most people of today, except the very few, get in this culture to start an art gallery career after bombing for one through two years. (Real Graff RIP). ...
T.K. Mills: What writers or artists inspire you?
Easy: Unfortunately, no writer inspired me to become a graff writer. I was manipulated by my older brother Sinone and my cousin Josh5, who were predominantly responsible for me embracing this art culture that I abhorred as a kid.
T.K. Mills: Where do you see the development of your own art going, and do you have any major goals you hope to accomplish?
Easy: I'm actually still growing as a fine artist. I believe there's no ceiling on my development. I have so many goals, which at times, puts an enormous amount of pressure on myself. I would love to decorate hotels and corporations with my texture artworks. But, more importantly, I want to put a smile on someone’s face whenever they see or purchase my work.
T.K. Mills: If you had the power to change one thing about the world, what would you change?
Easy: Wow!!!!! This is such a GREAT question that should be asked more often. I can literally write a book on the many ways of how I'll change this world, because the number is astronomical. This world is heaven for the IGNORANT and total HELL for those that are awake. I'm not going to go into great detail on how I'll change this world, because that would require tons of time. The world really is this fabricated reality that the masses are not aware of, however people are finally waking up out of their hypnotic trance. I'll leave you all with something to ponder on.The people that are currently in power control this world through massive amounts of manipulative intentions, to create a one world government which will enslave every human upon this planet.
One effective way of hiding this is by distracting us all with sports, music, keeping the races against each other etc… Whomever controls the information dictates your reality.
My suggestion is to erase everything you were ever taught by this system and start from a blank sheet of paper. When you go deeper into the rabbit hole, you'll discover most people haven't created their own thought because they've been completely programmed.
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