Throwback with 7SEAS from CBS, EMT, and 1810. Coming correct with these clean letters rocking with only four colors. Big shoutout to 7SEAS.
ZED coming straight out of Lithuania. This underdog has been getting down since 2000, also tells us about the Graff scene in Lithuania, Strict laws and crazy chase story's. Be sure to check out his interview in issue 5, coming soon!
The USA Crew rocked some impressive rap letters on this van, found in San Francisco. Using only four colors this definitely came out nice. Big ups to the USA Crew.
AEBOL & ARTES tag teamed this wall and killed it with these nice pieces. Both of them in the 8C crew.
Be on the look out for BLAH OTR interview in the 5th issue of Omnigraff Magazine. Coming soon.
Make sure to check out ERUPTO's opening reception at Art Primo SF this Saturday, March 7th. After not having a gallery out for a few years, Art Primo is excited to present to you Tire Fire. The exhibit will be running from March 7th-29th and we'll be featuring exclusive works by ERUPTO327 that combine style, color, and pattern.
Photo: Gordon Gekkoh
A film, by JDOTCOLOMBO, features ROAR busting out a huge roller in Oakland plus a little bit of extra footage catching tags. Props to him on this one.
Keep a look out for an in depth interview with graffiti writer TENZR from OTR and OGK. This interview will be in the 5th issue of Omnigraff Magazine. The article will cover topics like coming up in the game, his influences, and his life as a graffiti writer. Learn different tricks and tips from the pros, Issue 5 coming soon.
Omnigraff: So, how did it all start for you? What were your inspirations?
Begr: Ever since I could remember I liked graffiti. The first time I saw it was when I lived with my grandma near San Francisco it was UFO he had spots on the route to my elementary school. Later on I was influenced a lot by early 90’s Bay Area graffiti.
Omnigraff: How did you come up with the name? Why did you choose it?
Begr: I chose the word BEGR pronounced begger because I liked the flow in the letters. My childhood friend wrote BEAM and I really liked the way B-E flowed with non stop tags so I became BEGR.
Omnigraff: How long have you been doing it?
Begr: I’ve been writing since 1993, growing up near San Francisco then having family in San Jose and in the East Bay I got to see a lot of good graffiti growing up.
Omnigraff: Can you give us a brief history of all the crews you were/are in and how you got into them?
Begr: WGE was started by the late OILS, RIP, from Florida I wasn’t fortunate to meet him before he past. The crew was left to my brothers CHUB and DZEE who put me down and I rep this crew as my own. THR I was put down by JADE, RIP, and I will always put him and the crew up forever. WMD my overseas connect, my dude CESAR put me down after hanging out and spraying with him in the U.S.A. I feel blessed to be apart of this team, the talent, and awesome people that are apart of this unit is amazing. I'm down with a lot of crews WGE, the 30’s, WAI, OTR, WMD, THR, FTMD, N4N, NSF, BA, FFP, HCM, GMC, TWB and so on. It’s just one big power circle.
Omnigraff: What keeps you at it?
Begr: There are many engines powering me as a grown adult with a full line of responsablites. The main engine that keeps me going is, the writing culture, the lifestyle keeps me motivated to keep painting. Also my crew and friends power me as well .
Omnigraff: Do you like keeping your style fun and simple or do you like it hard and complex for people or writers to read?
Begr: This all depends how I feel. I have a sketch or a style for anything I paint but I tend to like to keep it fun. In the early 2000s I was spending a lot of time in southern California with crews like WAI, FU, FGS, and CBS, all of their letter styles were on the hard complex steez so I received proper training in that style. Every now and then I drop a more hard looking style or incorporate it in with what I am doing.
Omnigraff: What was one of the most difficult spots you have hit?
Begr: It's all about timing and tactics, nothing is difficult you just have to watch what you are trying to get done, have the correct paint and know what to do on the spot. The difficult part is knowing what the aftermath of what you're spraying is going to be.
Omnigraff: What’s the best advice you could give to a new writer?
Begr: Stay humble you are not the first and won't be the last. The only way you can survive in this culture is by earning respect and in order to receive that your going to have to show respect. Learn your history not just who writes in your city learn who is who and what is what in the country/world. Writing is bigger than your 5 mile town.
Omnigraff: What do you do besides graffiti?
Begr: Outside of graffiti I’m into cars, guns, traveling, food, attending events where people don't know I write, relaxing, and just taking advantage of american high society.
"Stay humble, you are not the first and won't be the last. The only way you can survive in this culture is by earning respect and in order to receive that your going to have to show respect."
Omnigraff: What was it like painting in the hoods of Detroit ?
Begr: I love painting Detroit coming from the west coast it was a breath of fresh air, so much brick and surfaces that I didn't normally get to spray. The people there are either genuinely friendly or they aint fucking with you, witch I don't mind one bit ‘cause you don’t have too many people acting. No fake friendlys no fake tough guys. Walking around late at night you don’t see to many people and since I was in and out of there I didn’t want to break my train of spray and let anyone see me doing my thing. No disrespect to kids who like to spray in front of cars and people fronting thinking that makes you hard but that isn't going to last in the grand scheme of things stick around 10+ years let those cases rack up we will see how hard you really are.
Omnigraff: What is your future looking like?
Begr: NO SET FUTURE more sprays thats for sure. Just finished up my first zine really stoked on that. Been doing a lot of artwork aside from street work. Who knows, I plan on leaving this country and going back to mine, I love America but I miss my family.
Omnigraff: What’s the best advice you could give to a new writer?
Begr: Stay humble you are not the first and wont be the last. The only way you can survive in this culture is by earning respect and in order to receive that your going to have to show respect. Learn your history not just who writes in your city learn who is who and what is what in the country / world. Writing is bigger than your 5 mile town.
Omnigraff: Which 5 crews in the Bay Area do you think are killing it right now?
Begr: To me the work crews like TDK, HTK, THR, BA, and BTM will always rule the bay area. TDK for the epic pieces they have laid on tracksides, and yards like the “tax dollars kill” wall will always be one of the best full scale walls done without a permission slip in the Bay Area. HTK for having diverse pieces each member has a burning style that is in its own lane, also “renos” has one of the best handstyles to date. THR will always house the ones who are killing the streets the right way in San Francisco from back in the day when “TWIST” first started repping to the “TIE Era” and later with the “JADE Era” it will always be one of the Bay’s nasty tagging crews period. BA will forever be known in the bay as the 1st crew to do many things, 1st to find spots, do epic permission walls, rock styles that can't be duplicated. And people like “JASE” who own the freight lines not just in the bay but for this country. BTM from jump street. When ADEK, KERSE, LEWY, TRON and FLAIR came to the Bay Area they tore San Francisco up. Picking up where TIE left off. Tons of stock cap/kills style throw ups really pushed street bombing to the level. To speak about the bay now, I first have to talk about the bay then no disrespect to the writers/crews active now but, YOU'RE NOT SHOWING ME ANYTHING NEW.
Omnigraff: What do you think about all these new writers coming up in the game?
Begr: I try my best to be kind to the young writers show them respect as DREAM, JASE, KING 157, NECSKE NSF, ANGER CBS, BIG 5, APECS, NEON, RENOS, CYME, and more showed me while I was a kid. 90 percent of the kids coming up think this shit is like the rap game. They want to beef just to try and gain some sort of fake props. This is writing you want beef go join a gang or a biker/car club or sign up at an MMA gym. Writing isn't about how hard or how low your levis sag. Kids do a few spots and act like they're shit don't stink as if decades ago those same spots didn't get painted. Anything and everything you can think of has already been done. Maintain your ego and know that all you are doing is keeping writing alive. 99 percent of these kids don't last anyway I've seen wave after wave come and go.
Omnigraff: What does it take for a writer to be in your crew?
Begr: WGE. There is no way into this crew. We don't care how good you are or how much you do. This crew is glued together by an unspoken bond. With that being said I don't think there will be any new members anytime soon.
Omnigraff: Do you think you’ll stop one day?
Begr: I can’t see myself ever stopping i write for many reasons one of them is to honor friends that have past away that i have met through writing . It's away for me to remind people about them or introduce new writers to them. I also believe writing is a lifestyle, I guess that's what separates people who do graffiti.
Omnigraff: Any crazy chase stories?
Begr: I was spraying a certain machine after getting it done me and a few friends got camera happy taking epic photo’s basically having the time of our lives. One of us noticed a guard in a parking structure looking at us. So we bailed out the way we got in and sprinted to our car. We made it down the street as cops flew by us.
Omnigraff: Any shoutouts?
Begr: I'd like to give a huge shout out to my crews and supporters. Without you powering me none of this would be taking place, I love and respect you all. WGE BA NSF WMD OTR DIRTY30’S N4N TWB THR HCM KMV FFP WAI.
THE ORIGINAL MTN COLORS. ART PRIMO S.F. All my loved ones who watch over me from above, thank you for your blessing each and every day. To my haters if you read this far you know you secretly love me.
Interview by Omnigraff / Janurary 2014
