In the mid 80's I was introduced to two things that would have a forever impact on my life, punk rock and hip hop or more specific the art of graffiti.
After elementary school I would have no clue that I'd meet and befriend someone that in a short time would have such an impact on my life. Walking around my junior high school I saw this kid who had a mohawk and was dressed in bleached Levi's and military issue jump boots. It was his independent and rebellious demeanor that interested me to talk to him. To be punk rock at that time took a lot of confidence and balls. I introduced myself to him and he inturn returned the salutation and told me they call him, Flipper.
In one weekend of going to Flipper's house and listening to his collection of 7 inch records I went from skater to full fledged punk rocker. It was cool hanging out with Flipper and building a small tribe of friends united by similar family dynamics and traumas coupled with an appreciation of punk rock and skateboarding.
Flipper's lessons weren't just an introduction to punk rock, he introduced me to graffiti and the art of tagging. Flipper was his tag name that he had chose from hanging out with one of the neighbors in his apartment complex, legendary Fazeone from UA or United Artists Crew. Being artistic and having drawn throughout my childhood I became entranced and addicted by this art form. Flipper would share and give me pieces of Fazeone's art and I admired it and constantly tried to replicate it like I did comic books of past. One particular piece he drew had the word "DOOM" in all capital letters hovering above a graveyard. From a graffiti or tagging perspective the word doom is a horrible tag but something connected with me and that day forward I would become "DOOM".
Everyday I practiced writing and drawing my new moniker. And I would then while in my graphic arts class befriend other graffiti artists and writers. I would tag my name on anything and everything and once Flipper and I racked a can of spray paint it was on. I was non-stop tagging everywhere my skateboard could get me in the Valley or on the RTD bus. With the introduction to my graffiti crew leader EXTREME TBS and later my other crew member KAZER DSK, I would elevate from tagging and basic single color sidewalk character bombing to piecing. My eyes and mind never stopped obsessing about graffiti and how far I could go with it. I never had delusions or fantasies of the future but in that moment of life I relished in the quick fame of busting my name.
I would eventually get busted for tagging and have to change my alias a few times and move to a new city but the essence of who "DOOM" was would never die. No matter what I did or where I was "DOOM" was my shadow. Forever I am that punk rock bboy OG DOOM • MR DOOM • DOOMone • DOOMER • DOOMrokski • DOOMster • DOOMonerokskisterism • DMR • Manos Of DOOM & probably not the last BF DOOM aka Bandana Face DOOM from TBS • JKI • DS Crew
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