CAL CRAVE MAGAZINE 20112

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Publisher De Sergio Villalona

Editor-in-Chief Vanessa Satten

Executive Editor Jayson Rodriguez

Managing Editor Eric Grode

Photo Director Josh Cutler

Digital Content Director Carl Chery

Deputy Editor Mariel Concepcion

Senior Editor Mark Lelinwalla

Digital News Editor Jesse Gissen

Music Editor Adam Fleischer

Associate Editor Amber Mckynzie

Editorial Assistant Ralph Bristout

Editor-at-Large Shaheem Reid

Online Video Director Samtubia Edwards

Fashion Coordinator Big Smiley

Fashion Coordinator Kelvin Coffey

Art Assistant Neli Rodriquez

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TOPSPR AY CANS

THE CANS THAT YOU’LL WANT IN YOUR ARSENAL

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MONTANA and the team of L&G behind - is a company that has been influencing the artist scene right from the word go. Not only because the MONTANA founders have their roots in precisely this scene, where they were, and still are, active users. But also because MONTANA prod-ucts are unparalleled in quality, assortment and variety. What began as a garage salesroom “ has since developed into a globally successful, expanding corporation with repre-sentatives in around 60 countries worldwide. And it’s still on the up. Several years ago, MONTANA joined up with Europe’s largest spray can manufacturer, giving the com-pany use of established distribution channels and a large, welloperating production system.

MONTANA

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Montana Colors N.A. Inc was started out of the frustra-tion from not having quick and easy access to this great brand of spray paint. A decade ago it became apparent to artists that if we waited to be serviced, we would be waiting for an eternity. So, a few of us banded together to create a distribution center for Orignial Montana Colors in the United States. Unlike the other European brands, we have chosen to offer these great products at a signifi-cant discount because as we are artists ourselves, we felt that it was outright gouging to place such a high premium on a 12 oz can of spray paint. Montana Colors N.A. Inc is somewhat unique in that we are not only the principals of the company but we are also artists and therefore have a strong understanding of the capabilities of these products. Because of the fact that we are artists, we recognize the many obstacles that must be overcome to obtain high quality spray paints.

MTN-94

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A spraypaint for outdoor use. With a good coverage, well balanced pressure, ultra acrylic and available in 40 colors.We moved to create a partnership in China to produce a cheap and value for money-product for the european and overseas market. Some of you are professionals, some not. So there is a difference between super high quality products such as Molotow Premium and many other cheap brands on the market. Flame is cheap and offers a good balance of quality and handling. Go and try Flame for quick and fast produc-tions, streetpieces or other temporary paint sessions.

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Beat knows Spray Paints! They make a wonderful brand of Aerosol Paint called Beat Graffiti Spray Paint Colors that suits all types of artists. Great for Decorative Art Work or Graffiti, they strive to perfect the process of color and are one of the most popular Spray Paint Brand companies in the world. Enjoy their entire Aerosol Paint brand collection from the list below. Beat makes wonderful Artists Spray-paints that everyone is sure to enjoy! Choose an Spray Paint Color below to view that Hue and all their related colors

BEAT

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Ironlak is brought to you by AVT Paints - a company whose core purpose is aimed at quality and value for money. AVT Paints prides itself on our ‘more bang for your buck’ approach, and we strive to maintain close working business relationships with our partners and associates. AVT relies on sound business principles and ethics as its measure of worthiness to aerosol art consumers. AVT Paints was founded in 2002 with the hope of offering the Australian art scene performance at a valued price. In 2004 that dream became reality. With the continued support of our affiliates, retailers and most importantly our customers we will continue to grow our Ironlak range and introduce new and exciting products to the world throughout 2009. In 2008 AVT Paints decided to move its production offshore, this came with a heavy financial investment from us but we were fortunate to establish a partnership that was the best long term decision for our customers, ultimately giving us greater control over the manufacturing of our products and allowing us to deliver better value to our customers.

Ironlak

Interior. Exterior. Paint

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CAL CRAVE MAGAZINE 201114

B L A C K

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KENDRICK

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Jay Rock a rapper to command your attention, it all comes down to the voice. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Public Enemy’s Chuck D had millions of fans hanging on to every word of his booming baritone. In the mid-1990s, The Notorious B.I.G.’s steely poise and vocal precision led many critics and fans to proclaim him the best rapper of all time. Now, in 2009, get ready for the next rapper with a magnetic voice, someone whose pristine raps demand attention. His name: Jay Rock.

Born and raised in Watts, California’s notorious Nickerson Gardens Projects, Jay Rock got his first encouragement from his music-making relatives, who noticed the impact his deep, melodic voice made on song after song. “They were like, ‘you’re hard. And you’ve got a voice for it, too,” Jay Rock recalls.

“A lot of people started hearing me and they would tell me that my voice catches them. So, I started working it, working on my craft and got more and more confidence.”

Jay Rock’s confidence led to a string of heated appearances on neighborhood mixtapes. The gifted rhymer’s clever phrasing, gritty realism, storytelling swagger and powerful voice grabbed the attention of Top Dawg Entertainment boss Dude Dawg. Once in the studio with an independent company backing him, Jay Rock’s output increased and improved.

After shopping his demo to a number of major labels, Jay Rock and Top Dawg earned a deal with industry powerhouse Warner Bros. Records, also home to E-40, Murs and Talib Kweli, among others. The Warner Bros. executives were impressed with Jay Rock’s distinctive flow, his vivid lyrics and, of course, his “voice”.

On his debut LP Follow Me Home, Jay Rock details the treacherous reality of California’s streets on the title cut “Follow Me Home” feat. The Game. “Game produced the record and he gave it to me. I met him at the studio about a week later and let him hear it…he went crazy! He liked it so much he recorded the hook on the spot.” On the lead single

“All My Life” feat. Lil’ Wayne, Jay Rock asserts his status as LA’s next

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rising star. The video for “All My Life” documents a day in the life in the Nickerson Gardens and helps viewers understand the trials one must take to make their way out of the projects. “It was a struggle to get to where I’m at now,” he says. “I’m talking about going from the bottom to the top, what I was going through starting off. I’m legal now. I’m signed. I started off at the bottom, made something out of nothing and am going to run with it until I get all the way to the top.”

For now, though, Jay Rock is focused on finishing his debut album and ushering in a new era of hard-core West Coast rap. Jay Rock is thankful that Compton’s The Game was able to breakthrough with his multi platinum, The Documentary album. “Game opened up the doors for a lot of people,” Jay Rock says. “Game opened the door and I’m running right through with my people behind me. We’re trying to bring it back home, bring the West back. We’ve been down for a long time, so we’re trying to bring it back home.”

His hard-working mother filled their home with the classic soul and blues music of such icons as the Temptations, Dramatics, Isley Brothers, Johnny Guitar Watson and B.B. King. She also had an affinity for rap, and enjoyed the music of such trendsetters as Big Daddy Kane and Biz Markie. Her love for music carried over to her house parties. “My mom threw parties damn near every weekend,” Jay Rock recalls. “She’d be stressing during the week, would come home and that’s what they’d do, party all night long.”

“We just need more father fig-ures and more older people to come and school these youth, because there will be a lost generation,” he continued.

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AB

SOUL

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“I been chasin’ this dream

since Wayne made ‘Bling Bling’”

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SCHOOLBOY

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SCHOOLBOY

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A L.A LEGEND THAT STILL INFLUENCES WEST COAST STREET ART

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RISK (born Kelly Graval), also known as RISKY, is a Los Angeles-based graffiti artist and fashion entrepreneur. In the 1980s, RISK gained notoriety for his unique style and pushed the limits

of graffiti: He was one of the first writers in Southern California to paint freight trains, and he pioneered writing on “heavens”, or freeway overpasses. At the peak of his career he took graffiti from the streets and into the gallery with the launch of the Third Rail series of art shows, and

later parlayed the name into a line of graffiti-inspired clothing. When his family moved to Los Angeles in 1983, 16-year-old RISK enrolled at University High School on the city’s west side. RISK made the high school his personal canvas, tagging his name everywhere during the day and returning at night to do pieces. In 1985, RISK and RIVAL started the graffiti crew WCA (West Coast Artists). RISK was one of seven high school students who received a scholarship to attend the Pasadena Art Institute. RISK would later go on to study fine art at USC. In a career spanning 27 years, RISK has impacted the evolution of graffiti as an art form in Los Angeles and worldwide. RISK gained major notoriety for his unique style and pushed the limits of graffiti further than any writer in L.A. had before: He was one of the first writers in Southern California to paint freight trains, and he pioneered writing on “heavens,” or freeway overpasses. At the peak of his career he took graffiti from the streets and into the gallery with the launch of the Third Rail series of art shows, and later parlayed the name into the first authentic line of graffiti-inspired clothing.

Before he’d ever heard of graffiti, RISK was unconsciously writing it. As a kid, he filled sketchbook after sketchbook with images, not just

of people and things but of letters too. He even had spray paint in his hand before ever applying it to a wall, using it to paint

BMX bikes. “Even back then I think I was addicted to spray paint,” he recalls. “I just loved painting with it.”

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In 1983, his family moved to Los Angeles, and 16-year-old RISK en-rolled at University High School on the city’s west side. RISK made the high school his personal canvas, tagging his name everywhere during the day and returning at night to do pieces. He turned some of his buddies onto graffiti and started a crew, Prime Crime Artists, with them. In 1985, RISK was painting in mid-city when RIVAL ap-proached him and asked if he wanted to start a crew. Just like that, West Coast Artists (WCA) was born. One night, RISK and fellow writers RIVAL and MINER were sitting on an overpass above the Pasadena Freeway just north of downtown L.A. when RISK decided to hit one of the signs hanging over the freeway. To get to the sign, he had to shimmy across a piece of wood supported by two cables. His friends, scared for his life, begged him to come back to the over-pass. RISK didn’t listen, and managed to get his name up.

The next phase of RISK’s career came out of the Hollywood lifestyle he was living. He partied with rock stars, and he found himself being asked by some of them to get involved in Hollywood projects. His first was a photo shoot for Hot Rod magazine, and after the issue hit newsstands, he started getting more recognition as an artist outside

RISKTHE L.A LEGEND

the graffiti world. RISK continued to work on movie and music video sets, including the film Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and videos for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ice Cube, Bad Religion and Michael Jackson. In 1988, RISK went to New York and painted subway cars, making him the first L.A. writer to have his work run, and probably the last (in 1989, the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority man-dated that all subway cars be free of graffiti before they ran). The following year, RISK and SLICK were invited to travel to the U.K. to represent the U.S. at the Bridlington International Street Art Com-petition. They won the competition and took home a silver cup and silver spray can as trophies.

Back in L.A., RISK was determined to keep pushing the boundar-ies of graffiti, and he and fellow WCA writers embarked on a series of tours: “Bum Rush,” an all-out bombing effort in the San Francisco Bay area; “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” a quest on which they hit everything from Elvis Presley’s limo to private planes; and “Hitting Metal,” a tour aimed at vehicles, street signs, heavens and any other metal objects they could find.

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My first pieces were done with a friend of mine that wrote Chance... We killed our school. We actually broke in and did the lockers inside.

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Meanwhile, RISK had started putting his graffiti on canvases. Along with DANTE and SLICK, he created Third Rail, a series of gallery shows. Knowing that many of the people at the shows couldn’t afford his canvases, RISK star ted making T-shir ts to sell. RISK turned Third Rail into a successful clothing brand, with RISK winning de-signer of the year awards and sponsoring celebrities like Kid Rock. While other clothing companies tried to co-opt graffiti images to present themselves as streetwear, Third Rail prospered from its au-thenticity. Today, RISK is still involved in graffiti, surrounding himself with writers and supporting them in their art. WCA evolved into other crews, first CBS and then AWR and MSK, and both are proud to have him as a member. “I’m probably one of the only writers who’ve come full-circle with generations,” RISK says, “to see what I started go where it went and then be a part of it.”

While it was reported that French artist Space Invader was arrested and released a few weeks ago after allegedly tagging in Little Tokyo near the MOCA Geffen Contemporary, RISK is most concerned about the high-profile arrest of former L.A. artist Revok, who saw a $300,000 bail amount over his head before he was jailed for six-months for violating terms of his probation (including failing to pay victims of his “vandalism”).

In a career spanning twenty-six years, graffiti artist RISK has impacted the evolution of street writing as an artform here in Los Angeles and worldwide. His signature tag ran on the subway cars of New York, becoming the first writer outside of New York to be recognized by the same legendary graffiti artists who inspired him early on. In L.A. RISK continued to push the limits further than they had ever gone before by bombing – what would later be referred to in the graffiti world as a ‘heaven’ – on freeway overpasses and other highly visible spots throughout the city gaining much notoriety for his unique style. At the peak of his career he took graffiti from the streets and into the gallery with the launch of the Third Rail series of art shows; he later parlayed the Third Rail brand into the first authentic line of graffiti-inspired clothing.

CAL CRAVE MAGAZINE 201130

MAKE SURE YOU’RE STRAPPED IN

REACH FOR THE SKY

AND CATCH TRINITY

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REACH FOR THE SKY

AND CATCH TRINITYSUPRA NS BURGUNDY COLLECTION

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