BUSH CAMP

    In the early 90ties I use to take the bus after school to my man tato's crib to watch rap city because we didn't have cable at my crib.  This was  when Prince Dejour , and Joe Clair use to host the show.  There was a solid amount of music videos that would air and among them was "uptown shit" by Kurious.  It was something about the outfits they had on, fly shorties from around the way , the attitude,cipher on a crowded basketball court, tags on the walls, guzzling forties, it was pure b boys of the 90's era for me.  Fast forward to last year while meeting up with other LOlifes before the LOend theory show.  I met a dude by the name of niceLO,  We struck up a conversation about some of my favorite rappers growing up and was blown away when I found out the man I was talking to was a founding member of Constipated Monkeys. So naturally  I had gang of questions to ask him.

what type of individual did it take to be in CM?

You had to be heartless! You had to be able to do what others weren't capable of doing. From fighting, traveling, bombing and down for whatever at all times.  We didn't always walk away from beef untouched.  One time Dev and I were on 178 getting ready to go bombing and we got jumped.  They had the drop, all exits blocked and all that.  We had nowhere to go but bump heads with these dudes, and they were twenty deep.  We got our asses whooped, I was catching blows from all angles and DEV got the worst of it . They wanted him bad.  He was doing it big on the A train., his name was everywhere.  So we didn't win every fight but we gained respect no matter what, you couldn't take that from us.

what could be found on you at any time in those days?

markers, stickers, on a good day a gun. Definitely a knife, I wasn't a fan of a razor or box cutter.   my shit was to slip out the 007 knife.  My moms boyfriend at the time was a marine so he showed me some techniques and how to use it, so I was comfortable with that choice of weapon.


what were some of your favorite spots to bomb?

trains was priority, mail boxes , gates and so on  wasn't a big deal to us in that era.  Because most my damage was done in tunnels my favorite color was aluminum silver from touch tone then red, black than black gloss. I did the basic throw up, straight form block letters. I kept it simple and still covered a lot of ground took up more space in a quick amount of time.  There was a time when all I tagged was a big "N" everybody knew who it was just off the style alone.

what were politics like in the graffiti world in you times?

niggas hate to admit it but CM was the first crew to enforce the rule of the throw up.  Meaning any tag on the wall was fair game to go over with a throw up.  A lot of crews would roll deep when they went out, we would meet up twenty deep and split up into groups of four sometimes three and get busy. this was in the 80s a lot of these so called writers don't see this danger.  you couldn't just walk in any train yard because chances were you was catching an ass whooping,  jumped, stabbed even shot.  When we pulled something out we used it.  If I pulled a gun out you was getting pistol whipped or shot. there was no fair ones, son you fighting family there is no one on one. I was the watch dog, you had to see me about beef with any one in CM . that wasn't even going to the head dude in crew.  Things got so ugly we would flip the name around from criminal minded,  crazy maniacs,  to cookies and milk just to put people at ease.

after all these years do your fingers get itchy?

I'm scheming on tunnels now!  My son is out there too, and is doing it better than me.  Coming up I had good mentors but he has a lot more guidance than I did and I had the best.  Its his birth right, he saw me and his uncles doing it since a baby.  Its a learned behavior that is our way of life, not a fad that was said was not gonna last.

here you can see niceLO's tag in the back of one of biggie's videos

what are the inner workings of Bush Camp?

Mike g (of JUNGLE BROTHERS)  and D.j. Sammy B came up with the name, he was starting his record label . Fae-long and I were airbrushing clothes using our living room as headquarters. Doing airbrush was familiar ground for us because of our years holding a spray can.  I had my job to do and that was promotions.  I didn't know it at the time but my early days as a bomber taught me the skills to execute a gorilla campaign.  Being around graph my whole life in a sense taught me marketing and promotion.   I just had to go to school for learning the lingo of sales and the mechanics of going corporate. 

would you say those survival skills coming up in the yard and

late night missions help mold and prepare you to take Bush Camp to the next step ? 

we already established ourselves in graff, now our raw talent has the corporate world recognizing it.  Our every day fame on the walls and subway trains is now in the main stream.  Only now you cant cross our names out, or go over it.  The days of going to the writers bench or the train station to watch one of trains wearing our names have changed to people rocking us wherever we go.

Boston's first R.L.P.C. photo shoot

Polo Sport

how was the turn out for Boston's first photo shoot?

RLPC's 1st Boston photo shoot was successful due to the fact that we had to reschedule it because of a blizzard and almost canceled again because more snow was expected on the make up date. The weather held up and it came out nice. RLPC's General, Classic came thru, and the teams own model Ha-LO, the  enforcer Bigunzz, my dude Lance and OG Lo-life Reg Lo came all the way from NY to be a part of it,  my dude Lo-Cell from Rhode Island,  the Mass fam ,Havok House LOlifes YoungLO, brother-in-LO, jaxLO and of course Boston reps to show out so it was great. I am hoping that the next RLPC shoot will be as successful as the first.

Did you have any locations in mind for the photo shoot? And why?

I chose those locations because I wanted to do landmarks recognizable to uptown and downtown and capture the scenery. I wanted to take flicks in the hood and some downtown shots just to show RLPC Lo-lifes are versatile and can be fresh wherever we go. Hopefully when we do the next shoot we can cover more of the cities historical sites in  Downtown Boston, Cambridge and possibly  Dorchester and Mattapn. I already got the spots lined up it just depends on the time frame and grounds to be covered.

LOcell, Ha-LO,  Brother-in-LO,  Young LO

What criteria has to be met to take the job of being the camera man for this event?

To be a cameraman for this shoot I wanted to be familiar with there previous work and by reference from mutual friends.  The fact that J. Brewer came highly recommended made it easier. I am willing to work with anyone but the work and credentials have to be impeccable. Having that natural eye for capturing the moment is very important and  I feel  J. Brewer did that for us. For the next shoot I might try to get two camera men this way we can cover more ground and do a lot more.

was it difficult to put the event together? and what will you do different in the next shoots?

The most difficult part was the weather. As mentioned before we had to cancel the first date due to a blizzard. New England weather can be tricky , mother nature wasn't that bad to us . This February was a snowy month I would more than likely play it safe and do something in March where it does not snow much.

Where can the photos be seen?

The flicks from RLPC's 1st Boston photo shoot can and have been seen on facebook and I also have them on disk. I decided to not put them on twitter there are a few on instagram but for the people that was there I put them on fb and just tagged everyone. I put them in a few fb groups such as the Official RLPC group and a couple Lo-life group pages. Overall I'm glad things worked out the way it did and I humbly thank everyone that came thru to participate and show that Love and Loyalty. 2L's across the world.

 

 

                    Reg LO, Big Unnz, LOcell, Ha LO, Polo Sport, Classic, YoungLO, RamzLO

photos by J. Brewer

Music to your ears

Its not just about putting on a Ralph Lauren shirt.  Its about living a lifestyle that goes against the grain. Here are some cd's you need in rotaion.  Support our cause my brotherLOs and LO heads!!!

LOlifes is multi-cultural, bi- coastal, world wide,  and intergenerational. Now here the soundtracks

where the same dam LO sweater aint always bad

Frank Sosa

        

 why start a facebook page  NY/NJ LO exchange ?

  I use to be a member of other sites and a part of other pages and saw things getting out of hand. Pricing was too high, instead of business as usual it was sort of getting side tracked and off the subject which was meant to be for the love of this LO culture.  So I felt the need to make a change and contribute to this lifestyle rather than take and take without any intentions of giving back.

so what is your vision for  NY/NJ  LO Exchange?

  As long as we keep it in the same form from the streets it came from, it stays authentic. It attracts the same energy with the the same core values and the common love for LO. That being said it makes sure everyone stays on the same page with pricing. Most important it conserves this culture from getting watered down.  Its not a page for your average kid that goes to Macy's or Nordstroms. 
  I would scout facebook for individuals who I felt would bring that  certain vibe, who were knowledgeable  and knew there history. Now the page gets support from respectable Lo heads, collectors, team R.L.P.C, LOLIFES and Devine Bradley who know there LO.  So its not just a marketplace, its a place of information you can tap into and find it resourceful.

what line do people know you to throw down with?

I would have to say the tennis line. I like the simplicity of the lettering and designs . Tennis lines can be combined with a numerous ammount of fall to summer lines. Its like one big puzzle when you complete that perfect layout.

whats your affiliation with LOLIFES? 

  Growing up I never heard of LOLIFES, I ran with a few of the LO kids from Newark N.J.  shout out to polo ice (LO styles crew, AYAK LL) We were regular highschool kids who liked deep underground house music. We got heavy in the dance scene we would go to clubs like Sound Factory and  the Play House  you know that Lui Vega type of vibe.  We had to stay fresh every weekend, not only that the first day of school was important to come in a represent.  We was hitting A&S and BFO.  Spreading out and boosting in the Polo, Tommy Hill, and Nautica sections in the department stores. 
  I collect music as well, one day I walked in a record store and saw an album cover with a dude holding a polo volley and basketball with a RL flag in the background. It was titled "Polo Rican" by Thirstin Howl 3rd, I had to cop it. My boys were like "why you playing this?"  I'd tell them "this dude talks about how we live day to day ,"  this movement was already in full effect in Brooklyn and Queens. Years later I went to Rack LO's annual LOLIFE bbq. There he told me Ive been living the LOLIFE style BEK live was the one who gave me my LLs.

any new lines from Ralph Lauren that catch your eye?

I like the aztec goosies the colors and patterns stand out to me. Im checking for the new bears vintage that Ralph Lauren is re-releasing.

is there anything other than Polo that you like?

 Benetton, Fila, DKNY tech, they have that untouchable fresh look from back in the days.

how do you feel about custees?
  
 I think its a good look. To have 1 of 1 in the world, and it speaks your mind. Ive designed nikes with the teddy bear and show cased it. I named it "bear soles".  

what are the do's and dont's for trades?

1. dont deal if you dont have dubs of itees, cause you might regret moving a piece later down the road. It really depends on how bad you want that itee and what you can live and live without.

2. go with your instict! dont deal if your feeling like you walking away like you got played. Both sides must be happy
3. do your research on itees, dont be afraid to ask someone with credentials and good referances. thats what the   NY/NJ LO exchange is for. Its always good to have a good source whenever in doubt of a garment. Someone with credibility in the game. I usually go to my good friend Derrick stashLO(Bed stuy) We cant ever say we have seen all uncle Ralphy has done lines, colors made in japan only items. The possibilities are endless.

4. dont get caught up in the hype of an itee just because a certain celebertey wore it.  Its not about who has more power itees its how you wear it. 

any plans for the LO exchange?


be on the look out for a website page of the  NY/NJ LO exchange. The new site will be a mix of ebay and a forum with features like paypal to prevent frauds and secure deals.

LOlife spittas "LA FAMILLE" vol 1.

IT'S A LO-LIFE WAY OF LIFE.. GET THE MUSIC "LA FAMILLE" LISTEN & DOWNLOAD NOW at www.djblastone.fr ENJOY YOUR DAY & THE MUSIC!! WELCOME TO THE LO-LIFE LA FAMILLE.. FEATURES MUSIC FROM ALL LO-LIFE SPITTERS VOL. 1>>>>BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR "LA FAMILLE" VOL. 2 coming soon >> Hosted by Rack-Lo & Mixed and Arranged by Deejay BlastOne >> Brooklyn 2 France Connection!

DOWNLOAD rackLO MIXTAPE

Available Now for DownLoad http://www.mediafire.com/?y2620d8985apz26

"Last of the Lo-ricans" jaxLO

comming out of the massLOLIFE camp repping LOLIFEs world wide 2LLs up!

POLO SPORT makes it happen

POLO SPORT BREAKS DOWN THE PHOTO SHOOT

Feb 9, 2013 at 12pm to 6pm you set up a polo photo shoot in Boston mass at Malcolm X park in roxbury, any reason why?





polo sport


I set up for that date because of  two reasons. One being that due to the fact that most of the photo shoots are done in New York and they have the calender year on lock and Feb 9. was a date that was available and reason number two is a Boston photo shoot is long overdue. People have been asking me about a photo shoot in Boston for the past few years so I figured it was about time for Boston to have one.

is there a theme for the photo shoot?

There is no theme to the shoot and the reason I chose no theme is due to the fact that a lot of cats here do not have a lot vintage pieces or power pieces so to make sure everyone is included I chose to have everyone just come through fresh and represent like they know how to..


why did you choose that specific location?

The locations I chose where do to scenery and to show the people of Boston how LOlifes get down. To show them how FRESH and LO down is supposed to be. To show them the lifestyle and that this is not a game. Fashion and fresh should be apart of your everyday lifestyle and the LOLIFES are the creators of this and we are going to show you how this goes.

is it an open photo shoot or LOLIFEs only?

This shoot is open to everybody that reps the culture and the lifestyle. There aren't that many LOLIFEs in Boston so I wanted to make it an open so everyone can bring their own flare to the shoot. The pictures will go out to Facebook, Instagram, and twitter. Hopefully this will be the start of something big for the city and other affiliations as well and hopefully the pictures will show that. I want everyone to experience this, wives and kids are invited.


brother-in- LO and Polo Sport at the forty deuce this year
2013













 


 




 

the brotherLO they call HAZ

what memories come to mind when you hear LOlifes 25th year  anniversary?

I think of Going to Coney Island, The Deuce or Walks to Pitkin, we would get dip, Thirst with the cazals, Dis with two different color dunks on, live with his Astro's hat and myself with the Levis suit.. Just me and brothers, surviving the jungle and making it happen, bagging chicks, chilling hard daily defending each other, no beef no fights no hate or jealousy, amongst us, Not once thinking what we were doing was anything more then being together, LOLIFES was just us, that's all nothing else our team, doing us.

 what was your typical day like in the early days of LOlifes?

Again we didn't have a leader, in my age group we were all leaders. So you didn't know who would have a plan that day, but you knew someone would, I would either be heading downtown, or bombing the IRT's, getting paid, or linking with some pieces, we would get up.. bum around the hood, of course back then, the classic pieces flowed like water, so we were some fresh dressed bums, Lo sweats or shorts for swimming trunks, walking around the hood patrolling the block, taking calls on the corner phone, running back and forth to the store... these were the lighter times. There were times when we had beef with up to 4 different housing complexes at once, we would be fired on during the middle of the afternoon, I used to wear a vest to go to the corner store for my mother, and I sometimes took a weapon when i escorted her to the store, it was the best and the worst of time.

how did you get your name HAZ?

I started writing graffiti, I chose hazardous, which changed to hazerdust, then Hazer and then to HAZUNO.. but people most refer to me as HAZ.


















what did you want to accomplish with putting this book together?

To show civilians (non LL's), that we are a true family, that we live together, that its more than clothing that binds us, that when we say love and loyalty, it's from the heart, That we are fathers, and business men, that our brotherhood is real.

did you work with anyone else in producing this project?

I did the entire layout, and 98% of the photography, "Eugene HATCHER" canone, also contributed some images, and a few were taking from our families around the world.

how did you come about designing the logos for the Lolife families?

I'm the Thugeek! it's a known fact, I was always a computer head since the early years, so to get into computer graphics was natural progression, I was responsible for almost all of thirsts and a few of Racks early covers. It's just what I do.

are there any more projects coming from you in the future?

Another pictorial and pushing the Lo-end theory, and a few I cannot speak on.

part2 comming soon