What year did you first see writings on subways ?
How old were you and where were you?
Im old enough to have had the great fortune of seeing subway writing from its inception, which was around 1970. In 1970 I was nine years old and living in Manhattan, where I still reside.

Did you start writing then? If not when did you start?
No, I started a few years later, in 1974, at age 13.

Who were your influences?
At that time to name a few: Cliff 159, Lava, King Rat(with the crown), Clyde, Barbara and Eva 62, Sonny 107, and a guy who did infinity signs.

Tell the Madclout viewers what it was like to write in the 70's?
Needless to say in the 70's there was a much smaller group of youngsters doing it than today. Many citizens througout the 70's never quite understood who was responsible for the writing on the subways or how we were doing it. The culture was limited to Philadelphia and New York. Although it should be noted that Philly writers didnt paint their subways (many of us were actually unaware of the graff scene in Philly back then). When the phenomenon was new it had yet to be demonized by bureaucrats and the media. A number of forward thinkers embraced Graffiti as a new form of youth-oriented urban folk art. Norman Mailer wrote a book (published in 1974) called "The Faith of Graffiti" where he explored this new aerosol sensation. The text in his book paints a stark, poetic picture of a fresh original type of youthful expression in its formitive years. Graffiti was a culture, very innocent and far-reaching in those days. It was brand new and it seemed like everyone below the age of 17 was doing it. Lots of girls were writing. I knew whole families where all the kids were writing, the sons and the daughters.
For a while laws against graffiti did not even exist on the books, so it was virtually impossible to prosecute us. Laws were made tougher, but it happened slowly, and youthful offenders usually received nothing more than what amounted to a slap on the wrist. If you got in trouble repeatedly you could be issued a "JD" card which stood for juvenille delinquent, but getting one was actually a badge of honor. So amidst a country torn my anti-Vietnam war sentiments, post flower power hippie-dom, civil rights abuses and reactions to them and notably, in New York City, significant youth gang activity Graffiti was born.

Was there a specific line you wrote on in your sibway career?
My subway writing career spanned 8 years, 1977-84. During that time I did work on every train line, with the majority of my time being spent on the Broadway Local (#1 line).

Did you have a certain partner in crime when painting subways? If so what made you guys a dynamic duo?
I had many partners over the years to name a few: Dondi, Mackie, Noc 167, Little Karado and Revolt. The artist that I've collaborated the most with over the years is Revolt. The dynamic aspect comes from our similiar artistic sensibilities and the fact that we think alike.

For someone to take over a line with insides what would that take?
Besides a lot of black ink, a rigorous commitment. You have to hit the line in the yards and the lay-ups to maximize your attacks. You have to pay attention to who else is up and how often they are going to the trains. Over the course of a weekend or two it might be possible to "King a Line" on the insides, however staying king is where the hard work begins. When a writer says "I was king of the #4 line for two years" that is significant. Some writers completely dominated lines on the outsides for three or four years. What "Seen" did on the 6's or what two earlier writers named "Son" and "Pro" did on the 7 line is impressive, but these are random examples. New York City's subway writing history if full of this type of line domination, going all the way back to the begining, which was roughly 1970.

Have you ever taken a step away from writing and if so why and for how long?
Yes, Between 1988 and 92 I wasnt active in graffiti and I didnt pay much attention to the culture. I was a little burnt out on graff from being so involved with it for so long and so I worked in another style of painting, which was photo realism.

Did you or do you dabble in any other elements of Hiphop?
No, Sorry have you ever seen a 41 year old white guy try to break dance? It could be very ugly or dangerous for everyone involved. And not to be provocative, but just for the record, some writers do not consider graffiti an element of Hip Hop.

Is there anything that can compare to painting a subway?
If there is I havent found it yet.

Do you have any affiliations that you belonged to or now belong to?
Writing crews for me are really a thing of the past, So I'd rather not go through a list of the crews I've been down with over the years. But there were quite a few. I will however mention that Revolt and I are both original members of a crew called "RTW" which stands for "Rolling Thunder Writers". "RTW" was founded by a great but rarely mentioned writer named "Bil-rock" in 1977.

You were once quoted as saying" freights are dopey". Can you elaborate on this for us?
The quote in "Rap Pages" was actually "freights are dope" but the reporter made a typo.

Where have your paintings and writings taken you?
Throughout America, Europe and Asia.

What type of work are you doing currently? Are you still involved in the culture?
I like to think I'm still pretty involved with the culture even if I'm an old fucking dinosaur. I still get out there do walls and freight every chance I get. I also do design work and illustration and write about various forms of underground art for a number of international publications. I also letcture at colleges on a variety of art-related subjects including graffiti art. Samples of my writings and artwork can be seen on my website, www.zephyrgraffiti.com.

Future Plans...
Following the kind reception to my book "Style Master General" (biography of Dondi White) Im currently working on two other books which are also graffiti related.

Stay tuned to Zephyr's website to be informed on the release of those mentioned books