1. Can you state your name, crew, and where you’re from for those who don’t know?
Spice, FST CSF SW
2. Your recent pieces have caught my eye and they seem to have been expanding quite a bit style-wise from your older stuff in the 2019 feature. How do you balance maintaining your core style but also experimenting with new approaches?
For me, it’s less of a balancing act and more about staying consistent. I work to remain consistent in a few ways, starting with painting. I may have weeks where I paint 5 or 6 times, which is fantastic, but my real goal is to paint at least one piece a week that I can point at and say, ” Yeah, I was there; I bombed it.” I know those experiences add up and I can build on them over time. Secondly, I consistently push myself by working to improve on my last piece in some way; whether it is with scale, letter structure, or colors, I am always looking for improvements and new ways to challenge myself. Lastly, I work to stay open to the possibility of learning. Meaning- I am consistently looking to expand my knowledge about the craft and culture I participate in. For example, while living in Denver recently, I had the opportunity to paint with a few style masters regularly. I picked up a lot and learned a ton from them. Y’all know who you are, Thank you!
3. How has it been returning to Louisville, what drew you back to the city?
Being back in my hometown is great because it is my city. However, the return was unplanned. I found someone here that I don’t want to live without. I am proud of Louisville, our seen, and what we contribute to the game. We are only going to become a must-visit destination.
4. The 2Buck Invitational seems to draw quite a few heavy hitters into town. What kind of graffiti jam is it? Can you give us the history?
The 2Buck Invitationalis, first and foremost, a graffiti jam. It was initially called All City and was founded by Mines, Boog and 2Buck.
Jon 2Buck Brown was instrumental in the success of All City by bringing in writers and friends from all over the country to participate. When Jon passed, the event team decided it was only fitting to rename the event after him.
The Jam has taken on various forms over the years, but the event has become bigger and better in the last three years. That has everything to do with the event’s core team, which is made up of Titan, TDUP, Naku, and Aemo. These dudes and others volunteer so much time every year to make it happen. I know that Jon and his family are very proud.
The 2buck Invitational will only strengthen as we continue to celebrate art, graffiti culture, and lost friends like 2Buck and Zexor. We are proud of the style our jam brings to Louisville. We plan to continue to provide space for all types of writers and artists to rock as we become the destination to see work from style masters from all over the world.
5. If you had to choose 2 caps to spray with for the rest of your life, what would they be?
Even though I have a love-hate relationship with them, “universals” and “NY fats” all day.
6. You seem to paint a lot of autoracks. Are those your favorite freight trains? What draws you to those vs other cars?
I get what I can get, but Auto racks are a lot of fun because they are massive, flat-ish, and go the distances. I grew up painting freight trains, and I love everything about the experience, but I don’t know if I have a favorite car. Reefers are always exciting because they are noisy, and rusted box cars with huge logos are always sexy.
7. Did the FST crew start out of Louisville? What’s the crew’s history?
It’s true that FST has deep roots in Louisville, but Mines and Syne founded it in the twin cities. Soon after that Mines took on the responsibility of leading the crew.
I’m proud to say I’m FST because the crew has stood the test of time. Having been down my entire adult life, I have seen the crew overcome a lot, from the loss of loved ones to beef to dealing with snitches. All these things have made our history richer and our crew stronger.
FST is made up of people with different styles, backgrounds, and ages. At any given point, we have family all over the world. I respect and care about every person down because not only do we all love to put in the work, but we all look out for each other. FST matters to all of us, and we aren’t going anywhere.
This past year, we released an 84-page full-color Magazine called FreeStyle Techniques. I encourage everyone to find a copy to learn more about us.
8. Any advice you would give to newer writers?
At the risk of sounding washed, if you want to be a style writer, trust the process and don’t rush it. In the beginning, take the time to learn basic letter structure. Know that it all starts with tagging, and just because something is wild, or flashy, or filled with tricks doesn’t mean it has style.
In addition to that, please take the time to learn the history. The origins of styles are so important. Know where they came from, Who perfected them, and understand their relevance to the craft. These things matter and shouldn’t be lost on you because now, as writers, we have the privilege of being able to hop on social and see 100 random pieces from 100 different places.
Ultimately, though, if you have fun with it, respect the game, and put in work, you will come out on top.
9. Thanks again for taking the time to do this interview. Any shout outs you would like to give?
Zexor, Resa, 2Buck, we all love you and miss you. P-Tone, what up, boy! Shout to all my friends and family, Thank you for your support.
Follow Spice on Instagram @hennessey_swanson
