Yo I write “WHAT KH.” I am from Brooklyn, NY. I began doing graff in 1998, but didn’t start writing WHAT until 2000. The KH stands for “Kash Hungry.”
When I was coming up in the streets of NYC in the late 90’s and early 2000’s I was starving out there and didn’t have much, hence the meaning of KH. Now that I am older and well established in many areas of life, I get money. I have a strong work ethic now that I am grown, yet it’s still the same mindset: KA$H HUNGRY. Money is the root of all evil and is the worst addiction, very similar to graffiti in a sense that—no matter what, it’s never enough… and also you need it in your life to survive. Both can cause either joy and happiness, or conversely, pain and problems. Some double-edged sword type shit for real.
My motto in graffiti has always been: “Go BIG or go HOME.” When I first started writing WHAT I wasn’t even using spray paint. It was strictly on the NYC train windows, scratching my name into the glass as big and as solid as I could on packed MTA subway carts during rush hour. I didn’t give a FUCK who saw me and would fight anyone who tried to be a hero or stop me. Sometimes I would even cut school and ride the trains all day scratching my name until my hands were ripped and bloody, taking up to 45 minutes sometimes perfecting a “scratchie,” as we dubbed them.
Then in 2005 something happened. The MTA decided to replace all the scratched windows with new glass plus a Mylar sticker coating, making it very difficult to continue doing scratchies, so I had to evolve and take it to the streets and the train tracks.
Originally being known for my giant scratchies, I now found myself painting giant WHAT stompers on the train lines and rooftops. I love to climb and access hard to reach locations for spots that we call “runners.” If it’s hard to bomb then it’s hard to buff, is the logic.
Around 2006 My style became pretty complex when I began to draw faces in my letters H and A. The faces have evolved over the years and there are many variations. Most people tell me (or talk shit about me) and say they either LOVE my style or they absolutely HATE it. There seems to be no middle ground and of course graffiti politics always comes into play with these things. A writer might love my shit but would never admit it or try to show love or give me props because I’m from the opposite side of town or his boys don’t like my boys… blah blah blah all that lame shit.
KH is my crew and between 2008-2013 it exploded with many members down—all city NYC but a most heavy presence in South Brooklyn. In 2011, I put on and curated a KH Crew show, where we had 56 active members contribute art to the gallery. Nowadays my circle is much smaller and I paint with heads that are much younger than me but kill shit… but also I bomb with a couple OGs that are much older. I’m like at in-between age, but no matter what you wanna call it I’m a lifer in this game. WHAT KH is part of my identity and a big part of who I am as a man in this world. If I die tomorrow I will leave 1000’s of pieces of my life scattered all over this planet.
Some writers that influenced me when I was a young toy and didn’t know shit were (in no particular order): Revs, Madr, Espo, Opie SC, Acid 36, Baal, Doz, Glazer, Roz ACC, Goal, Rate, Ichabod and many many more.
If I had one piece of advice to any young writer it would be this: please do your homework and try as best you can to learn your history before hitting the walls up. Learn who’s who and what’s what. You don’t want to learn the hard way when you go over the wrong person, especially if it’s someone who dead. And please practice your style A LOT before coming out!!
Shout outs to my boys Pen1 DMC and Anso. There are some friendships that just transcend graffiti, even if that’s how we met.
Rest in peace to my boys Jbro and Gems, miss you every day my guys! Only the good die young!
Thank you for having me Bombing Science. Much love and respect! You already!
Follow KASH on instagram
