T-Kid 170 begins the interview by discussing his family background and how they came to settle in the Bronx. He discusses his experience as a young child growing up in this neighborhood, his early involvement in gangs, and the start of his interest in graffiti in the 1970s. He explains the origins of his tag. T-Kid describes meeting Padre Dos in high school and what he learned from him. He also cit es Tracy 168 as the mentor who introduced him to the graffiti crew Wild Style, and discusses the skills he learned from him. T-Kid also speaks about his involvement in the creation of two crews: The Nasty Boys and The Vamp Squad, the latter of which he has left. He recounts the development of his book, The Nasty Terrible T-Kid 170 and his documentary of the same name. He reflects on the spread of graffiti outside of New York and its new global status. Some notable stories T-Kid tells include the time he was shot, his experience running the "Ghost Yard" (207th Street repair station), and his infamous fight with Cap MPC
Graffiti artists; Graffiti; Subways--New York (State); Railroad yards--New York (State); Travel; Gangs--New York (State); Graffiteurs; Métros--New York (État); Gares de triage--New York (État); Voyage; travel; Bronx (New York, N.Y.); Inwood (New York, N.Y.); T-Kid
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2022
Physical Description
103 pages; 1 online resource digital preservation master, mp4 file
Note (Biographical)
Julius Cavero, known by the tag T-Kid 170, was born in New Jersey and is the son of Peruvian and Puerto Rican immigrants. He spent most of his childhood growing up in the Bronx, where he first began to write with the tag King 13 FTW. Cavero started wr iting in the Bronx in the 1970s and has been involved with multiple crews, the most notable of which are the Nasty Boys, the Vamp Squad, and Wild Style. He is famous for his lettering and style and has been noted as influential to various writers across the world. He primarily wrote on the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 subway lines
Note
Interviewed by Kurt Boone, Steven Payne, and Pastor Crespo on August 15, 2022