Kurt Boone discusses his childhood growing up in Cambria Heights, Queens and reflects on the influence of crime and drugs on his community. He also describes his work in the juvenile crime prevention organization, Counselor for Positive Progress. He also gives his reflections on the growth of urban/Hip-Hop culture in Queens during this time. Boone shares his interest in business and discusses the n otable lack of Black executives in the corporate world. Boone narrates his initial interest in messenger work and his subsequent experiences at various companies like Rapid Messenger Service, Mobile Messenger Service, Getty Images, and others. Some messenger stories he mentions includes: working in Ground Zero immediately after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, being one of the first foot messengers for various courier apps, and his involvement with the bike messenger community. Boone recounts his introduction into the graffiti world and his relationships with famous graffiti pioneers like Phase 2 and Butch 2. He also shares more details about his current work in marketing, photography, writing, publishing, and street culture
Messengers; Community activists; Executives, Black; Graffiti artists; Graffiti; September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001; Bicycle messengers; Cambria Heights (New York, N.Y.); Boone, Kurt B
Format
oral histories; ephemera
Genre
Interviews
Date
2021
Physical Description
65 pages; 1 online resource digital preservation master, M4A file
Note (Biographical)
Kurt Boone was born in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn on September 24, 1959, and grew up in Cambria Heights, Queens. His mother was a private registered nurse and his father was a postal worker. Boone holds a degree in business administration from Los A ngeles City College. In the early 1990s, he started his own company, Boone Marketing Company, which helped minority-owned businesses with marketing. To help finance this business, he began working as a foot messenger at Rapid Messenger Service, where his reputation as one of the fastest foot messengers in New York City even garnered attention from The New York Times. Boone is an author, poet, oral historian, and photographer whose work focuses on urban culture. He has published numerous books on graffiti, messenger culture, and his own personal life. He also launched the streetwear apparel/book company, Messenger 841, named after his personal foot messenger dispatch name
Note
Interviewed by Brendan McInerney on December 6, 2021