Omega Uti Interview

Sight Zilla talks with the legendary Omega from the Uti crew. Omega started doing graffiti in 1986 and joined Uti in 1987. Omega is a legendary Los Angeles icon and the Godmother of Los Angeles graffiti. She is a pioneer and a true visionary. Feel her heartbeat in this interview.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:01

I'm here with the legendary um one of a kind uh Omega from UTI. Um I'm a young buck, so I don't know too much about her, but from what I saw and what I heard about her from other people, um, she's a very amazing um person. She's very important to the culture, and she has a lot of history, a lot of wisdom, and I hope one day she unveils it or reveals it or locks it in in a book, autobiography, or a memoir, because it's so important to document uh great people like her. Uh because once if she ever desired decided to transition, then all those stories, all those memories are gone with her. So I'm here with Omega. And I guess my first question is why Omega?

SPEAKER_00 1:15

Well, first, thank you so much. That was an amazing intro. Wow. I'm just like, whoa, okay, okay. Um, I got I got my name. Um at first I started writing fire and I was like 15, 16 years old. I was a skater, and I had like this copper red hair, and I was like, ooh, fire, like I locked into that. And then I was always like just going over the hill back and forth, taking the you know, 420, 560 over the hill, blah blah blah. And um in that route, uh we always passed like the the sororities by the UCLA and I was always looking at them, kind of you know, checking them out. And then just I kept seeing Omega and it just kept like resonating with me. And then I locked into the meaning of it, and you know, it was it was like a it was a thing. It wasn't like, oh I'm just gonna write something. You know, it was like, yeah, let's go. Omega, that's it. And then I just switched it up and here I am.

SPEAKER_03 2:08

I mean Omega's a deep name.

SPEAKER_00 2:10

That's what I'm saying, it resonates deeply with me. It's like the end.

SPEAKER_03 2:14

Okay, so like how does Omega resonate with you now than it did before when you first started writing it?

SPEAKER_00 2:23

It it still means the end. I mean, there's the Alpha, the Omega. You know, um, in and so in a personal way, it's like the end of a lot of shit. You know, a lot of shit that I won't put up with anymore either. Like just even my it like you said, past life, past life, future life, and you know, present life. You know, what I will not put up with, you know, people crossing my boundaries or you know, finding out who I am spiritually and finding out where that resonates within my my spirit and my soul. And you know, maybe it locks more into boundaries if I had to simplify it.

SPEAKER_03 2:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 2:58

You know? There's an end. I mean like there's an end, bruh.

SPEAKER_03 3:03

Like, don't even so like right now, like is graffiti like right now, is it more religious or spiritual for you?

SPEAKER_00 3:10

Oh dang. It's it's uh religious is a in a in a word, like a structure. Spiritual is from your heart and your soul, so it's definitely spiritual.

SPEAKER_01 3:22

Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_03 3:26

That's dope. I like that. Um so you what year did you start writing?

SPEAKER_00 3:36

I'll give it 86. I mean, I was playing around with it as a kid, high school, 15, 16, skater chick, whatever. And you know, but I would say I really started tagging and mobbing when I was 16.

SPEAKER_01 3:49

Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:50

So I'd leave at like 2 a.m. Because I figure ah people are asleep, you know. Just mob the whole fucking valley and then come home around six in the morning, because that's how I noticed like people started going to work. It's like, oh, now there's fucking cars on the road. Dang, okay. So I gotta lock in this four-hour time slot. Yeah. And I would just mob, you know, and with a skateboard you can cover a lot of ground.

SPEAKER_03 4:13

I I wasn't mobbing back then, 1986.

SPEAKER_00 4:17

So good. Yeah, no fucking cameras everywhere, no surveillance up your ass. Like, it was awesome. I mean, okay, let this truck away. I would say the only downside was I was a girl, a teenage girl, and and walking around between, you know, say, you know, two and six, and um, all the predators are out. Well, that was fun. Yeah, you know what I mean? There was many times when I had to like duck into a store and kind of like, you know, because I knew some dude was following me around the block or whatever. It was it was dangerous. But you know, I just did my thing.

SPEAKER_03 4:55

Is it do you think it's safer for girls to do graffiti nowadays, or is it the same thing?

SPEAKER_00 4:59

It's the same. You always gotta watch your back. Yeah as a female, always. No matter what you're doing. But I mean, you can put yourself out there in the streets, you especially gotta watch your back. You know, and I used to go mobbing by myself. A couple times I went with somebody, we got caught. I was like, fuck that. Like But nowadays they're like, oh, I can't get caught slipping, you know, go by yourself. I'm like, fuck it, I'll just act fucking homeless. I don't give a fuck. Sorry, I guess a lot.

SPEAKER_03 5:27

No, you're good. You gotta be a sweet.

SPEAKER_00 5:28

If I get sweated, I'll just be like, I just want you to be fiercely authentic. I will play the role.

SPEAKER_03 5:37

Um what year did you get into UTI?

SPEAKER_00 5:41

Oh my god, 87.

SPEAKER_03 5:42

87.

SPEAKER_00 5:44

Oh my god, I'm cracking myself up. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 5:47

So like, yeah, did you find UTI or did UTI find you?

SPEAKER_00 5:52

Uh they found me, essentially. I mean, I knew of them because I was always mobbing the the woodman yard. So part of my mobbing every night was I'd also pop into the woodman yard, the tracks, and I just like grabbed a spot and I would always paint over my name, my same spot every every single night. I would just paint over my shit just to get can control, get experience, and work on letters, and it was always fire, fire, fire, and then it switched into Omega, so it was always this spot right here. And of course, that's the UTI yard. Yeah, you know? So they kept seeing me and doing weird shit, and and I was always seeing them like badasses, and I was like, whoa. So you know, we we started yeah, there's a whole story about how they rolled up, but okay, so like is UTI when you're out there riding, what other crews were you seeing up, and was UTI the crew that you wanted to be from?

SPEAKER_03 6:44

Or the any other crews that caught your eye?

SPEAKER_00 6:46

Not really, I wasn't thinking crew back then. I was like I was a skater chick. I'm just like, yeah, I'm just out mobbing or whatever. And it was all about like um who you're down with, like your friend group, basically. They say it now, your friend group. But um, it's like you know, who you roll with, and so Almost the skaters, yeah, there was all the 818 heads, like Else, and um damn, there was a shit ton of people. Lurk was up. I don't even remember the cruiser from. Um that's gonna sound so bad, but we were kids and whatever, and I was just running around. And um, yeah, a whole bunch of people is in my in my head right now, but their names. Remember, I told you I don't remember names everyone.

SPEAKER_01 7:25

Yeah, I remember that.

SPEAKER_00 7:26

Alright, we're still here in that same moment. But uh, so anyway, I was painting one day at the Woodman and then I see some fucking from end to end you can get busted, okay? So cops would go over here, cops would go over there. If you see something, they're like, Woo, they'd roll up, and so we like um we punched a bunch of holes in the wall so we could like you know scale over and dip out onto fucking Bourbon, Woodman right there, no, um Victory. But anyway, um so I see this car tearing down the woodman, I'm like, fuck. But it was the UTIs in the GTA Skill, Swan, I want to say Master, Smurf, Resin, and Snap. And they're just tearing down and they're like Dust Cloud.

SPEAKER_01 8:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:11

And they look at me and I look at them, I was like, shh, what the fuck am I gonna have to deal with right now? Because I didn't know what people look like and I didn't know who they were. And they're like, fuck, you're Omega? And I was like, Yeah, what the fuck? It was like, who are you? And it was like, oh, we're the UTIs. I'm like, oh shit, and then we all started like talking or whatever. They're like, damn, I thought Omega was a dude. I'm like, well, I told everybody Omega was a dude, like you know, because I was just playing it off. Oh yeah, Omega's some big old dude, like giant ass, you know, like dude, like and uh, and so anyway, we kind of laughed on it, and then a little bit later they uh came around again and asked me to be in the crew. Nice, yeah, and I was like, yeah, fuck yeah, because I like them, they like me. We're like became cool, you know, painting together, mobbing together.

SPEAKER_03 8:59

Um you speak about yards a lot, and uh back in the day there were a lot more yards.

SPEAKER_00 9:06

Yes, oh my god.

SPEAKER_03 9:07

Um I used to go to the Belmont in those last days. Uh what's your what's your best memory that uh of the Belmont tunnels?

SPEAKER_00 9:16

Damn, just getting down every single time, top to bottom.

SPEAKER_03 9:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:20

And some shit we laugh about is all the overspray on the car lot up top.

SPEAKER_01 9:25

Yeah. You know, they used to be all mad.

SPEAKER_00 9:26

Like top to bottom, like overspraying all their fucking brand new cars. I'm like, whoa, don't park so close. But anyway, yeah, it was just good times, man. Battles and it's where we'd meet up and hang out, and the valley heads would always like come over there and meet the over-the-hill heads, and it was just a cool little meetup spot, you know.

SPEAKER_03 9:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:47

And of course, that's how we communicated back then. There was no phones, it was like we'd see each other's pieces, you know, and tags, and like, oh yeah, so and so. Oh, funny story though, um, when I first went to the Belmont, I was taking the buses, but I didn't really know where it was. So I'll just like jump on a bus and like fuck it, I'll just catch a bus. I'll see it. Yeah, we're gonna pass it somewhere. And some some dude got on the bus and I was like, alright, this guy looks like a rider. I'll just see where he's going. And I'm just like low-key, checking him out. And then like he gets off there, and I oh, I'm just gonna kinda follow him right now.

SPEAKER_01 10:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:18

I follow him a little bit, and we go to Belmont, and it was fucking Duke.

SPEAKER_01 10:21

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 10:23

I was like, yeah, that's how I met Duke.

SPEAKER_03 10:28

Um, so like you're a jack of all trades. You can do it all. I see, I know you can break dance. I don't know about now.

SPEAKER_00 10:39

No, no.

SPEAKER_03 10:40

You didn't break dance back then?

SPEAKER_00 10:41

No, okay, look, look. I'm gonna give I'm gonna say I gave it a fair shot. A fair shot, okay, at the hip hop shop. Because like Zulu Gremlin was always there, and you know all the all the heads, you know, fucking little Caesar and Chuckle and all the all the dudes were always there. And they were so fucking badass. And I was like, damn, you don't fucking easy rock. And I'm like, damn. And then I was like one time, like, hey Zulu, um, I'm like, Grams, can you like just show me something? He's like, Yeah, let me show you the little the little footwork, the little circle footwork.

SPEAKER_03 11:09

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:09

And oh, I was so happy when I got it, even, but even it was still whack, whack as fuck. And then one time I landed, one, just one, windmill. Okay, that's it. And then I was like, Yes, I have arrived, and then you know, you've been better than me.

SPEAKER_03 11:25

I can never get that.

SPEAKER_00 11:26

No, bro, like I have no kind of breakdancer, but I was always around it. I love it.

SPEAKER_03 11:30

You weren't pop blocking or nothing like that?

SPEAKER_00 11:31

No, no, it wasn't. I mean, I love it. I I no, I would never even remotely say I was in into that. I mean, as far as myself, I'm into it, but as far as me doing it, I mean I could fake it, you know. I mean, but but I saw some chance.

SPEAKER_03 11:47

I saw some weird propaganda that had you included in it, and I don't know how it's true or not.

SPEAKER_00 11:54

Well, let's go.

SPEAKER_03 11:55

But I had you doing Zumba. Do you do Zumba?

SPEAKER_00 11:57

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I do Zumba. That's a weird problem. I literally do that. I'm a Zumba instructor, so that's what I'm saying. I dance, so but I would never say I was a breaker or like a hop locker, but like I could I could get involved a little bit. Yeah, yeah, you know, but yeah, yeah, I'm a Zoom instructor even now.

SPEAKER_03 12:14

Oh, you still oh yeah. So how's that business going?

SPEAKER_00 12:16

It's alright. You know, the pandemic um got me all uh the business, like people got weird. Yeah, and so I had to rebuild, rebuild, rebuild. You know, it's just constantly rebuilding, bro. Constantly, you know. But yeah, I still teach every Sunday.

SPEAKER_03 12:30

So is the dancing is what keeps you young and looking young?

SPEAKER_00 12:33

Well, thank you. I would hope so. And I would just say, you know, keeping just yourself true to yourself and not getting all stressed out about shit. You know, you get stressed. I'm like, I tell people, bro, like when you stress, like it just gives you gray hairs and wrinkles. Like just stop the stress, like literally relax your face, enjoy your moment, be present, you know, and do what makes you feel good inside. You know, so dancing and all that, yes, it does.

SPEAKER_03 13:01

So has graffiti been like that that vehicle that helped you on your journeys become who you are today?

SPEAKER_00 13:09

Hell yeah. Yeah. It's such a great outlet.

SPEAKER_03 13:13

Yeah?

SPEAKER_00 13:14

Yeah, like this dude, I painted him. I was so mad at somebody.

SPEAKER_03 13:17

What's this dude's name?

SPEAKER_00 13:18

I don't know, I just call him my my man G ass rat. Because I was so fucking mad.

SPEAKER_01 13:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 13:24

I felt like somebody, I had let somebody, you know, cross some boundaries and I was just like, you know, I get my emotions out through my painting. You know, it feels good and I like the smell of the paint.

SPEAKER_01 13:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:36

Yeah, I don't care if people you should wear a mask. I'm like, yeah, you should.

SPEAKER_01 13:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:40

You know, but whatever. Rock on, man.

SPEAKER_03 13:44

Is there a do you have a favorite brand of paint that you like to paint with? Um because some people say some cut better than others and some.

SPEAKER_00 13:51

It depends. I've got you know, I love 94, but I hate their metallics. I love the dang paint. Their metallics are fucking fire, and all their paints fire.

SPEAKER_01 14:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:02

Um, it's opaque and it doesn't fade in the sun. I really love hardcore.

SPEAKER_01 14:07

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 14:07

Hardcore for the the smooth lines, and then little green tips with the the gray dots for the skinny skinny lines, better than banana caps all day. Universals, whatever you want to call them.

SPEAKER_01 14:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:19

So good. But yeah, you know, figured out. Like, you know, I'll fucking paint with ketchup and mustard. I don't give a fuck. Let's go.

SPEAKER_03 14:29

So, like, I was walking up, I was walking up, and Omega was setting up outside her studio. And um the studio's been here for a couple years. Um what does this studio mean to you and what does it mean for the community?

SPEAKER_00 14:47

It's my happy space, like fuck Disneyland. This is the happiest place on earth.

SPEAKER_01 14:51

Okay for me.

SPEAKER_00 14:52

Alright. So, you know, again, you know, I've been open for a couple years. I had a uh really cool um sessions. Here's some jammies, I had Omega Fest, we also did Barbic Fusion, and as far as bringing in the community, that is my entire goal. Is it looks small, I call it small but mighty. So, like, just take everything out and had like six artists displaying um all the painting outside and the the vending and the food and and the people from the neighborhood would come out, and it was just so great to meet people and talk to them, and as far as like community bringing people together, that's what art does. So um graffiti art being something that some people feel, I call the civilians, feel like ooh, scary scary, like you know, like come through, man. Yeah, you know, we're professional people, like we're not scary scary. It's all good, and um, you know, to be respectful to like as far as community, again, to be respectful, you know, like I'll paint more on Sundays because the businesses are closed, my neighbor is closed, they don't have a small paint. So just being respectful to the neighborhood and you know, that's that's what it is. It's showing respect to everybody as human beings, no matter what.

SPEAKER_03 16:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:08

It doesn't matter what or who or how or what, just be respectful.

SPEAKER_01 16:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:13

Do you feel like do you feel like um because when I walked up, you you you didn't even know who I was. You greeted me with a smile, and you're always smiling. Uh do you and then the vibes that you give are so good and so uh soothing and heartwarming.

SPEAKER_02 16:29

Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 16:30

No gas, but I feel like you do you feel like you're the the heart of UTI? Cause I feel like that. And I don't even know you.

SPEAKER_00 16:39

Wow. I I love that you said that and I thank you for saying that. Um that's really just my personal legacy. I want to leave like when I'm on the wrong side of the dirt. You know, I hope that I have left something that in your thoughts if you thought of me would be a good thought. Whether it's something our interactions, maybe I don't know, I supported you or gave you something or this or that or just showed love or you know, somewhere. That's my goal is literally when I'm dead. That I've left something good behind. That means a lot to me. And I don't feel like I'm a heart of UTI because that is the heartbeat of UTI. Like every member has that same mentality, should have that same mentality, and you get in the crew for two things craft, of course, and conduct.

SPEAKER_01 17:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:34

And so what we're talking about now is conduct.

SPEAKER_01 17:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:37

And so so many people in UTI are just beautiful souls, you know, the biggest hearts in the whole world, and we're all like that. And if you're not like that, you're up for discussion. You know, we don't cause problems for people. Good morning.

SPEAKER_03 17:52

Yeah, but like it's like everything, everything you're saying is good and true and real, but I feel like I think women bring balance and very much a lot of different levels of nurturing that a guy can't bring. True. And we need more of you for this community. And then the question is, how can we have more of you so we can balance out uh this culture so it can be uh even more spiritual or more um beneficial to whatever journey someone's on?

SPEAKER_00 18:33

Uh uh first of all, thank you. That was beautiful. And I would just encourage each individual to look at our our inner self and say, who am I? Am I bringing um joy to the world? Am I bringing peace to the world? Am I being kind? Am I being giving? Am I am I nurturing? Or flip that coin over? Am I taking? Am I always talking shit? Am I gossiping? Am I a mooch? Like, like, there, you know, just look at who you want to be. So look at your legacy that you're leaving. And if you feel like you gotta do some inner work, go do that work. Like, get therapy if you need to. There's no shame in that. You know, like therapy just brings clarity. And you know, I would encourage us, especially in this society we live in right now, that's the the brain is is frazzled on so many levels. 90,000 plus, you know, marketing images in our visuals and in our our audios. And you know, by the time you get home, you don't even realize shoulders are all up and like woo. You know what I mean? Like, and that's just from driving home, you know, like billboards and and and whatever. So I know I'm going on off on some stuff, but speaking the truth. It's really important to take that time to look at yourself inside. What do I want to leave? What do I want to leave my children or my future children, my marriage person, or or if you're single, you know, anybody you meet, like who do you want to be as a human being? So that's all that matters in the end.

SPEAKER_03 20:09

So are you a graffiti mentor right now?

SPEAKER_00 20:12

Uh I mean I don't call myself that, but like, you know, I mean, like, shoot. I'm down to like chill with people if they want to chill. I you can have some it's important. Let's go.

SPEAKER_03 20:22

It's needed.

SPEAKER_00 20:23

I'm always here for anybody.

SPEAKER_03 20:25

Okay, so you know, so what's the address to this shop?

SPEAKER_00 20:29

It is 11408 Collins Street. And what out? C O L L I N S Street.

SPEAKER_03 20:35

And what hours are you opening?

SPEAKER_00 20:36

Monday through Friday, 10 to 5.

SPEAKER_03 20:38

Okay, so you guys hear that she's willing to be a graffiti mentor.

SPEAKER_00 20:43

Yeah, come through, come through.

SPEAKER_03 20:44

Come through, hang out with her, support, and get some wisdom, get some knowledge.

SPEAKER_00 20:48

But she'll do black books. Yeah. Let's talk and shit.

SPEAKER_03 20:51

She'll get some understanding, yeah. Um there's a lot of people doing graffiti right now that are new to the game and they don't have mentors, they don't have that positive uh introduction. Um I guess how is how do you see graffiti today versus what it was back in the day, back in the 80s? I mean like now it's it's more I guess you can say like I went to prison for it. Now people are not going to prison for it.

SPEAKER_00 21:35

But you get pulled over for it now. Yeah. Damn, I can't believe that happened to you.

SPEAKER_03 21:39

That's what happened to a lot of people. There's a guy, I just met a guy that got ten years. Well, I heard about a guy that got more time than me, he got ten years, but that never made the news.

SPEAKER_00 21:48

But um that's like people getting busted for like pot, remember back in the day, now it's all legal. Like people who did time for it back, you know what I'm saying? It's not just talking. Yeah, no, no, it's just like you know it's on the same level, like you know.

SPEAKER_03 21:59

I mean Like you you you've been you've done you uh you've seen graffiti in the 80s, the nineties, or some people call it the 1900s. Um the late 1900s. Um the early 2000s. What are some of the pros and cons that you've seen from graffiti uh as you lived it through this era or different eras?

SPEAKER_00 22:24

Uh pros um the the advancement in everybody's tiles is fucking phenomenal.

SPEAKER_01 22:31

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 22:32

And the fact that it's another pro is um we do have social media, so you can get on like Instagram and look around and see what's happening in Europe in Japan and you know, even in your own city that you aren't aware of, which is kind of cool. Um we used to only have magazines for that. If you uh got in on, you know, like there was kind of control and everything else, but like you know, dope at Mac and hell yeah. But um, you know, now that the the exposure has widened from from internet.

SPEAKER_03 23:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:05

Um cons to that, geo tracking, fucking surveillance, you know, you're putting yourself out there just like like just have a little breadcrumb all the way to your front fucking door, come catch me. Yeah, you know, like people not being smart about that. You know, like don't be showing tags, and then your face, you be turning around. I'm like, yeah, I see that shit, and I'm just like, whoa. You know, but whatever. Um, you know, just keep it cool, you know, or go use an alias if you got like a real pop-in IG or whatever. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? Like whatever, and just like you know, cover your face, do your thing, you know, blah blah. Um I I think people should go to greater lengths to to have their faces covered and um not get caught. Like leave your phone in your car, bro. Yeah, come back tomorrow and get your pictures.

SPEAKER_01 23:58

Yeah. Yeah. You know what I was saying?

SPEAKER_00 24:00

Like, that's geo jacking. Yeah. You know, and your your retinas and and you're you're all graphed, everybody's computer like graphed out. You're just about to get caught.

SPEAKER_03 24:10

Yeah, they have uh come on man. We're bombing in uh I was bombing in New York last weekend, and uh one of the riders was that was with me said that uh he already got caught twice through facial recognition.

SPEAKER_00 24:25

That's all it is.

SPEAKER_03 24:26

And then the cops pulled up, they pulled up, yeah. Uh they didn't say anything first, they just pulled up and started recording. And then off of that, they get the facial recognition off of that, and then they go for you after that.

SPEAKER_00 24:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 24:39

And I was tripping out, like, wow.

SPEAKER_00 24:42

Like, you you know, be smart.

SPEAKER_03 24:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:45

Or get caught. Okay, there it is. Be smart or get caught.

SPEAKER_01 24:48

There you go.

SPEAKER_00 24:48

Ta-da!

SPEAKER_01 24:50

Yeah, it's it's wild.

SPEAKER_00 24:51

So I mean that's that's a huge con. But as far as like, you know, um what everyone's doing, I think it's dope. You know, I love seeing everybody's styles, it's fresh, and there's so many girls bombing, dude. I was like, that's that just makes you feel proud as a female, you know.

SPEAKER_03 25:07

Especially in LA, there's a lot of women badass. Yeah, and they're badass.

SPEAKER_00 25:11

We're learning. Yeah, you know, we all start somewhere and we learn, you know.

SPEAKER_03 25:14

There's a lot. And they and they're and they give zero zero fucks. They are out there, they don't care, they're hanging off of freeways.

SPEAKER_02 25:24

I know, dude.

SPEAKER_03 25:26

Um they're going harder than some of uh most of the guys out here.

SPEAKER_00 25:29

So some of them, yeah. We got them getting down on the repels. It's fucking badass. We got a girl in our cruise Jotsy, you should get down on the repels.

unknown 25:39

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 25:40

Um, a lot of props to that girl. Seen her up uh Florida, I think.

SPEAKER_03 25:45

Okay, so who's your um interesting? Who's your top ten female graffiti writers all time?

SPEAKER_00 25:52

All time?

SPEAKER_03 25:53

All time.

SPEAKER_00 25:54

Okay, all ten.

SPEAKER_03 25:55

You gotta put yourself in there though.

SPEAKER_00 25:56

Okay, okay. All time though, I gotta give it to Pink because she she held it down. She's the OG.

SPEAKER_03 26:01

Which pink? There's a lot of Lady Pink, New York. Lady Pink, okay.

SPEAKER_00 26:04

Unfortunately, there shouldn't be. Okay. There should be one. I'm I'm an old school culture. I'm old school on there. Speak your truth, please. I'm old school. Keep your name original.

SPEAKER_01 26:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:15

Um, you know, there's plenty of original names out there. People are like, oh no, they're all taken. Well, fucking.

SPEAKER_03 26:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:21

Not if you could think. There's a dictionary.

SPEAKER_03 26:24

There's plenty of words in there, you know.

SPEAKER_00 26:26

You could pick up different uh different language, you could spell something in reverse, you could mix it up, like fucking look at amazing digital circus, like picking names off the little fucking roll call. You know, like fucking bro, like, come on. There is no excuse to not be original, so let's just start there.

SPEAKER_03 26:41

So let's say like uh someone starts writing Omega. Are you gone? Are you coming from?

SPEAKER_00 26:46

I am coming for them. Um there was a full I don't wanna even talk about him because I'm gonna give him props, but outside of the country, um, and I was like, someone brought it to my attention, and I just like put little clown, clown, clown on his shit, and then I blocked his ass. But then like, but years and years ago, then this is probably gonna come back, so get ready for it. Facebook, the days of Facebook. Some dude, I wanna say in San Francisco or some shit. Oh yeah, wait, how many years ago? Maybe close to 20 years ago. Okay. Oh, emailed me. Look at us, we're putting in the work for the same name. And it took me back. I was like, what the fuck? I was like, what the fuck am I reading right now?

SPEAKER_01 27:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:34

Oh, look at us, we're putting in work for the same name.

SPEAKER_03 27:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:38

Motherfucker. So anyway, the conversation went on. He was trying to be nice, but I basically called him out and said, Come to LA, I'll fucking battle your ass.

SPEAKER_01 27:46

Damn.

SPEAKER_00 27:47

Never did. But I still will, so Did he change your name after that? I have no idea. Not my monkey. Fix it or shut the fuck up or come here and I'll battle your ass. Don't take my fucking name. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 27:59

I respect that.

SPEAKER_00 28:01

But people are gonna still do it.

SPEAKER_03 28:02

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:03

But that's my opinion.

SPEAKER_03 28:05

No, that's and it's valid.

SPEAKER_00 28:08

It's just old school. I'm old school. Okay. Now let me flip the point on that. There's a new school thought process.

SPEAKER_03 28:14

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 28:15

If they're in a different country, if they're so far away, if they're in a different city, da da da da da. There is a cultural um space where people have learned uh or accepted that that's okay. Now let's flip the coin back over.

SPEAKER_01 28:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:33

If your ass wants to start breakdancing and call yourself Crazy Legs, there's only one Crazy Legs. You feel me?

SPEAKER_03 28:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:42

Okay. So don't.

SPEAKER_03 28:44

Yeah. No, I understand. I get you. I get you.

SPEAKER_00 28:49

It is what it is.

SPEAKER_03 28:50

No, no, I know it's valid. It's valid.

SPEAKER_00 28:53

It's my opinion. And I I can have keep it to myself. I'm always if anybody asks me, that's exactly the answer I've given across the board. And I'll never change that answer. So if somebody wants to go write, whatever they want to write, yeah. I mean Drew interviewed me one time and he's like, hey Omega, what makes someone a toy? I didn't have to think about it. I'm like someone taking someone else's name.

SPEAKER_03 29:16

Damn. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:21

Get as good as you want. Don't give a fuck.

SPEAKER_03 29:25

Okay. Alright. Alright, so that being said.

SPEAKER_00 29:30

Oh, go back to my heel.

SPEAKER_03 29:36

All the hood came out of you right now.

SPEAKER_00 29:39

Not all of it, but I was I was, you know. Oh yeah, top ten girls. I really I like that girl, Aura.

SPEAKER_01 29:47

Aura.

SPEAKER_00 29:48

A-U-R-A. Okay. I think she's like out in um Europe. Um that was a lot of water. I'm sorry, that was just tripping me up.

SPEAKER_03 29:59

It's a waterfall. From the airplane that she had.

SPEAKER_00 30:02

I see, okay, Aura. There's some girls in the crew that I really like too. I mean, I'm not gonna not say them. Yeah, say them. So um Ayla, A-I-L-A. I really like her work.

SPEAKER_03 30:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 30:13

And Calico, she's our young one.

SPEAKER_03 30:15

Calico's bad.

SPEAKER_00 30:16

She's dope, dude.

SPEAKER_03 30:17

She's dope, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:18

And that's Bess's daughter. And she's been at it for quite some years. And she's still like barely what eighteen?

SPEAKER_03 30:25

She's she's the Kobe Bryant. Like she's number eight, Kobe Bryant.

SPEAKER_00 30:28

I mean, yeah, yeah. And I was so blessed, you know, to get her get her in the crew. Um there was this girl, I haven't checked up on her. I don't even know if she's doing graph anymore, but she used to write, or maybe she does, human? Um, like H-U-E, like the color hue. Mm-hmm. M-A-N. Uh-uh. I thought about her the other day. I don't know when look her up.

SPEAKER_03 30:49

Okay. Um. So that's what, four?

SPEAKER_00 30:52

Yeah. I like Mad C. Mad C. She gets down.

SPEAKER_03 30:55

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 30:59

I really like gel. I like her style. Jel? She's got um hey. Yeah, TKO. Um, she's got a really uh nice uh like mirror style. Jel is uh very swirly, very creative. I like it. Yeah, you know, and she's got a dope style, but she never like cookie-cutters herself. But you know it's her because she's got her brand.

SPEAKER_01 31:21

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:22

You know? So I like that about her style. I don't know, I'm I'm pretty picky pants, dude.

SPEAKER_03 31:28

Oh, well be picky.

SPEAKER_00 31:30

Um I don't know if I even be picky pants all day. I can't say I have ten.

SPEAKER_03 31:37

Okay. You don't have ten? I think that's six, right? You just need four more.

SPEAKER_00 31:42

I'm not keeping track.

SPEAKER_03 31:43

You said put myself on there four more, four more, okay, four more names.

SPEAKER_00 31:47

Let's do it. Damn. Nobody got nothing for you.

SPEAKER_03 31:54

Nobody from the past. Nobody from the present.

SPEAKER_00 31:58

I mean, I I lock into like dope ass fucking art.

SPEAKER_01 32:01

I don't care if you're a girl or dude. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:03

But if I have to think of a girl, like I'm thinking of like my top ten favorite like artist, like, oh, is that a girl? Is that a dude? I'm like, I don't know. Was it duh or duh? Like, no. I think we're good.

SPEAKER_03 32:13

Okay, so I might remember some shit later, but okay, we'll keep it at we'll keep it at six.

SPEAKER_00 32:19

Um and don't get offended if your name wasn't called, please, people out there in the world. I'm picky.

unknown 32:28

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 32:28

That was a question, it's gonna get me in trouble. No, you'll you'll like Jews question.

SPEAKER_03 32:33

You'll remember some um you'll remember some names after the interview's over and be like, oh yeah. Yeah, okay, okay.

SPEAKER_00 32:39

Can we do that? Can we bounce back to that? Okay.

SPEAKER_03 32:42

Yeah, okay. Um So and as far as UTI, um, where do you want to see UTI go? Where do you want it to be to become? I mean UTI is already a great crew, has a lot of community, very diverse, um brings a lot of uh wisdom and jewels to the world. And to but where do you want it to go? Where do you want to see UTI after you transitioned? Where would you want it to be? What would you want it to represent?

SPEAKER_00 33:20

Um community first, love and unity. Um what UTI basically is unite to ignite. And that's where I would love to see um hard to ignite it into uh like you said, kids, new kids, and whatever. Yeah, um become a path we all started doing graffiti because somewhere we were needing this outlet. Okay and without getting too graphic about it, maybe like fucked up homes, all of us had some fucked up fucking situation. And we were kind of like that was our outlet, you know, like skating too, like you know, just like duh, you know, like you get it out there and you're like fuck everybody, you know. You got this fucking this angst, this rebellion, this everything, like whether it's against society or you know, the way your home life is is fucking with you, you know, you didn't plan that. You're born into that shit. That's just just happening to you. The fuck, you know, and if art could be your outlet and you want to go put it on a wall, like that's what I want to see unite to ignite, be an inspiration to the young ones. Like you said, when we're gone, when us older ones are dead and gone. Yeah, you know, and the founders, skill and snap, and you know, we're all up in our fifties, you know, about to be 56, you know what I'm saying? So and they're like 57, I think. See, see, you're older, but anyway, um but you know, I want to have that be an outlet, and personally what I want to do is um get the crew. I want my goal is to get funded with grants and everything else and have like a traveling team of us that go to other countries and and give that opportunity. Some some kids never even been on an airplane. Yeah, they never even been out of LA.

SPEAKER_01 35:14

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:14

Everyone's in the fucking ocean, dude.

SPEAKER_01 35:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:17

And we're right here.

SPEAKER_01 35:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:18

And you know, like if if we can work together as a collective organization um to provide that for those traveling moments and put those murals up. We did that with the Earth Crew back in '90, eighty-nine, ninety, ninety-one. And Helen Samuels put us over into Mexico and we painted and we got funded, and it was amazing. It was an amazing experience. I want to give that. I want to do that.

SPEAKER_01 35:44

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 35:45

You know, so in the bigger picture, that's what I want to do for the crew. You know, not just be like, ooh, ooh, I want to do that on a bigger scale.

SPEAKER_03 35:54

I mean, there's a lot of people in crews right now, they can't even like they can't even found, you know, they can't even really realize what each side gives them, but like, how do you know? Because you've seen crews come and go. And you see crews do the best for people and the worst for people. How do you know if you're in the right crew?

SPEAKER_00 36:19

Oh, you know, dude. What do you mean?

SPEAKER_03 36:21

Like, how do you know?

SPEAKER_00 36:22

Well, they say that I know it sounds like a little like a quote, but your vibe attracts your tribe.

SPEAKER_01 36:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:28

You know, so again, really cool people are gonna be attracted to you, like even you when you're chillin', you know, you meet a new crowd of people, you end up kicking it with some new new person, you're like, yeah, that was a cool little homie. You know, or if he's whack, you'd be like, ugh, vibes, bro. Like, you know, your spirit knows. Yeah, you know, so if you want to be like a fucking knucklehead, you're gonna lock in with knuckleheads.

SPEAKER_01 36:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:51

But if you want to be cool and and learn and grow, and like you said, UTI always gives back.

SPEAKER_01 36:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:58

And be a mentor, like you you mentioned too, that was a great word to say, then you know, all like we had like a massive um recruiting wave from 2025 till now, like maybe a hundred ten people got in. I heard about that, and it was crazy because it used to be like one person was on a prospect for an entire year. Yeah, you know, but skill had this whole vision. Um, he came, you know, got January 25. He had an entire new vision.

SPEAKER_03 37:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:28

And he locked in this whole recruiting wave, and he's got us in like studio chapters and and leaderships, and you know, it's like we're all very, very organized. It's just like a um a corporation. You know, so we have our our departments, we have our leads, we have our chats, we have our personal check text groups with communication, you know. Um so you know, it's and every single person I can say has been such a great human being. And again, that's what I'm saying. Like, that's how you know. Yeah, people will tell you, oh, I I came to the crew, I came to the meeting, and I felt like I known you guys forever. That's the heart of ETI. That's how you know. If that's what you're down for. Yeah. If you're a knucklehead, you'll find your knucklehead crew.

SPEAKER_03 38:14

Yeah, yeah. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 38:17

It is what it is.

SPEAKER_03 38:18

Okay, so I asked this question to everybody. Uh, tool of choice, and why? A streak, a scribe, or a spray can.

SPEAKER_00 38:28

Cans all day.

SPEAKER_03 38:29

Why?

SPEAKER_00 38:30

Because I can get down anywhere I want to on a can.

SPEAKER_01 38:32

Yeah?

SPEAKER_00 38:33

I can go, I can go big, small, do little cuts, do a big ass hit. Yep.

SPEAKER_03 38:40

And do you have a favorite tip? I mean, there's like a hundred tips nowadays.

SPEAKER_00 38:44

What's your My favorite one is the green one I mentioned. It's it's not see-through, it's like uh, it's not the neon one with the red dots. That's a fat cap. Yeah. But it's like uh, it looks like a little darker than a jungle green, but it's got a gray dot.

SPEAKER_01 38:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 38:59

And I love those.

SPEAKER_03 39:01

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 39:01

They're skinny caps, they're so good.

SPEAKER_03 39:04

So this last question. I'm gonna ask I'd I just want to get your opinion on it. Okay. Because I feel like maybe um a woman could do explain it better or have better advice. Um sometimes there's people, there's women that come to me and they need help in getting better. And uh they get caught up in this trap of of guys trying to hook up or guys trying to like uh get them in their crew in exchange for giving them wisdom, knowledge, and advice. So there's a lot of women coming up doing graffiti. Um they don't know how to get involved. Uh some of them don't know how to get involved in the culture in the right groups. What's your advice for a girl? I so I met so many women that love graffiti, they want to get into it, but they don't know how. But unfortunately, no shot. I mean, like, men can be real kind of toxic, patriarchal, misogynistic, whatever. Um, and then sometimes women can be patriarchal too because of that's what they learn from other guys. So they go to certain women and they get chewed out or disrespected. What's the best way for a woman in the culture to get a proper introduction, not knowing who to trust and who to go to um this journey?

SPEAKER_00 40:41

Come up on your art, not your ass.

SPEAKER_03 40:44

Okay. Alright. That's it.

SPEAKER_00 40:49

That's it.

SPEAKER_03 40:49

Or they can just come here and talk to you.

SPEAKER_00 40:51

Don't be a hoe. I mean, I'm saying that girl to girl, like if I had to say that to a girl, yeah, like don't be a hoe. Don't don't dude hop. Because guys don't care. Guys are just as much hoes as girls are, but guys don't get the connotation.

SPEAKER_01 41:09

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:10

So a girl has to be really extra careful. Extra careful.

SPEAKER_01 41:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:14

And if you really want to have respect, come up on your art, not your ass. Draw on your book, get your chops in, practice on the wall, get your can control down. Your style's gonna work itself out.

SPEAKER_01 41:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:29

As long as you're doing those things.

SPEAKER_01 41:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:31

But do not break up with a dude and then start talking shit and start being that girl, because now you've lost everything. There's no comebacks from that.

SPEAKER_01 41:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:42

No comebacks. And if that's who a girl is, I would highly recommend. I don't mean to sound this in any type of way, I would highly recommend personal therapy to find out where her wounds are and why she's acting that way so she can be a better human being in the long run. For herself.

SPEAKER_03 42:03

Okay. I'm gonna tell I'm just gonna tell the girls to come over here and talk to you and get some get some mentorship.

SPEAKER_01 42:11

I'm down.

SPEAKER_03 42:12

Because you have yeah, you got so many years in the game, you got the wisdom, you've seen it all. You've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. And you have I know you have wisdom for everyone, not just women, on the do's and don'ts, which will help them, and I think that's why you're so important to the culture, because you have all this knowledge, all this wisdom to pour into people's cups, so they won't make the same mistakes that other people did that will get them in trouble, that will get them hurt, that will get them killed, you know?

SPEAKER_00 42:44

So facts. It's there's there's rules.

SPEAKER_03 42:47

So, like, people are looking for you.

SPEAKER_00 42:49

They're not crazy, but you gotta know them.

SPEAKER_03 42:51

Yeah, there's a lot of people looking for you, they just don't know you yet and haven't found you yet.

SPEAKER_00 42:56

I'm down. Everybody is always welcome here.

SPEAKER_03 42:59

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 43:00

Yep. My chair, your chair.

SPEAKER_03 43:02

Yeah, long, yeah. We just need and you you have a good vibe. Um, some I I met some people that over-explain shit. Are man explain shit, yeah, are talking circles. But um Omega here has she's a real one. Thank you. And at least she smiles when she does, when she talks shit.

SPEAKER_00 43:28

I will always keep it real, bro. I'll keep it real.

SPEAKER_03 43:32

Okay. Um wrap up this interview, but is there any shoutouts you want to give to anybody?

SPEAKER_00 43:40

Let's just give shoutouts to Skill and Snap.

SPEAKER_03 43:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 43:43

Started the crew back in '86, shot, third member in, and all our RIPs, you know, Ghost, Dash, and the 14 members that have passed, unfortunately. And um, those are like just amazing human beings, and it it was a great loss. So, you know, shout out to the entire crew for just keep rocking. They're killing it out there. Damn, they're killing it out there. So keep up, stay up, let's go.

SPEAKER_03 44:12

Okay. Any uh message you want to give to the people you haven't met yet?

SPEAKER_00 44:18

I highly encourage you to draw.

SPEAKER_01 44:21

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 44:22

Get in your black book.

unknown 44:23

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 44:24

That's where you work it out. And you had mentioned if somebody wanted to start or this or that or wanted to get better. It's all about drawing. And that is becoming somewhat of a lost culture.

SPEAKER_01 44:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:37

Within our culture, and I am always promoting it.

SPEAKER_03 44:40

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 44:41

Get in your book.

SPEAKER_03 44:42

So do we get in your book? Do we need more black book sessions or more rider benches?

SPEAKER_00 44:46

Hell yeah.

SPEAKER_03 44:46

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 44:47

Always. We used to always have a book on us. What happened to that? It's what happened to that.

SPEAKER_03 44:52

You know what?

SPEAKER_00 44:53

You know what I'm saying? Even if it's a napkin, who cares if it's a fucking book?

SPEAKER_03 44:56

Yeah, we used to draw it. They were like our Bibles. Um yeah, when I was coming up.

SPEAKER_00 45:02

I don't care what it is. Just fucking, oh, I want to draw an eyeball. How can I draw an eyeball better? Just fucking, I don't know, draw.

SPEAKER_03 45:09

I mean, I have a lot of that. I mean, I was I've been going to New York a lot lately, and they have a lot of that culture still where we're m we'll be at graph shops or studios 20, 30 deep. Just hanging out. I love that. Meeting up, going to hit missions together. I love that. Um, just drawing in books, drawing in st just hanging out.

SPEAKER_00 45:32

Mm-hmm. And then even if we hit a tag in the homie's book.

SPEAKER_03 45:35

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:36

And then you look back at it and like, oh, that homie has passed away. Yeah. You know, RP. You treasure that. I have search tags in my book. Yeah. Like, I treasure that page.

SPEAKER_03 45:48

Rest in peace search. You know what I'm saying? Like, damn. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:51

You know, it's it's a culture that we need to uphold. It's our black book culture. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 45:55

Okay. Yeah. New York, I felt that in New York. I don't know what we have to do out here in LA to get back to that. But I can tell you.

SPEAKER_00 46:07

I've seen a flat black shop in uh in the desert.

SPEAKER_03 46:10

Oh yeah, she Bones runs it, right?

SPEAKER_00 46:12

I don't know who does, but I see them always posting um that they have black book sessions, so shout out to them for that. Shout out to um Hi, are you here for a pickup? Yeah. Okay. Okay. Real quick, um, shout out to uh the Pomona Shop, Overspray. They do that too.

SPEAKER_01 46:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 46:30

And so I just want to get shout outs and props to those two shops because I see them promote it all the time. Oh, and graph fruits.

SPEAKER_03 46:37

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 46:38

Okay, let me have another customer real quick. Okay, sorry.

SPEAKER_03 46:41

So that's we're gonna wrap this interview up. Uh Omega had to go take care of a customer, but um uh we're pretty we're we're done. Umega one come to our gallery, her studio get some knowledge, get some wisdom, get some community.