1. Who are you, where are you from and what crews do you ride for? 
“I’m Moler, I’m from Cincinnati, OH. I rep that dirty dirty UTL Crew.”
 
     2. How did you first start writing graffiti?
“I went to Scribble Jam 2008, it was one of the best days of my life. This was something I’ve never seen before at the time. Crews from all over the country coming together to drop burners in my hometown. I was introduced to some of the heavy hitters at the time. I saw one of the wildest group brawls to date. A dozen or so people beating the absolute dog shit out of each other. I felt right at home and knew this culture was something I needed to be a part of.”
 
     3. How was the graffiti scene/culture when you started compared to today?
“Incredibly different. It was so much more violent back then. This was back before social media. The only way you could connect with other writers was digging through forums like 12oz. There wasn’t much of a safety net with social media either, where you could talk shit and never get corrected for it.”
 
     4. Why the name MOLER? How did that name come about?
“My Ordinary Life Exits Reality. Before I wrote Moler, I wrote a different name for about 7 years. I got caught red handed in Chicago. I got sat down on a curb without cuffs on. While they were taking my info, the other writer I was with came down from the spot and started running off. The second the police took their focus off me and on him, I B-Lined it like my life depended on it through this alley, under a parking garage, into a movie theater parking lot. I sat down for a good 45 minutes. I got a phone call from the homie like, “Hey dude what are you up to tonight?” I knew he was in the clear, he picked me up at the movie theater. I never heard anything from that situation since. But it was in good intentions to change my name.”
 
     5. Who were your major influences? Where do you get your inspiration from?
“I like to think that my style is a combination of 80’s NYC Subways and New School Wildstyle.
Some of my key influences are Rapes(RIP), Hindue, Sofles, Skore, and Paser.”

     6. If you could describe your style as any motorcycle, what bike would it be and why?
“A dirty, beat up Harley Dyna, that doesn’t have breaks. Slow and loud.”
 
     7. What comes first, letters or scheme?
“Letters, I could care less about color schemes. If you can’t flex a black/white scheme your letters are weak.”
 
     8. Many artists experience creative block, what keeps you going and hungry for more?
“I edit my pictures. I rotate, flip, mirror so I can see my letters backwards and find new shapes from it. I also sketch my homies names to come up with new angles, lines, connections etc.”
  9. What is your preference as far as spots? Train/track spots, street spots, channels, bandos/warehouses?
“I came up strictly doing freights but now I see that as a desk job. Up until recently, I’ve only been doing pieces at chill spots. But nothing will ever beat underpasses on the highway with cars rushing right by you.”

     10. What is your favorite paint? Do you stick with the classics or mix in some new school brands?
“Rusto, Rusto, Rusto, Rusto.”
 
     11. Favorite cap?
“Sekt adapter + Boston Fat/Lego Thin.”
 
     12. How would you rate your hands?
“Mehhh, nothing too special. Just fat, simple, clean letters.”
 
     13. We know you for your pieces, but when catching tags, what is your go-to pen/marker/mop?
“I never got into all that specialized bombing shit, like making your own ink or pens or mops and shit. Flat Black Rusto with a fat cap for tags.”
 
     14. What differentiates your work from the rest?
“I try to combine different styles, add different connections. Try to kill negative space in ways no one else is doing. Every time I paint I try to add something new to my pieces.”

     15. Many people write to get their name out, some write for social media clout (Sad but true), some do it just to fuck shit up. What drives you?
“It started out as pure vandalism. No end goal in sight. I wanted my name everywhere, I didn’t care how ugly it was. Then as I progressed, I discovered art through graffiti, not the other way around. Currently the goal is to start selling more canvases, getting better with new mediums besides spray paint, get more mural deals, paint more legal jams.”
 
     16. Does painting freights fully nude help with creative development?
“I encourage everyone to paint something naked. It’s an awesome feeling.”
 
     17. How do you feel about copy cats?
“It’s flattering. Nothing but love, but we see you.”
 
     18. How important is fun?
“The second graffiti starts feeling like a chore is the day I’ll quit. I’ve gone through so many different hobbies in my life, but through graffiti I have a lifetime’s worth of fun and ridiculous situations.”
 
     19. How has graffiti positively impacted your life?
“I’ve been able to travel all across the country networking through people. I’ve met some of my best friends through it. I met my wife through it. I’ve been able to see parts of this country, parts of cities that barely anyone else has seen. It keeps me sharp, motivated and focused.”
 
     20. What was the craziest thing to happen to you while painting?
“God, I don’t know where to start on this one. I’ve seen cops fuck hookers, I’ve had to fight drunk people, I’ve had to take people’s cell phones who are calling the police on me and throw them as far as I could, I’ve seen countless bums having sex. The wildest shit that happened to me wasn’t too long ago. I got in a pretty bad chase and I ended up climbing a barbwire fence to get away. I heard the skin of my palms pop as the barb went through them. It sucked and I puked right away but I had to keep going.”
 
     21. Where do you see graffiti or street culture as a whole, in the next few years?
“Ehh, it’s getting more mainstream. Which is a good and bad thing. It’s being more accepted through murals and legal jams. But bigger clothing companies are starting to steal images without writer consent. It’s an ever-evolving subculture. you’ll always have gritty bombers, and you’ll have people who are selling out tickets to art galleries. It’s hitting the fashion industry pretty hard.”
 
“Shoutouts to the mother fucking Up Too Late, Urban Terror League, Undisputed Trap Lords.
RIP Bronko. Shout to the local Cinci boys who are always progressing. Kill snitches, knockout shit talkers on sight, lift weights paint freights, stack money, when I die bury me with bail money.”

      1. What is your name and where you are from?
“Kentucky Kid, South Louisville”
     
​      2. Do you believe in god?
“Not a Christian God. I definitely believe there is some universal fabric or code. It is more nature than some person.”
 
      3. Do you have a favorite musician or song currently?
“Modest Mouse is my favorite of all time, but my favorite song is Farewell Transmission by Songs: Ohia.”
 
      4. When was your first time catching a tag?
“A tag or a penis? 2004 a friend was mad at some other kid who was painting. So, we took it into our own hands to go cross him out everywhere around the neighborhood. It grew into a passion from that. I watched trains and knew about graffiti. Growing up a punk kid I was used to painting on shit, but the first time I went out and hit a spot was in 2004.”
 
      5. What is a moniker to you?
“A sign or mark from a rider or a worker. There are other people too, but that general culture. A moniker to me has to be a nickname, more than just your tag. People know you personally by that name. You are not just getting your name up necessarily, you sign in where you were or leave notes on where you are headed. What sets it apart from a tag is the intention behind it. Also, simple. I am sick of art school thesis' done with a Sakura and being called a moniker. I like it, but it is more meant to be pulled off quickly.”
 
       6. What does the Ky Kid represent?
“A good representation of my city and state. The wildness and rowdiness of being from here. I am proud of where I am from, and it is easy to feel ashamed from here when you move away. I saw a photographer on IG recently snap a picture of a piece that said I am a KY KID. I like that it resonates with other people.”
 
       7. Who were your major influences? Where do you get your inspiration from?
“Moniker wise, Whistle Blower, Plant Trees, Read More Books, Conrail Twitty. The drawing I do is more of a Colossus of Roads bite. When I first drew it at a young age, I intentionally wanted the motif to be a rider looking off into the wind, but instead of the cowboy it’s a flipped up old baseball cap and a blunt. If you look at the line work a lot of it is very similar. Everyone’s inspiration in monikers is Papaw. There are motifs that get reused a lot like hats and pipes. You may see 100 different ways people draw a cowboy or top hat. I just want to pay homage. I want to keep something classic, but with my spin on it.”
 
      8. Many artists experience creative block, what keeps you going and hungry for more?
“MAD LSD! I also draw the same thing over and over. Usually if I do that long enough I will think of something, but if not I will draw 100 more Ky Kids.”
 
       9. What is your favorite medium?
“100% trains. I like film photography, acrylic paints, and just pen and paper. My favorite is absolutely a streak pen and a boxcar. A shitty ballpoint pen and a shitty piece of paper will keep me occupied.”

      10. What is your favorite tool?
“Markall or Sakura and a rusty boxcar.”
 
      11. How would you rate your hands?
“I don’t want to give a rating and don’t know how to answer. I feel practiced, but repetition always helps.”
 
      12. Did you go to school, college, etc.? Did that have any impact on your style or work?
“I went to three elementary schools, three high schools, I finished high school in homeless education. My last year I was just living at a girl’s house working and painting. I wasn’t worried about what the normal senior had on their mind. Everyone else I grew up with was still in school. My last years of high school were consumed with stealing paint and painting. I would say the lack of school is what influenced it.”
 
      13. When did you fall in love with trains?
“Really young. Really, really young. My Grandfather loved trains, my Uncle worked for Norfolk Southern. My Grandpa would stop traffic when he would pick me up from school. The train would pass and he would stop traffic. Just stop to watch it, people honking and shit. That’s when I first saw graffiti and that is what spoke to me. This yard is the first place I really got into trains. When I was 12 or 13 we would sneak back here and paint these old trailers. One winter when the trees would die, we looked and saw like 1000 trains right there. We would sneak through and take photos and start noticing marks and seeing it is a different world back there. Not many writers back then so we saw certain names and certain marks all the time. That is definitely what did it for me.”
 
      14. What is the risk of train hoping for people who think it is as easy as the movies make it seem?
“It runs from being sliced like butter to getting dropped at some grain silo in the middle of North Dakota, a 30 mile walk from anything. It is dangerous, but also not as dangerous as some people think. You can mitigate the danger. That said, you can be as safe as possible, but if a train derails you are dead. There is always a chance a train hits a car. These trains specifically, CSX sends a nuclear bomb south every day. The tankers they send. If you ride behind a tanker you have the chance of getting blown up. The dangers are things you wouldn’t think about. Unknown dangers.”
 
      15. What is the penalty for getting caught train hopping?
“Kind of depends. I never have actually been in trouble for hopping, but have been caught on trains twice. Both times were a short respectful conversation, I got off, he told me when he would be done and when I could get back on. The other time was here. I fell asleep on a car I thought was going southbound. It backed up into the yard to work, and I woke up and they were lifting shipping containers off the stack car I was on. They were kind of aggressive at first, but when we told them what we were looking for and where we were trying to get, they gave us water and food and told us where to head. Some cities out west you can catch a 10-day mandatory jail sentence. Some bulls will just take you off and give you a warning, some will even let you back on, and some are no questions asked, your bags getting searched and you are doing 10 days. That’s rare.”
 
      16. How do you feel about copycats?
“There is a certain part of graffiti that relies on copying people. There is so much you can do with it. Especially monikers.  I am not going to call someone out for drawing a hat and a cigarette. I have definitely seen one kid recently, even tag me in the picture, say he was inspired by my work. Set it as his profile picture. Went from 30 likes to around 700 on that picture. I don’t care at all because they’re not riding trains and catching hands, but it is frustrating.”
 
      17. How important is fun?
“Very important. Happiness is not important, but fun is very important. That’s the whole point. Fun is not an emotion, emotions come and go. If you are not having fun, what the fuck are you doing?”
 
      18. Tell us about some crazy stories? Any unique interactions?
“Losing a guitar and almost a leg flailing on the Oregon Trunk. Pulling a machete on ravenous tweaked out oogle kids who were sizing up us and our packs outside Davis yard in Roseville (What kinda hobos are y’all? Cause we’re the stabbin’ kind!). Surfing the top of a grainer through an Atmospheric River in Salem, OR. Bailing off the shakiest car in America in the mountains of Northern California like 10 hours before the flat spot on its wheel derailed the train. Smuggling motorbikes and weed and running from (or getting caught and paying off) police in Cambodia. Things are never normal.”
 
      19. Where do you see train hopping and writing in the next few years?
“I don’t know man. One of my buddies was talking to a friend who wrote back in the 90’s. He said nowadays people my age would complain, I wish it was still the 90’s or the early 2000’s, but the guys riding in the 90’s wanted it to be the 80’s and the guys riding in the 80’s wanted it to be the 70’s. There is a lot of shit that is fucked up. There are cameras everywhere, drones, and every farmer now has a cell phone and can call the cops on you. You really can’t trust as many people to not rat you out for it. I also think it’s the best time that there has ever been for riding trains because you have a mini map in your pocket. I can message people from a network of train riders the whole country over. Ask small questions about like, where is a hole in the fence here. The information can be spread easier. They can get information from you easier with cameras and drone surveillance, but at the same time you have the same leg up. Intermodals are definitely the wave. Boxcars are on their way out. Junk trains are on their way out. Intermodals are taking over everything and I used to not like that, but I have ridden several and they are 70 MPH rocket ships. A little higher security, but if that’s the cost to pay for a free ride across the country in a few days then I will take it. I think in the next few years things will start to blow up as the internet starts to eat the culture. For now, it is one of the last real American sub cultures or counter cultures. It regulates itself well. The workers are in on it. There is a shared respect among the people who really practice the culture and that will never go away. No matter how bad security gets, a worker who is sympathetic to you getting where you need to go is going to override all of that. I am pretty optimistic.”
 
“Shoutouts to my brother Weak Link and the Westbound Slipper Gang, my mentor Eugene Bean and the Hang Booty Boys, my bae Marcher Arrant for his cosmically original ideas of geography, and @Lin3han for all his work preserving and sharing real Louisville graffiti history!”

     Jimmy Stanford, well known as Beats by JBlack, is an innovative music producer from Atlanta, Georgia. Founder and CEO of Shadow Black Entertainment, JBlack has been pioneering the MPC game since the beginning of his career. JBlack has a brilliant ear for sampling, organizing sounds, and structural percussive rudiments that truly show in his productions and videos.  The combination of his unique sound, style, and smile, has carved a path to many new audiences! You can find JBlack front and center on the all new GAP Incorporated commercial.

      1. How did you know music was your passion and when did your love of music start? 
“I realized that music was my passion when I was very young. I couldn't really put an age on it, but I knew I came into this world loving music. The love for music started since day one.”
 
     2. Can you play any instruments and if so, how long have you been playing? 
“I can play the drums; the drums were my first instrument when I was 7 years old.”
 
     3. What drew you towards your first MPC and why did you choose that medium? 
“I chose the MPC because I've always had a thing about creating music on the fly, no software or programs just the machine! And the warm sound the MPC gives out is un-matched.”
 
     4. Who are your biggest influences/role models? 
“My biggest influencers are my followers. Having people look up to me only makes me work 10xs harder. My biggest role model I say will have to be my dad.”
 
     5. What is your dreams, goals, and aspirations as a producer? 
“My goal is to get producers seen and the credit that they deserve. My dream is to become a Colgate Ambassador. That would be the smartest move of my career.”
 
     6. Do you have any words of wisdom for upcoming producers? 
“Word of wisdom that I can provide for any music producer or artist, is only make music that you love, don't make music for other people make it for you and other people will follow.”

Southern Roots is a group of individuals who plan large-scale automotive events and gatherings. They have been working together over the past several years to provide high-end meets at unique locations. We had the opportunity to work with them last year and continued our business relationship this year by providing some flyer and sticker designs (ex. above) as well as printing the vinyl. We always have a blast working with these guys and our collaborative ideas only continue to progress, elaborate, and excite!

This year, Fall Southern Roots was located at the Turway Park in Florence, Kentucky. Upon arrival, we were greeted with the humongous entrance and large drive! It was a very inviting feeling entering the meet so "Royally!" The parking lot filled up within the first few hours and overflow was on its way! We were able to escape the booth for a few minutes and explore the vast variety of rides!

After walking by the Lexus RC at our booth, we picked our jaw back up off the floor and pursued to venture! Much of the car scene today consists of big face wheels, tons of negative camber, and glossy paint or wraps. We love and appreciate those builds, but this meet consisted of more than just that. From stance builds, lifted trucks, classic muscle, to drift missiles, and caged track cars! All shapes and sizes of automobiles were here to show out! 

They seem to be consistently hosting around three meets each year. Spring, Summer, and Fall, but we foresee a winter meet in the works. If you know anything about Rotten Collective, you know we only stand by and support those who spread positivity and push the limits of societal standards. We feel Southern Roots is doing just that. Make sure you go follow them on Instagram and Facebook @SouthernRoots2k!

The words “rotten” and “preservation” may not necessarily be synonymous, but the aim of local group “Rotten Collective” is to preserve a tight-knit community that we, as visual art enthusiasts, have developed through our shared passion for personal expression via automotive modifications and memorabilia.

Founded by Craig Bischoff in 2010, the forces behind Rotten Collective have humble beginnings as his simple signature on original art pieces. Craig always had a vision of what the automotive enthusiast community could and should be: inclusive while full of originality and quality builds. All too often we are afraid to step out of our comfort zone and would rather stick with like-minded people with similar cars and interests. Labels such as the Euro scene, JDM scene, muscle car folks, stance kids, etc., are all just dividing us further and further from each other. Are we really all that different?
The bottom line is that we should all appreciate those original and quality builds and look beyond the borders that we so cling to. To me, automotive modifications are absolutely an art form. It’s so refreshing to see a group focusing on that angle and running with it.

​Rotten Collective isn’t focused on solely the automotive community, but it is also promoting appreciation for local art and architecture. As an artist himself, Craig has a knack for the creative approach. He has a unique love and passion for the city of Louisville that he so willfully projects onto others. Rotten isn’t exclusive to Louisville, however, it just happens to be the city that most of us call home. Location isn’t as important as perspective when it comes to appreciating the world around you.
The goal here is to motivate people to take a step back from the keyboard and cell phones and just take in the beauty of your surroundings. We are all too consumed with what the next guy is doing, when really we are wasting precious energy on imitating instead of creating.