1. What do you write and where are you from?
I write Dregs One and I was born and raised in San Francisco, CA.
2. How long have you been in the graff game and have you always written the same name?
I caught my first tags in 2001. From then until about 2010 I went through several different names but DREGS is the one that stuck. Even people who didn't write started calling me by that name so I just kept rocking with it and transitioned it to my stage name.
3. Does your name have a special significance for you? Or has doing graffiti changed your life in significant ways?
No, the name doesn't have much significance for me. I saw it in the introduction of "Scarface" and just thought it sounded cool. Regretfully I later discovered that the word doesn't have the most flattering definition. I flipped it to mean that the dregs of society is who I represent for, but I don't really run with that much. I wish I would have picked something a little more fly, meaningful or appealing, but like I said the name has stuck and I don't know what I'd change it to at this point. I do still really like the letters, though.
4. Who were some of your main influences on your art when you were coming up as a kid?
In the early 90s comics and cartoons were on another level. I was a fiend for Marvel comics like X-Men and Spider-Man. And independent comics like Bone, the Maxx, Spawn, Sam and Max, Zen the Intergalactic Ninja. They used to have Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation in San Francisco and that's where I saw Ren and Stimpy for the first time. Those weird, exaggerated styles went hand-in-hand with the graffiti I was seeing by guys like TWIST, DUG, and GIANT.
5. Who are some of your favorite artists that are still running in the Bay Area today in 2024? Do you get as many chances to paint nowadays that you’re growing up and getting more busy with life?
I think Bay Area graffiti has exploded since the Plandemic and I love it. There are writers getting busy on every level, from cutty tags to high-visibility burners. I think CAMEL is on a legendary run right now. FELLS is sick too. I enjoy seeing pieces and throwies by guys like TONE, BMAC, PACE, POST, MACRO. I still see tags by cutty OGs like TRACK and NEWS. And I gotta shout out my man SOBER who's still out there getting up and definitely went all-city a few times. Also shoutout to everyone killing it in Oakland like WIRE and COWER.
Unfortunately I rarely get up these days. I am a full-time creative with multiple sources of income that all demand my constant attention. It's very difficult to find time for things that don't pay the bills, other than my family and self-care. Fortunately I do get paid to paint or do other art projects, so I still get to practice my craft but it's not the same as painting for the love. If I go out and do something, I like to make it a full production- burner, background, characters, etc. That's usually an all-day thing which I rarely have time for. I think that's just part of getting older, although there are plenty of guys my age or above who still get up on the regular- I hella respect that. One time CRAYONE told me he's been painting since 1983, and some years he rarely gets up, other years he crushes, but either way he still stays in the game. I like that approach, and as long as I get to paint a couple times a year or so, I'm still in it. I'll never quit entirely.
6. Do you have a favorite graffiti story or epic bombing hype that will always stick in your mind?
There are so many. Most of them are mainey and not the best endings. But also some that were the most fun times in my life- hanging out with friends all night and exploring the city when no one else was on the street. Other than that I've dealt with just about everything- falls, fights, gangsters, dealers, cops, getaways, arrests, parties, chicks, creeps, fiends. Some nights I would sneak out of the house and walk around all night by myself tagging, then go to school just to catch up on sleep in class. You get so used to seeing crazy shit all the time that after a while it just becomes desensitizing and normal. It's hard to pick a favorite.
7. What is your opinion on people who disagree with legal walls and street art as not being “real graffiti?” Do you consider it to be graffiti?
You can put graffiti letters and styles on a legal wall. But technically a legal wall cannot be graffiti, and I don't necessarily think graffiti should be legalized- I do think it should be decriminalized to some extent. Sitting in jail or prison for painting doesn't benefit anyone. I'm really interested in the question of how something can be public property if it doesn't allow space for public art. But if graffiti was completely legal then it would lose its essence. The idea of resisting authority and totalitarian control is important to me, even if it's in the form of a small marker tag. Some guys are into graffiti just for the sake of vandalism, which I understand and respect for what it is. But I think there's something deeper than that in graffiti- even if it's unintentional- that says I have the right to exist in a society that essentially tries to deny my existence. That's just the nerdy, philosophical, existential stuff I'm into now that I'm a grown ass man and not just some kid tagging on busses.
These days I'm pretty much completely retired from illegal graffiti, which is a struggle for me because I constantly get the itch to catch cutty tags or even go out and bomb. But within the last 5 years or so, I kept getting signs that if I didn't stick to that decision, it would lead to consequences that I just can't afford at this stage in my life. It also came to my attention that because I was publicly known as a musician, local graffiti cops were keeping tabs on me. I'm pretty sure they would make an example of me if they wrapped me up. I've been caught as a juvenile and adult before, and it's wack.
Some haters have criticized me for only doing legal spots, and that's ok. Actually, a lot of the big productions I've had running for the last 8-10 years were done without permission- I just managed to pull them off in broad daylight and make them look like legals. I used to get a big kick out of that. But I got signs from the universe that even that would catch up to me, so I just fell back. If someone disagrees with that approach, it's cool, that's their opinion. Once you reach a certain level of maturity and self-confidence, you realize you have to walk your own path and it's not necessarily going to look like everyone else's. Some cats get older and are still out there bombing and never stopped, which I certainly respect. A few of those types are able to balance illegal graff with grown-folk responsibilities, but I find that to be very rare. A lot of my graff OGs are teachers, business owners, or professional artists, with families. When you're in that position you have to make choices about what sacrifices you're willing to make.
8. What advice would you give the kids who are just getting started in graffiti, kids in middle and high school right now who want to excel in the game?
Well, first off, as much as my inner-teenager hates to say it, I cannot in good faith encourage any kid to get into graffiti. I won't say that graffiti is bad, but it comes with some pretty fucked-up consequences. So, if you are going to get in it, be prepared for those consequences because it's almost unheard of to get into this lifestyle and come out unscathed. That being said, for me it's the art and culture that connected me to graffiti, and I would prioritize that over everything. Get really good at your craft and learn the styles and techniques. Like any creative pursuit, practice everyday- even if it's just for 15 minutes. Put your ideas on paper and then bring them to the wall. That practice and dedication will build your confidence, which will enhance your abilities. Even if you're beefing and battling, getting wrapped up in the courts, or risking your life, safety, and freedom, if you dedicate the time to become dope, that will take you to places beyond graffiti.
Also, while the culture celebrates writers who get up the most and who have the best styles, I find the most important writers in the history books are the ones who give back to the culture. You'll make a bigger mark as a writer if you establish the reputation of being a solid individual.
9. Why do you paint? Have there been different reasons over the years?
When I first started tagging it was a cultural rite of passage that most teenagers in San Francisco go through. It was a way to participate in the urban subculture that was very alluring to me as a youth, and it led me to a community where I met some of my greatest friends to this day. I used it as an outlet to deal with the typical teenage stress of family issues, unfulfilling public schools, and social alienation. When I became an adult and got into piecing, I started challenging myself to push past the limits of what I thought I could accomplish - dope letters, complex color schemes, advanced paint techniques, characters, portraits, background scenes, etc. I also felt rewarded by beautifying the neighborhoods and creating art for the community to see. Nowadays I mostly just do it to stay consistent and true to this practice that's been with me for over 20 years. It's a creative outlet to ease my mind and meditate- I love that feeling of concentration when you're outdoors in the busy city and the only thing you're focused on is the paint coming out of the can and hitting the wall.
10. Could you tell the readers a bit about your podcast as well as give any shoutouts to whomever or plug any of your upcoming projects?
History of the Bay Podcast is available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple and all other podcast platforms. The goal is to create a diverse archive of stories from the Bay, mostly focusing on hip hop and graffiti but also touching on skating, fashion, journalism, activism, and pretty much everything else that makes this place so dope.
We got some big events coming up around the podcast plus I'm always working on music and other creative projects. Check out all my releases under Dregs One on all streaming platforms.
Shoutout to my folks INER, EARSO, DZYER, SPIE, BLURM, SKEW, CEAVER, TOPR, GUS, and all the other writers I ever kicked it with.
