F24 Podcast

This week on F24 we have Sophynails aka So Fly. We had a great chat a couple weeks ago, just before she was off to Bristol. Soph’s got a great story and has been really productive in her culture since a teenager, from Soho records shops to record labels, Miami tracksides to Jams at Stockwell hall of fame and not forgetting her on-going nail career. We chat about her experiences over the years and how its been painting graffiti in London, the social media world and taking on and dealing with life's dramas. A dope honest chat, it was great having her over, enjoy.

This week I have a guy I've known for years and watched his rise, K or as some of you may know him as Kemo SMT and his also for the last couple years, The London Vagabond. He came round with his girlfriend Dana, a creative also and we had a great conversation about his introduction to the graffiti culture through his dad whilst he was in primary school and what life was like growing up in Ruislip at the end of the central line. We chat about education but he explains also how graffiti took over. K has had many run ins with the law over the last 10 years and it started in a dramatic way and he tells us about that and how prison was. We chat about his years of graffiti court cases and more prison time but he also had a the massive positive impact that the culture had on his life and we talk about that what he learnt about himself and the run up to his photography and what that's brought him already. K's been out for 8 months since his last stint in Prison, I think that'll be his last so it was great being

This week on the F24 Podcast we’ve got Maddy or as some of you may know him, Amba SDF. Maddy’s had some adventures and we get into quite a few including his introduction to hip hop and graffiti culture, travelling and living in cities and also about his Syrian family and roots. We’re very close in age so it was amazing for me to hear about his side of London whilst I was exploring mine and also hearing about his run in’s with famous BTP officers. Real great having him over, look out for his show today and on the first Friday of every month on k2kradio.com at 4pm.. Enjoy!

Hello and welcome back to the F24 Podcast, my name is David and each week I invite a creative over to my studio to talk about their interactions and experiences with London culture and creativity. This week’s conversation is with Richard Wilson. You may have seen the worldwide press about Rich’s Will Smith painting that he did in West Philly, an amazing and extremely impressive full body 65ft painting of the Fresh Prince sitting on a chair on the side of a building that sits in a school playground. It is full of references, to the Jordan’s he’s wearing to the t-shirt and cap hanging off the back of the chair and then the chair itself and the leaves wrapped around it’s legs which is homage to his favourite artist and his paintings. An incredible feat from the Londoner, we’ll hear about that whole project, its inception and the work he put into it to make it happen along with where Rich is from, one of the reasons I asked him over, a painting in Acton and what it said to me. The power of art and what led him

So this week, a big treat for me.. A Kilburn Kid and legend out of the manor. London's very own, DJ MK. What a pleasure him coming over, the day before he was interviewing Rick Ross and the day after he was off to Europe to DJ. He's achieved loads and he gives us great insight into his experiences in reading north londons streets, finding graffiti and hip hop and what the city had on offer and how he worked and planned his route to making a name for himself in the DJ world. MK's list of accomilshments is crazy and I think quite a few firsts which is always appreciated, door opening for years like a true gent. Had a great converstation with him, enjoy This is F24.

This weeks interview is with artist Bill Daggs. Bill has just finished his BA in fine art and had his first  show since graduation, I went.. It was dope and you’ll hear us talk about that. Really great having him coming over as we have been in the same circles for 20 odd years from Kilburn, graffiti and hip hop but never really got to meet properly. He went under the name Pryme / PrymeSource with the Def Defiers and Underground Alliance. I’m sure he rapped at the shop with Undali I know for sure Doobie ‘ Lucid Mover’ introduced me to his music and with his ear I knew I’d be onto a good thing, that was years ago, Bill cracked on and went in, we have a great conversation about his influences in music, living in London and honest chats about thraphy and growing and his art.. The music in the background, its his.. check his Soundcloud and his art at billdagss on Instagram. Enjoy.. this is f24.

This week’s interview is with Luis Lopez Smith, you may have heard about his company Tottenham Textiles an amazing walk in studio on Seven Sisters. I met Luis when I was visiting my mate Jonny Banger, his shop is next door to Luis’. Jonny being the gent he is and knowing how much I ‘d love to see the space, I met Luis. I was completely amazed! What a space, loads of machinery, screen beds, exposure units, carousels, work benches, an amazing ceiling and two beautiful little saffys! The work he produces with his colleagues in that space is unique, beautifully designed and manufactured and inspiring. I didn’t know much about Luis and Tottenham Textiles other than my visit to the space and seeing his fly pieces on their Instagram @tottenhamtextiles. Luis has had a great journey so far and we talk about his education and time at the Royal College where he got his BA in Men’s Fashion, working for different brands and also teaching at university level, eventually getting to Tottenham Textiles. I’m always hearing g

So this week, another one from my extended cultural family is London’s one and only, Theo Keating otherwise known as the infamous Fake Blood and UK Graffiti’s very own Snatch CWS/ PFB/TO… This guy, since ive been in the culture, this guy’s pieces have been it for me.. I might be looking and reminiscing at the past with glazed eyes but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bad piece by this guy.. All fire, all the time.. My favourites must include the '93 Unity Jam piece in Fulham, crazy cool and fresh and would stand up today easily, 25 yrs on and you hear us chat about that painting and more but apart from just getting my graffiti drenched brain more fodder another reason I got Theo round was to hear about how he got into music and what lead him to make a career out of it and one with so much adventure too! We talk loads about music and all types from Nicky Blackmarket and his influence in Jungle music to Acid House and making his own music also Really great him coming over and getting to hear about his journey. Th

This weeks interview is with Britain's very own TY, a musician from Brixton. I found TY's music early on in moving to Brighton, I was in HMV on western rd. with my best mate Nick and we heard some amazing sounds over the stores speakers, I asked what it was and copped the vinyl straight away. It became one of the larger parts of the soundtrack for that time in my life and it was also one of the first UK Hip Hop albums I bought a culture that would become incredibly important to me over the following years, not a bad intro huh Amazing to have him round, a real pleasure. Enjoy!

This weeks chat is with Jimi from GANG Studio. I’ve known Jimi for years, a lot of you have also. We met in the early 2000’s through our shared good friend and Brighton stalwart Jode. When I met him he was already thoroughly on his journey with creativity, I remember a time I was getting interviewed for a magazine, they were doing a piece on my shop, we’d just started working with Jimi and the interviewer suggested we were taking him under our wing, which may have been the perception but not the reality, my friend replied by saying, Jimi’s too big to fit under our wings, meaning he was already a creative force to be reckoned with, with an unrivalled skill set and vision. He had the spirit, the energy and the belief that he just could do, and do he would. He’s produced loads of great work which we’ll hear about but tell you what though, it was really interesting him explaining that belief in himself and its root and how that behaviour, attitude, the ‘I’ll have a go’ approach to things wasn’t all it cracked up

This week we have Jonny Banger, or as some of you may know him, Sports Banger. I've known Jonny for years, since my days in Brighton. When I met him he was a DJing round the city at various events and he actually ended up, along with his good friend Daps holding down the decks at the open mics I used to put on at my shop every weekend or so. I saw the start of his first brand which was hilarious as it was very unexpected and took the UK hip hop scene by storm, there was a real clear wave of resonation, understanding and simplicity that came from that first Tshirt, it was perfect for the scene and the public gave back the same energy, Jonny is that guy. He understands, he gets it and quite clearly too. This was dope, getting to fill in the gaps, talk about old times and hear about his journey so far, also getting a glimpse into what Sports Banger is about and, well you must know me by now, the story hunter, I loved it. Enjoy.. This is F24.

So keeping up with the hunting of stories, the feeding of minds, the words from the wise this week I have one of the UK’s first graffiti writers Richard Sen aka Coma who came over and dropped history and knowledge on the graffiti culture right from the start of our scene and his interactions and experiences with the culture which led him onto being a DJ and music producer and his interest in criminology and what happens when culture and crime mix. Richard has done a lot, it was an absolute pleasure to sit with him and get his story. An amazing conversation, enjoy! This is F24.

This week I had Charlie Shazer visit from Kids Love Ink East. Charlie has been tattooing for 20 odd years, a true patron to the art of the tattoo he owns and runs a great parlour off Brick Lane in East London. It was another great interaction, I’ve known Charlie for a few years but as usual getting this quality time to find out about peoples journeys was a real eye opener. This is F24, enjoy..

This week we have Josh Cole a photographer and director living in London. This is a jam packed story, Josh has had quiet a mad and hard working journey. I met him when I did Faking It on channel 4.. I was the teacher and Josh was one of the judges at the end of the program who had to guess If the guy was a real graffiti artist or not.. Josh was the only one to pick him out. We've known each other ever since. But as in all cases, I wanted to know the story, this is Josh's and its inspiring.. Enjoy, this is F24.

This weeks creative is Mark Sinckler, London Graffiti’s very own PRIME. Mark is an integral to the path I chose. When I first met him I was 16/17 years old, 1996/7. I was working in a dead end job selling advertising space in an Arabic Newspaper based in West Hampstead. I don’t think I sold one advert but what I did manage to do was to persuade the editor to let me write a piece and interview Mark about his paintings at the time where he was using Arabic text in his murals. It was a blag, I hadn’t written anything other than a tag since leaving school but idea was going to get me to meet a London Don! I’d only been writing graffiti for about 2 years but even then I loved learning about the culture I was getting deeper into and after seeing Primes pieces in graphotism and seeing his a tag of his that stayed for years on one of the tunnel entrances at Farringdon I knew I had to meet this man.. I did, we met in a café on Kilburn High Rd late one mid week night and he was a gent. I wasn’t sure if he knew how old

This week Tom Inkfestish Blackford came over and we had an amazing chat.. Tom is an artist, an illustrator by trade and also paints graffiti. He came into the culture from a different angle and it was great to hear the journey.. This is his story of London, Culture and Creativity. Enjoy!

Harry is a photographer and used to be a graffiti writer, labelled the million pound vandal by the UK press and is from Kensal Rise. He's run through a couple cultures on his route to creativity. He's a big lad, covered in tattoos, sports a vest in the summer months and could be intimidating if you saw him jump out on you on the Bakerloo line with his camera but when chatting to him it breaks down all perceptions and it was really cool chatting to him about his influences and experiences in his story about London, Culture and Creativity.

This week I have Olivia Skalkos on F24. Olivia is a true artist and for work is a production and project manager for the Moniker Art Fair, which this week is having it's first NY show, get to it if your in the big apple. I met Olivia when she worked at Chrome and Black, London's premier graffiti supplies store and she came and filled in the gaps about what she did before to what she does now. This is her London, Culture and Creativity story.

This weeks chat is with Micall Parknsun, Husband, Father, lyricist and producer. Parky is from Kilburn, North West London, where I'm from. We're the same age and know the same people but didn't meet until the mid 2000's when he walked into my shop in Brighton. It was dope chatting about the manor and hearing about his experiences. This is his London, Culture and Creativity story.

This weeks chat is with Novar FLIP a rapper, journalist and host of The Flip Life Show on Pyro Radio. It was great catching up and talking with him this week, this is his experience with London, culture and creativity.. enjoy.