W4G @ "The Spot"

Rene and Mark

Mark and Willi

Doppio

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Interview with the local organizer of write4gold, the guys from "the spot" and doppio, from hiphop.it. check it!

Doppio, tell me at first, who you are, what is your intention in the hiphop culture of italy, and why you provide a website like hiphop.it?

HipHop.it: my name is Doppio, i have been a bboy since 1986 (under the teachin of the mighty CRAS KID - r.i.p.- ), after dancing i start writing walls and bombing trains under different tags (white1, Nest, Dope, Doppio, Re..) and crews (EPD, DBG, BZB) after years of writing my friends and me created the rap group IL REGNO, we opened also the ONE and ONLY REAL hiphop shop in ROMA called the “HIPHOPDiscount” to give youngbloods real hiphop culture and a place to do sketching, watching videos and break training. In these year (99) we opend also the -hiphop.it- site. At first this was simply a shop site but my aim was to tell people who was in the scene (in Italy and around the world) in 80's so i start writin reviews about old school based on my reminds of those facts! In 2003 me and my partener CANZ (God bless your development know how!) decided to create a portal dedicate only to hiphop culture no USA rap bullshit or RnB gossip only italian real scene. We presented officialy at the nationa final of the freestyle battle Tecniiche Perfette. HIPHOP.it is organized to permit everyone write or pubblish their own reviews and writing photos (under our supervision) to create a pole and making informations. Trying to fill the lack of information that we had in Italy in those years. This is our aim: to give italian bboys knowledge basicly formed on the people really live day by day LOCAL hiphop!

Mark,you are  one of the local promoter of write4god italy. Why you organize write4gold italy at your location "The Spot" in Ostia, Rome?

TheSpot: we Mark Di Lello and Willy Zanchelli already organised writing events at our skatepark during the past two years. The event was called "The O.N.E." (Ostia Nostrum Event). We were glad to organise w4g because we knew that it is a great event, with a very high level of competition. During the 2004 edition of The O.N.E. that we organised with Seyo we knew Wow123 and Akut from Germany, and I guess they put in a good word for us with you...

you are satisfied with the write4gold festival in rome? tell me anything about your impressions.

TheSpot: We're really satisfied with the festival, it brought the best italian crews to THE SPOT, so we're becoming well known as a writing location other than a simple skatepark! We think that the format of the event is really good, because it shows the writers' skills in the 4 different disciplines of writing.

Yes, thats right, and, we was very satisfied about the perfect time table, the good preparation and the powerful organisation of this huge event, how it works? it was easy to organize it or there was a lot problems in advance?

TheSpot: We put a lot of effort in organising the festival but it sure was worth it. In Italy, and specially in Rome, writing is not a very well known activity, and is often associated with the idea of vandals scrabbling on walls and monuments, as it has actually happened in Ostia recently, which caused abig scandal on the media. I'm sure that w4g will help people to understand the true artistic spirit of writing! We had some problems organising, specially in order to obtain some cooperation from the local authorities, but it seems all turned out well at the end.

Doppio, what you think about write4gold as you heard about it in first time and when it was?

HipHop.it:  The first time was for the 2nd edition in Germany, my friend Rudy from Montana Germany, he tolds me about this event and i keep in touch with people from Montana to push this event in Italy so when it happened in Italy (modena) in 2004 we was media partener, this year we decide to manage the organization in collaboration with The SPOT skatpark people to have the event in Rome and to create like an old school jam with a relaxin flavor.

and you think it the developement go in the right direction?

HipHop.it: yes i think it's good! there are always some things to improve for everybody but (i speake for italian date) we had people from Sardegna to Milan this is better than words! People want to have jam to meet each other and to express their style..what better of a Write 4gold?! It’a good idea with a lot of new possibilities...nothing to add!

what you think about the write4gold in rome on 14th of june? do you expect so many visitors there? please explain in some sentences your impressions about the competition, the organisation and the quality of the concept walls in comparison to the italian write4gold in 2004.

HipHop.it: Well, we had a lot of writers (we painted something like 600 meters of wall adding that one for the competition and that one extra competion). Very good organisation (The Spot skatepark CREW) payed attention to give: competitors all what they need to paint as well as possible; for the visitors demos (bmx, skateboard, dj set). Unlikely the wall was not so linear and a bit smaller but this did not stopped painting powerfully…about quality honestly i did not expect this kind of quality and diversity! HOT SPOT are difficult words: 2 “o” 2 “t” really not easy! But i saw style improved respect last year.

Bytheway,Mark, you was very angry about the walls outside, especially at the school. There was a lot of strange guys who didnt respect the rules to paint on walls outside or your very nice ramps?

TheSpot: Yes. we were angry about some people writing on the walls out of the spaces we legally could use. This was bad because it was really hard to obtain the authorization to have the "open wall" outside of "THE SPOT", and we were afraid that this would show the public opinion that writers are people that cannot respect the rules. It seemed to us a sort of betrayal... The ramps were not tagged too much, but the toilets are completely covered with tags... Nice ones, but I don't think the Comune di Roma will appreciate them... We'll see!

Doppio, what you think about by yourself, personally, about the decission of the jury? you think people recognized the pointment of the judging system?

HipHop.it: No i’m not agree with the final decision cause it seems judges watched only the lettering but the focus was the “concept painting” so i saw crew taking it more personal.. I mean letters…interpretation, focusig better than VMD (sorry guys but it’s my opinion). VMD did a very stylish wall but less conceptual… But ok it’s a competion with rules so forget this stuff and cam’on guy represent italy as welll as you can!!

..and you think VMD70´s are a good representer of italy at the european finals and have chances to win?

HipHop.it:  They are very good in lettering, very original! but they got a lack in “characters” if they fill this for sure they are very competitive!

Doppio, we was very surprised about the high skills of all the participants in write4gold italy 2005, do you expect these high quality in all categories? Especially the JPEG Crew, the ADS Crew and the THE Crew surprise me personally.

HipHop.it: Italian writing it’s not well known (especially on wall), so it easy to be surprised. We got a lot of crews but only a few are visible over Italy and all the crews take the competion so seriously!… so they did their best! Youngbloods are growing fast with a very personal attitude, i’m curious to see W4G 2006!!! 

you come from rome, it is right that the walls in ostia are the one and only legal walls there? theres no possibility to paint legal in rome, more central? HipHop.it: Central!? You know what you saying!! In the center of Rome there are the Colosseum, Vatican, Fori Imperiali, Navona Place and thousands of historical monuments! No it’s impossible! We got some legal places as Mattatoio near to the center but it’s hard to organize a so important event there! Ostia was good, near the sea… W4G had also a social function there cause that zone is the suburbs. For the very first time people there saw writers doing art not vandalism, youg guys curious passing a different day…. And honestly writing it’s a contemporary expression and it has to live in the contemporary architectural and where cement dominates the street! 

Mark and William, the local organizers told me anything about a big scandal about graffiti few months ago, what you can told me about it?

HipHop.it: He reffers to some bomber who fucked up some important wall; this caused a really bad reaction of the local mayor, he stopped some interesting projects regardinig writing...it’s the same old story 1 stupid man (and writer) can cause damages for 100 good persons!

Doppio, do you think write4gold can help to build a more positive image for the topic graffiti in rome, also for whole italy?

HipHop.it: As i said, especially in the suburb, bombing coexhist with aerosol art, but I prefer to push the second one if the first one is done without style and knowledge!

Mark, what about the plans of the spot for the future, more graffiti events like write4gold? i heard about the etnies championships and some ideas to integrate graffiti there? tell me more about it.

TheSpot: Our project on writing at the moment is to connect with the local authorities in order to select some walls in our city and obtain permission to use them for writing. We'd like to create a "Ostia wall of fame" and some more open legal walls. I'm sure we can make it, and w4g has helped build a good image of writing in our town. You'll see... 30th september-2nd october we're hosting "Etnies European Open" finals for the second year in a row and we'd like to cooperate with your organisation in that occasion. EEO is the highest skateboarding event in Italy this year, and the most important "open" competition in Europe, so it would be good to have some writers present during the competition to paint a wall: we think that high level activities always go well together!

Doppio, you publish on hiphop.it some weeks ago an interview with me as organizer of write4gold . you ask me something about different styles, the question about a further categorie like character painting, or how we can judge so many different styles (korean from italian from american from french). Art is so personal you said. What is your opinion about points like that? And what about the reactions of this interview?

HipHop.it: i believe that the most important thing for a good competition (of writing, of breaking etc) is having a good jury (possibly mixing local bboys and foreigners!) this can help having a wide point of view to judge. Second point is to decide exactly which are the elements to watch, to analize in the competion...so you can fixsome objective points. About your interview...well by my side i was disapointed about the story on the name suggested by Montana Germany (my doubt was always why on www.write4gold.com there is a Montana germany site!?..but the W4G is a Molotow event!!!) (ADDW4G ::new website of w4g:: www.write4gold.info )..and now it's clear! Our readers was curious about the parameters used to find the 8 competitors cause some crew remained out of the competion is very popular... you know the competititon is created for 8 only! that's the biggest problem :-)

Mark, write4gold italy 2006 again at the "the Spot"?

TheSpot: w4g 2006 at THE SPOT? YES PLEASE! It would be a great pleasure, and an enormous challenge for us because our philosophy is to make things better every year. Our walls and efforts are at disposal of your organisation if you decide to bring w4g in Ostia again next year.

many thanks for the interview and you for the big support and the great organisation! Greetings? you want to add anything else?

HipHop.it: Thanks to all the people arrived in the W4G! Thanks to: CantStopFanatics, The Spot Skatepark, dj Zac1, Walter (Bmt rider), Molotow and the W4G performers! VMD you got a big responsability do your best!

to all the guys outthere take a look to www.hiphop.it if you want to know something about italian hiphop.1 love Doppio..

TheSpot: We'd like to thank lots of people that have made the event possible, Cantstopfanatics crew and the judges, the local authorities, our Municipio and Comune di Roma, our bro Seyo from South Rome Style, Andrea Doppio from hiphop.it, Nandone and Caio the dog, our sponsors, all the writers from all over Italy (you're great people, your passion inspires us, so keep on pushing!) and above all, thanks from the deep of our heart to Dario Bensi, the Director of the school that hosts us. Thanks for making THE SPOT possible!