Iz was from the New York borough of Queens. Beginning in 1972, he became a long reigning All-City king of New York known primarily for his quick, simple two letter tag, Iz represented a new breed of fame-obsessed writers concerned with finding the perfect balance between quantity and quality. He was also featured in the 1983 documentary Style Wars.

From years of using toxic aerosol products without any type of protective mask, Iz was diagnosed with kidney failure in 1996. In early 2000, in an interview for Style Wars revisited, he commented that he would give up all his past fame for full health. In August of 2003 he held a gallery showcasing his legal artwork in New York.

IZ also had his art cameoed in the game: Marc Ecko's Getting Up.

After struggling with kidney failure for many years, Iz The Wiz passed away on the 18th of June, 2009.

Yo, I'm from Flushing, NY so I's gots to represent. In '69 I moved to the Boogie Down Bronx. In '72 when IZ began his reign, I was 12 years old and have seen his work all over NYC. Be it at a Handball court in a park, on the side of a building, or on a Subway train.

IZ gets mad props, and much respect. R.I.P. IZ....................

'NUFF SAID

Born and raised in Flushing myself. Currently in Bayside.Being a teenager in Queens, you just wrote graffiti. It was just a rite of passage for everyone of us.

31 now.

What's good Pete? I grew up on the corner of Farrington St. & Northern Blvd. Used to catch the Q66 Bus in front of the old RKO Movie Theartre to go to my Aunt's house in Corona. She used to live on the corner of 103rd St. & Northern Blvd.

Went to PS 214 too! Back in the day when I was living there, Flushing was multi-racial. Now it's all Korean!!! I know you know 'bout the 7 Train!!! Back in the 60's, if you would walk down to the end of Farrington St., under the Van Wyck Expy, there was an amusment park there called The Adventures Inn. The place was better than Six Flags back then. We used to play hookie from school there. They tore it down back in the 70's. I think there's a Pathmark there now.

When I moved to the Bronx in '69, when the Mets, Jets, & the Knicks ruled the sports world, I grew up on E 173rd St, between Boston Rd. & Southern Blvd. You could catch the 7 Train from Flushing to Times Square, then catch the 2 or the 5 Train to E 174th St. Walk down one block towards JHS 98, make a left, and there's my old bldg right in the middle of the block. It's still there too!!! Or you could catch the Q44 from Main St in Flushing, ride it across the Whitestone Br. into the Bronx, and get off at Tremont Ave. Then you catch the BX26 Bus to E 173rd ST, and get off in front of JHS 98.

Moving to the Bronx was a "Culture Shock" for me. The 'Hood was mostly Puerto Ricans and Blacks. I had to learn how to fight wit' the quickness, 'cause those Cats didn't play!!! That's when I started noticing IZ's work around '72 - '73. But he wasn't the only Cat out there leaving his legacy around town!!!

As a matter of fact, if you walk up E 173rd St. towards Boston Rd, there's a little street just before you get to Boston Rd. called Minford Pl. From that corner to a quarter of the way down the block on your left is a long wall. That wall is legendary 'cause that's were all the Graffitti artists and Gang Members would leave their marks.

If you happen to be in that 'Hood, and if you look very hard, you'll notice a Giant Puerto Rican Flag. It's very faded because of the years gone by, but I was there when they painted it back in '73,!!! I remember it well 'cause I was 13 and just started JHS 98 across the street from that wall!!! And it was also the year that Bruce Lee died!!! We used to play Handball on that wall, whenever we didn't feel like walking up to Crotona Park!!!

Man let me stop, I'm making myself homesick!!!

'NUFF SAID

Great story KBallenger53/Petey Awol
Nice to hear some history from over the pond.
Didn't have spray can paint in my days, just as well probably would have ended up in the nick!

Back in Flushing (North East Queens) we had this crew called TMR. They pretty much were the biggest crew back in that time around here. They even made the cover of the New York Daily News because back in the mid 80's I guess the media couldnt resist writing about middle to lower middle class white kids brawling in the streets every night. They wrote about how they used to terrorize the Bay Terrece shopping center with their crazyness. How they were all drug taking car thieves...etc etc etc. The cover of the paper had them sitting on the highest wall on the Clearview Expressway sitting atop a 30 foot high TMR graffiti piece. I knew a few older cats that were down with that all.

Those were the glory years where you'd catch kids with the cardboard in the school yards all over Queens. Hip Hop was brand new and still fresh and finally the white kids were getting into it. Chuck D of Public Enemy used to say how white america was getting scared because thier children were getting into rap music on a whole. I'm that generation he was talking about. I can remeber when the media used to say that Rap as just a fad and would die out. Then next thing you knew you had Fred Flistone and Barney Rubble trying to sell ceral while rapping and all that other stuff.

Great stories guys, I myself used to live in Corona Queens back then 1975. In the late 70's I used to hangout with Soap, Apache, Lobo, The Crespo brothers and so on. Riding on the 7 line was so much fun, back then leaving John Bowne H.S. that was the subway I used.

Yes KB I agee you needed to know how to fight because back then if they noticed you were soft you'll be picked on all the time.

New York City was a tough city but at the same time it was incredible and I'm glad to have been part of that era.

Never met IZ but much respect and R.I.P.

quote:

Originally posted by ford93:
Great stories guys, I myself used to live in Corona Queens back then 1975. In the late 70's I used to hangout with Soap, Apache, Lobo, The Crespo brothers and so on. Riding on the 7 line was so much fun, back then leaving John Bowne H.S. that was the subway I used.

Yes KB I agee you needed to know how to fight because back then if they noticed you were soft you'll be picked on all the time.

New York City was a tough city but at the same time it was incredible and I'm glad to have been part of that era.

Never met IZ but much respect and R.I.P.

You know what time it is Juan! As a matter of fact, I'm up here as we speak. I've been here since June 26th, spending the July 4th Holiday with the Fam!!!

Right now I'm typing this over at my Sis's crib in W. Orange, NJ!!! Gonna spend some more time with my Mom's and Family over in the City. Check out the old 'Hoods, and head back to Jacksonville, FL on July 5th!!!

So far I'm having a blast. You know how it is up here, NON-STOP ACTION baby!!!

'NUFF SAID