Living in the Pacific Northwest and being part of the graffiti scene I seen this Pest guy quite a bit. Predominately in the freight game, nonetheless Pest was a name that I was familiar with. In fact my first post on this blog was a wall he rocked with GYOZA (http://youngsakurakid.tumblr.com/image/58654125027). Then last Christmas I happen to be walking a line streaking some cars, as I walked alongside two coupled cars I see a guy on the other side (I was a bit rattled, wide eyed who the fuck is this look). After a few exchanged words between us he put out his arm across the coupler with his hand out and said “I write Pest”. Like I said earlier I feel a part of this culture and feel moved to contribute any way I can, while also maintaining it’s longevity. So I figured what better way to do so than hitting up one of the first graffiti writer’s I’ve met, for an interview. Shoutout Pest.
AN OFFICIAL ASS INTERVIEW FEAT. PEST aub kof
YSK: What got you into graffiti?
PEST: I spent a lot of my childhood hanging with my cousin who writes vyol. Prior to either of us writing in 03 he was taking some break dancing lessons and was given a dvd called northwest pacific sickness. The video was mainly just a bunch of break battles that were pretty cool but at the end of the video there was a feature mainly on northwest graffiti and seeing all the awesome pieces by crews like TITS, TNK, GN and KOF just attracted me so much I instantly hit my cousins garage for any paint I could find and literally hit the streets mid afternoon rocking throwies and tags.
YSK: Why Pest?
PEST: Pest because in more ways than a million that's what I am. While being a pest and bombing streets hard I literally took it to the next level for my city at least and was sending emails to the chief of police and the lead organizer of the city buff squad taunting them. I had a solid 3 year run after the taunting emails before they even caught me.
YSK: Where you from?
PEST: I'm from the northwest area of the states. I wouldn't like to say specifically where I'm based out of now. But raised in a smaller city called Yakima in Washington. Population about 120,000. Super strong graff scene in my early years coming up for sure.
YSK: How long have you been in the game?
PEST: I've been actively painting since 2003. Minus the 16 months I was locked up. Between 2008 and 2009.
YSK: What do you think about your area's current graffiti scene?
PEST: I think quality wise it's better than its been in a long time. Activity wise I don't think it's as good as its been. The northwest has such a rich talented past that the standards are set soooo high. Personally I strive to keep that tradition going as well as many of my homies here.
YSK: What does "street art" mean to you?
PEST: Not a whole lot. I'm not a fan of what's considered "street art." Graffiti on the other hand means the world to me. I had a very very rough childhood with no father and a mother who was into booze and drugs and I was left often to fend for myself. On top of that I have some social problems and anxiety bullshit. So graffiti was such a great release for me as well as a major confidence booster. Being this malicious celebrity in my city just gave me a feeling like nothing and gave me a sense of importance that I'd never felt. It really helped me in life, when it comes to character and confidence and even a career that no schooling got me.
YSK: Lots of different brands and mediums at our disposal. Your favorites?
PEST: Rusto and adapters are great and that's 90% of what I use, but nothing beats a can of Spanish Montana and a ny fat.
YSK: Streets or freights? Why?
PEST: Since my release from jail in 09 I based my focus on quality and Freights. For obvious reasons.
YSK: You served time for graffiti, like a long time. What was that whole process like?
PEST: The first 60 or so days were rough. Going from having done no jail time basically other than a few days here and there to 16 months when your just hitting you 20's is a hard pill to swallow. When most of my friends are starting careers or schooling I'm sitting in jail and putting my life on hold. After a while you adjust you get a routine and it becomes easier. Its a great time to practice those letters and learn how to piece which is essentially what I did.
YSK: Any crazy stories you can share from a painting experience?
PEST: Yeah, one night me and about 8 of my homies at the time were painting freights and a spot that apparently had security and we had no idea. So there we are just painting like its no ones business when 2 cops roll up on us dukes of hazard style giving us a slight head start due to unintelligent tactics. The 9 of us scarred most of whom take a route different than mine. Cops are hot on my trail when I decide to hop a 8ft chain link fence with barbed wire at the top. At this point Ive lost both my shoes and am barefoot. I get to the top of the fence not giving two fucks about how badly I'm getting tore up by this fence When my foot slips through and I fall and am hanging on the other side of the fence upside down with a leg caught in the barbed wire. As I'm hanging there I see the cops passing me on the other side of the fence chasing my friends. I know I can't hang here all night so I start bouncing my weight and my leg rips out and I'm free. I'm now in the trailer park I live in, in the back of someone's trailer when I see they have a bit of siding missing so I hide under this trailer House in nasty septic mud and an infestation of spiders. I hid there for about 2 hours till I didn't here police going ape shit through my neighborhood. I lost my phone at the yard and it was recovered by the police. I had to stay with my cousin for 3 weeks because the police were camping outside my moms house waiting for me to show up. Luckily no charges ever came of that incident. Pretty lucky but I have 3 of the gnarliest cars that trail from my right kneecap to about and inch from my nutsack from hanging in barbed wire.
YSK: What writers inspire you?
PEST: My crews inspire me. I'm surrounded by such great talent, I'm really lucky. Some of my favorites if I have to nerd out for a second are Hense Msk, Searius lords Oshpt, Bozo, Gets, Sase, Snafu Asic. All those dudes really set a standard that I try to duplicate.
YSK: How long do you see yourself doing graff?
PEST: As long as I possibly can.
YSK: Dreams or goals for the future?
PEST: Just that the trains keep coming and to not catch any cases ever again.
YSK: Advice for new writers or people thinking about writing?
PEST: Research what the fuck your about to get involved in. Know your history and when u catch a case and go to jail, Don't be a pussy and cry about it. What did you think was going to happen when you decided to go out and commit and illegal act. Fuck!
FUN STUFF
Cats or Dogs? Cats
Go to snack? Dots
Favorite beverage? Ask any of my homies. Really though ask any of them, they know
Favorite music artist? Evidence
Favorite movie? The art of story telling
Solo painting or with someone? Someone
If you could have one super power what would it be? Flying
If you could meet anyone dead or alive who would it be? Eddie Guerrero
Celebrity crush? Taylor Swift
YSK: Parting words (final thoughts, shoutouts, how can we keep up with you?)
PEST: This has been cool, it's always flattering when someone wants to feature you in this way. This is such a great culture I get to be a part of. It's played out in so many ways but if you can look past that it's fucking awesome. I've meet some awesome people and have landed myself in a career I enjoy thanks to graffiti.
Keep up with me kind of by following me on the Instagram @goldenpestservice and like all my pictures so I can get sponsored by one of the paint companies! Or something. I've shouted out the scumbags in my crew a few times already so I'll shout out Ex Yakima chief of police Sam Granato who said to me while in jail, "looks like you won't ever tag anyone's property again huh." He was right ;)
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