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I was looking at some old graff flicks and came across a picture with a Hek piece in the back , now for those that don't know, How long have you been in the graff game ?
HEK: How long have i been in the graff game,well I've been writing since 1982.
1276: How did you get into it graffiti and do you run with any crews?
HEK: Well, my uncle was into it and he used to write NEK the original NEK, TC5, TC the crew,Skeme ,Blazer all those older cats . I got into it cause my moms apartment in the Bronx faced the 4 train, so i would always see the graffiti. It was like I want to do that shit one day but i didn't have a name. My uncle came to me and was like, if you want do graffiti you have to find a name first . I thought of all types of stupid names Shock, Shark but my uncle was like I'm going to give you a name Hec but Hek with the letter K, because cats were writing Hec with the C already. So from 82-85 i was Hek. Then from 85-86 everyone started putting me down with crews.
I remember I put up TVS and got jumped. Dudes tried to beat me down but i knew how to run the tracks. I was a skinny dude back then and these were big dudes . TVS stood for the VAMP SQUAD, so if you were down with whoever and they had beef you were down you were catching it .
1276: when did the TAD come about?
HEK: 1985-86, I was in the train yard with some of my boys and here's this toy, I was like this dudes a toy, he's not down. From there I was like "toys ain't down" (TAD). Holy shit!! that's my crew. From there, mad people kept pushing TAD. From there, I put it together Hektad. People think its one name, but its my tag and my crew. It's sort of like COPE2 sometimes its Cope2 and sometimes it's KD .
1276: Speaking of COPE2, with the influx of graff writers doing art shows, do you see graff going mainstream , dying out or just changing as a whole since its golden period?
HEK: Its changed a lot, can't see it dying completely, but yea its changed. I couldn't do a big beautiful piece back in the day. Shit, it was about bombing, there were so many bombers back then, nobody was thinking about doing big beautiful walls . Now that they're doing big walls, everyone's an artist. It's like for instance, if you have a bathtub and you fill it with water and a bunch of those little ducks eventually some float to the bottom and a few stay a float. That's when you see who's who .
I've been doing this for 30 plus years. I feel like its my time. I put in enough work thousands of hours , but we'll see its like everything now. Everyone's an artist ,DJ, photographer but it will die down. Time reveals all.
1276: So street art, a lot of your pieces are themed around love and decorated hearts. Can you elaborate on that whats the message around that?
HEK: I do the heart thing man. Actually I've been doing the heart thing since '95. To tell you the truth. I've been doing this way before that dude goldsmith and way before brainwash. When I met him, I let know I got slides with the date and all . But at that time I was rolling with Zone and art wasn't popping like now. There was no Instagram. We didn't have any of that. So what was I doing it for? no body cared, no one was taking pictures. Now I do a heart and everyone is taking pictures. I mean it was just something I was doing back then, I just decided to bring it back. Plus the kids like it, people like it and i like doing corny things people get it. Its not over complicated .
1276: Is there a favorite piece or a piece you're most proud of to date that you've done?
HEK: My favorite piece believe it or not is the piano under the bridge because there was something ghostly about it.
1276: When I saw the post of that piano, I thought that was photo shopped there's no way there's a piano down there!
HEK: yeah, well it was real. It took three of us to bring it there. We flipped it on it's back to get it over the rail, slid it on its back then dragged it to the spot and sat it upright. I can hear my boys now, why are you doing this? This is fucking stupid!! . Yea, I knew what i was doing with that.. Funny enough, I was going to go back after setting it up a few days later and the news was all over it. there's more to this story but we won't get into that !
1276: Now with the development of social media in the past few years how has it effected your art?
HEK: It makes its so much easier, I can do a piece and yea people will see it. When they come across it but with Facebook and Instagram, its not only seen on a local level but a global level . I have people from Dubai hitting me up for work now, it's great!
1276: With all the new things you're into with group and solo shows, is there anything you miss about old ny graff ?
HEK: Man, I miss the train days. If they gave us the trains back.. shit i'd have pieces on every train.
1276: With that being said why not box trucks over the NYC trains?
HEK: I used to do box trucks with A. Charles , I have pictures of those also . I don't know, that's WANE and CASH. That's their thing, I'll stay in this lane. It's working for me.
1276: Give us your thoughts on the divide between street art and graffiti.
HEK: It's crazy and I get it because I come from the street bomber its my root. The thing with bombers we're hard headed I try to teach my peoples but like the saying goes you can lead a horse to water but you cant make it drink . Look, it's like this. You bomb to make a name for yourself , now let it fade away. You jumped that hurdle!!, start to get paid for what you love . Because if not it goes like this.. you go bomb, get caught, pay a fine or have vandal squad looking for you, then go to jail or you get with the legit shit and that's the divide. Now you're with that legit shit but the flip is now your doing commission walls. People still see your shit but your making 5k,10K to do what you were doing for free . Its two different worlds and not everyone gets it. ******
1276: Have you ever caught beef because you're on one side of the fence a little bit more then the other?
HEK: Na never!! I'm sure people talk shit but never to my face . Cats know my history that I use to box. I'm not a bully but realize I'm quick with it no hesitation, if they run their mouth..lol . But seriously, that side of the fence has gotten me fame but I like the legit part of it .
I like going to shop owner and asking permission and even if they're not paying me to do it, it's still exposure . I like that it works for me.
1276: What's the future hold for HEK?
HEK: I'll going to keep doing the art thing till I get in the Whitney Museum or Sotheby's. I have a plan and its in motion .
1276: Anything you'd like to add ?
HEK: Yea, love what you do and stay humble!
- Smurf , Bryan1276
If I were to describe Hek Tad to a person asking about a piece they just passed on the Lower East Side , it would simply be "he's just a street artist, known for colorful heart murals ". But truth be told there's definitly more than meets the eye about Hek..
Hek was a pioneer of graffiti scene in the 80's , who has made his way from tagging walls and train cars to creating commission pieces and being featured in art shows. While he continues to make his mark in the art scene ,he's an artist who's humble and honest about his graffiti roots and continues to pay homage in his works.
I had the opportunity to meet Hek about 2 years ago at an event in Brooklyn during the summer and we've run into each other at various shows ever since . If it's one thing I enjoy about talking with Hek, he's like A freaking human graffiti encyclopedia. It's always interesting hearing funny personal stories or how certain pieces were created. Recently ,we had the opportunity to sit with Hek as he shared his history ,his works of art ,as well as his thoughts on the impact of street art and graff of the past few years.
