TOOFLY NYC

Back in NY and super happy to be home! Here’s pics from opening night…

Photos by my peeps: Jack from DAILY DUJOUR, and URBANMOSADI thanks guys!

Brave Souls Illuminate by TOOFLY, solo exhibition.
November 11 through January 4, 2009
( part of: DOWNTOWN ART WALK November 12th and December 10th, 2009 )
FIFTY24LA Gallery // UPPERPLAYGROUND
125 East 6 St. Los Angeles, Ca 90014
415.252.9144
www.upperplayground.com
www.tooflynyc.com

LOVE folks with genuine love and appreciation for my work…

Younity

Locals schooling me on LA prison culture, gang culture, and teen angels magazine…

New Piece…

Love notes folks leave me…thanks Urbanmosadi!!!:)

Oldies but goodies…

RICKY! Fashion Industries hommies since 92!

Begin Again…

Was happy to see Michelle and Joseph Collins with their little ones. Going back to UNIVERSITY SETTLEMENT days in the LES when I was a teen;)
Photo by AM.

Izzy aka special fresh chika and friends. Thanks for coming thru ladies!

Shana LOVES PR!:)

China Marbosa LA Younity artist showing some luv!

Melinda, and Krista holding it down…where’s that tazer gun!

NYC CREW ready for LA DAYZ…

Mission accomplished! Shout out to Gabriella from MISS CREW for making this exhibit happen;) THANK YOU!!!

B-Girl Be 2009 Block Party included Mainstage Performances, MCs, Spoken Word, DJs, Dance, Live Mural Painting, Film, Food and an Art Marketplace! Featuring local, national and international artists including aerosol artists Motel7 (Capetown) and Toofly (NYC); MC Eternia with Chesney Snow (Canada), DJ Chela (NYC); spoken word poet Tish Jones; Akira Johnson; Bloody Black Eyes; Ill Chemistry; Black Pearl; and the Twin Cities All-Stars: Katana, Maria Isa, Indigo, Desdamona, performing onstage together for the first time in twin cities hip-hop history!

FINITO! Got my piece done early so I can rock my style’n photography skillz. Here are some of my favorites….

Fall back now you don’t know me!

MC BIG TARA is a B-girl and MC with the Anomolies Crew, Fox Force 5, Shoten Zenjin and the House of HOWL. Born and raised in the Lower Eastside of NYC, she was influenced by the dance and music culture of her neighborhood. She has graced many stages across the country including the Apollo, BB Kings, Lincoln Center and the Manhattan Center and has worked with the Roots, Erykah Badu and LL Cool J to name a few. After receiving a public service award from the New School University, she decided to dedicate her time to helping non-profit organizations further serve marginalized youth. She has been working in community outreach for over 10 years and believes it is crucial to help guide our youth to live absolutely happy and productive lives.

LOVE YOU BIG TARA!!!

These girls were FLY! Their outfits wen’t great with the shoot;) YEAH BABY!!!

WLR…

Amanda Lopez, was also getting her shots in for THE GIRLS GOT KICKS! Photoshoot…

Amy Campion

Little Minniapolis Girls…

My new STEEZ was a hit…

MOTEL 7 ( Capetown ) Welcome!!! I thought I was fast, this girl went all out…

PROPS!

AM going high…

and stencil’n it up…

B-GIRL AIKO! See ya soon in SF;)

AIKO (Aiko Shirakawa) started street dancing at the age of 11 in the parks of San Jose, CA, and performed by the age of 15 with her group, Quick Style, opening up for Ice T in 1983. This began a long list of performances for Quick Style, who opened for many major bands and singers in the Bay Area of California. In 1995 Aiko began to teach street styles to youth in San Jose at the local youth centers and still does to this day. Aiko has been teaching after school programs for the past 7 years for YMCA and Catholic Charities. Over the past 16 years of teaching street dance to the youth, she has been writing a curriculum to add to her classes so that her students can embrace the history of hip-hop and how it can be better than what the media has portrayed it to be. Aiko has taught street styles everywhere in the States, including B-Girl Be 2007 in Minneapolis, MN; Street Science 2008 in Holland; and the film documentary release of All the Ladies Say in New York, NY in 2009 (she is one of the leading Ladies in the film). “Hip-Hop has been there for me and has saved my life; I will be here for Hip-Hop for the rest of mine.” —Aiko

It’s not easy triple threating it, You gotta have a heart, you gotta be original, and you gotta have style! We’re about to set it off…WATCH OUT!

Trinity sold like HOTCAKES!

The new team: MAMA made it! wooohoooo…

SHEVA + RUKUS + RUST

Shout out to CHICAGO who was in the house! Repping hard every year…

Well behaved women seldom make history! >>> Well said!

Shout out to T-Rose! Our wonderful host for the week. Made us some protein shakes, drove us up in the PLAY DATE Cadillac, and overall blessed us with mad love. Thank you T!!!

mmmm dinner time. The chicken curry was slamming! Time to rest, and get some energy for the DeCipher jam…

Photo by B-FRESH >>> More at: CITY PAGES

DJ CHELA on the 1 & 2’s

DeCipher This showcases the very essence of hip-hop dance: the ability to freestyle in the cipher. The 2009 B-Girl Be Block Party After Party with DJs and live drumming as locally and nationally recognized female hip-hop dancers take their turn in the cipher sharing their specific skills and raw energy!

Jen One was killing it! Be a part of instant creation as improvisational elements come together with some of the most talented female breakers, poppers and hip-hop freestyle dancers in the country.

Featuring Aiko, MimotheGreat and Venus Fly Trap Crew; with performances by AnnieUp, B-Girl monArc, Yonci Peaceful Jameson, Alissa Paris, Amy Sackett, Sarah Savengseuksa, B-Girl Seoul Assassin, Kim Sorenson, and Ti-en-T, and Legend ROKAFELLA!

Always inspiring to see these women rock and keep it alive. Budget cuts suck, especially when the organizers that gave life to the HEART & SOUL of B-Girl Be are not longer on board;( You can feel, and see the “DIFFERENCE”. Regardless of some minor mishaps, at the end of the day our community has to keep events like this alive. There’s a new generation that still needs platforms like this to represent, and come together to exchange new ideas. Money or no money true activists will continue to hold it down. I was happy to see some new talent brewing. Electro Funky Flowz baby! I’m diggn’ it!!! We missed our crews from the past B-Girl Be’s specially MELISSA, MARTHA COOPER, NIKA, ARUNA, VENDETTA, ASIA1, LADY CHAMP, MARTHA DIAZ, FAITH47, LADY PINK, QA, FEVER, SHIRO, SILOETTE, and PHEM9. We rocked it ONE LAST TIME, but It wasn’t the same without ya!!! To all the new folks who came thru to represent PROPS! Our hommie Big Tara did great! Motel7, Annie Up, PANDORA wow you blew me away w/ your skillz! DJ Chela, Eternia, Lori from Female Sneaker Fiend, Amanda Lopez w/ the Photo skillz, and many many more…I gotta get folks names right. Shout out to the ladies who had our back during the trip; MELISSA for organizing all the DOPE ladies to represent! AUTUMN for hooking us up w/ the goodies, and T-ROSE for being a wonderful host! THANK YOUUUUUU

Friday September 18th. Intermedia Arts walls at the Twin Cities, in Minniapolis MN. MISSION: Lock down your spot, gather your colors, and sketch in your piece!

Glad I didn’t go crazy with a 20 foot piece like in years past. Wanted to experiment a little with some new designs, hang w/ the crew, and enjoy taking photos…

JEN ONE! We repping NYC this year baby, ready to rock the walls, and hit that linolium

Different sponsor this year…CLASH. Not bad, didn’t mind it. Came w/ good caps too…

My B-Girl hommies 4life! Legend Rokafella, and BIG TARA! Stretching for the SHEro show…
ROKAFELLA
Hip-Hop dancer/choreographer Ana “Rokafella” Garcia was born in Spanish Harlem where she grew up with a strong Latin background. At the age of 16 she began going to clubs and doing back-up dancing for freestyle singers on the local NYC party scene. Her hip-hop dance style became her bread and butter when she began street performing with such crews such as The Transformers, The Breeze Team, and the New York City Float Committee. Rokafella has taught workshops at NYU and Howard as well as neighborhood high schools and community centers. The non-profit company she co-founded with her husband, “Full Circle Prod”, serves the community with educational performances and multimedia urban-themed performances. She is presently producing a documentary based on the challenging lifestyles of female breakdancers featuring b-girls from all over the world. She believes this culture was born to help urban youth get through the ups and downs of life with something to hold on to.

Motel7 from Noraway came thru to represent for the overseas artists…she’s a sweetheart!

Leaving the finish for the BLOCK PARTY!!!

Back from Minniapolis! here’s a few flicks from the gallery exhibition entitled MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT!

Friday 9.17.09

Mama Said Knock U Out!, an upcoming gallery exhibition at Intermedia Arts, will showcase 28 female artists from around the world who use their visual voice to empower, inform and organize. These women are employing Hip Hop culture as a means of expression, connection, education and social and political activism globally.  This group exhibition will include work in video, photography, painting, sculpture, film, and textiles. Nationally recognized photographer and Huffington Post contributor Lauri Lyons (New York) will produce a commissioned installation in the main gallery as part of the exhibit.

KNOW THYSELF – SOLD!!!:( Bummer I always feel sad when my stuff sells, I get so attached…

Read more

Took a short visit to Florida this weekend to visit my Familia before shit get’s hectic this fall. Happy my aunt Mimi, and Hector took us to this new spot called BLUE SPRINGS STATE PARK . It’s the shit!!! Their website does them no justice. If your ever in Orlando I recommend you check it out. You can BBQ, Snorkel, Canoe, Kayak, Camp, and swim in paradise.

Damn this place is It’s BEAUTIFUL!!! Wish MOM & Jenny came, but they had to work;( Working sucks!

BLUE SPRINGS STATE PARK. The largest spring on the St. Johns River, Blue Spring is a designated Manatee Refuge and the winter home (mid-November through March) to a growing population of West Indian Manatees. For centuries, the spring area was home for Native Americans. In 1766 it was visited by Colonial American botanist John Bartram, but it wasn´t until 1856 that it was settled by Louis Thursby and his family. The Thursby house, built in 1872, remains standing. The spring´s crystal clear, 73 degree water can be enjoyed by swimmers, snorkelers, and certified scuba divers with a partner. Swimming or diving with the manatees is not permitted; this rule is strictly enforced. The river is popular for fishing, canoeing, and boating. The park has plenty of picnic areas and a hiking trail. For overnight stays, air-conditioned cabins, a full-facility campground, and primitive campsites are available.

paradise one trip at a time…

Took me a while to convince the rest of the fam to jump off this tree trunk, but they did it!

no, si, bueno…little cuz, she’s so cute!

I must say, I’m glad I did it but damit my arms hurt that night from rowing! No more canoe shit for me, maybe I’ll kayak next time?

Spending time with family is priceless. Even though it was short it was hella sweet.

I MISS YOU FAMILY!!! Have a safe trip back to Ecuador PAPITO! Nos vemos en el winter;)

Heading to Minniapolis for the B-Girl Be 2009 Event September 17th-20th. Looking forward to chillax with my bgirlzzzzzzz, and get some more painting done, before the end of summmmmmmmmmer….

Intermedia Arts presents B-Girl Be 2009. A Celebration of Women in Hip-Hop
August 28-October 23, 2009

Mama Said Knock U Out!
Opening Reception: Friday, August 28,
6:00-9:00 p.m. with DJ Drea

Mama Said Knock U Out! an upcoming gallery exhibition at Intermedia Arts, will showcase 28 female artists from around the world who use their visual voice to empower, inform and organize. These women are employing hip-hop culture as a means of expression, connection, education and social and political activism globally. This group exhibition will include work in video, photography, painting, sculpture, film, and textiles. Nationally recognized photographer and Huffington Post contributor Lauri Lyons (New York) will produce a world premiere installation in Intermedia Arts’ main gallery as part of the exhibit.

Other artists featured in Mama Said Knock U Out! include: Abeni Garrett, Alice Mizrachi, Amanda Lopez, B Fresh, Catiesha Pierson, Chanel Kennebrew, C-Rocka, Corinne Santiago, Desdamona, Erotica67, Faith 47, Janelle Olson, Jennifer Rasinski, Jessica Kitzman, Katrina Knutson, Keegan Xavi, LadyKFever, Lauri Lyons, LICHIBAN, Monica Kelly, Motel 7, Niz, Sarah White, Shannon Joyce, Stef Skills, Tamiko Mitchel, Tiffany Smith, and TOOFLY.

Read more

The HIGH LINE is finally OPEN!!! Shout out to NY1 news for the heads up this past week. It’s pouring out now, not but earlier today the sun peeked just enough for an afternoon stroll. Monday’s rock because it’s like a Sunday for us. Babe and I get to go on dates! We’re all about it, especially when it involves scenic views like today. As a designated footprint couple we rode our silver limo downtown, and entered at Ganesvoort St to cross the park down to the 20th street exit. The view is DOPE, great for long walks, flicks, lounging, napping, and stealing some wifi on your lunch break. The High Line is a positive glimpse of NYC turning green. We’ve been waiting for stuff like this to finally take shape ( even if it’s not in our own hoods just yet ) I’m a true believer in “leading by example” and SO…I look forward to the day when ALL cities, and hoods go GREEN!

The High Line is located on Manhattan’s West Side. It runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to 34th Street, between 10th & 11th Avenues. Section 1 of the High Line, which opened to the public on June 9, runs from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street.

The High Line is open from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily.

More flicks and Info at the HIGH LINE BLOG

Be sure to check out the IMAGE GALLERIES. They got some ill flick’s with Graff like REVS & COST below…CLASSIC! Wish they preserved our graffiti “LAND MARKS” as well…

HISTORY:
The High Line was built in the 1930s, as part of a massive public-private infrastructure project called the West Side Improvement. It lifted freight traffic 30 feet in the air, removing dangerous trains from the streets of Manhattan’s largest industrial district. No trains have run on the High Line since 1980. Friends of the High Line, a community-based non-profit group, formed in 1999 when the historic structure was under threat of demolition. Friends of the High Line works in partnership with the City of New York to preserve and maintain the structure as an elevated public park

Got an invitation from my hommie Jessica Green while I was away to do a short presentation with Destroy&Rebuild following the SPRAY MASTERS film screening. Gonna try and bridge our 90’s foundation with the present state of urban arts culture / education alongside some of the pioneers who paved the way for us:) Jessica’s been mad supportive of the positive roles we play in helping to preserve, evolve, and continue this story. Since the golden days of STRESS ( Best magazine EVER!!! ) all has not been lost! Whew. Happy to see her and the crew on the inside of these events. We def need more folks from our own community, in it! Makes a HUUUUUUUGE difference. Thanks girl!.

KINGS OF THE CITY ( Shouldn’t it be KINGS & QUEENS OF THE CITY? I’m just saying…)
Wednesday, May 27 2009
7:00 pm
Maylesfilms
343 Lenox Ave, Harlem NY
(127th and 128th streets)
www.mayslesinstitute.org

FILM:
Tunnel Vision
Dir. Reid van Renesse, 2003, 2 min.
This short film with footage shot in 1983 shows Zephyr, Min One and Revolt painting a wall. Reid van Renesse will be present for the q&a.

FILM:
SprayMasters
Dir. Manfred Kirchheimer, 2008, 85 min.
SprayMasters follows up on some legendary writers from the 70s and 80s. The film includes Lady Pink, Lee, Futura 2000 and Zephyr and lots and lots of trains. Manfred Kirchheimer will be present for the q&a.

whew! Last post of life lived and cherished;)

Every May babe and I give ourselves a well deserved vacation to paradise. This year it came close to being canceled due to the swine flu nonsense. Whew! glad I’m don’t fall for all that media bull crap on TV. It’s a good thing the politics and truth leaks out enough for us to be aware of what is really going on. Anyway…Playa Del Carmen in Mayan Riviera in Mexico was a BLAST!!! Pure Bliss:) Hotel La Tortuga & Spa was a beautiful cozy hotel just a few blocks away from the white sandy beach, local boutiques/shops, and a variety of restaurants. If your looking for a quick 4hr trip to paradise from NYC, easy on the wallet this is the place to be!!!

HOTEL LA TORTUGA & SPA dope!

Hotel La Tortuga, 14 North 10ave. Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

We prefer small lounge hotels like this, cozy home style, full of plants, handmade furniture, organic landscape design, etc…

Our kind of place!

Something about the afternoon swims at the pool that triggered our sweet tooths…

as well as babes happy hour liquid lunch…

YUM! Our favorite Crépe with nutella and Ice cream. OMG where can I find this in NY?

PLAYA DEL CARMEN our daily beach bum sunshine…

Happy it’s not like Cancún here. No hi-rise hotels. Really despise those tall structures, they kill the whole natural landscape. Less is so much much more!

Babe needed this…

as much as I need this every chance I can get it!

You can never go wrong with this dish: Ceviche Mixto! delicious…

In a few days we’ll be crispy! until then going easy on the sun rays, 45 SPF all the way no more freckles for me!

Strolls to and from down the main street…

cute shops like this one. Trees & branches displaying handmade jewelry. Inspiring! These tree installations I keep running into are trying to tell me something…

Nights at the hotel were very soothing after a long day at the beach…

Evening at the strip full of lights, candlelight dinners, and mariachi bands…

Can’t go wrong with Filet Mignon for half the price you pay in the states. Must of had it more than once with a glass of fresh papaya juice…

Closing the evenings off with walks down the beach.

XEL-HA See it, and do it all in one place…

All I gotta say is they filmed the Blue Lagoon movie here…

A must! I still can’t believe we swam around this whole place in 7 hours.

We got to go inside naturally formed underwater caves, snorkle with a pool of colorful fish, jump off a cliffs, and relax down a river of naturally formed vine tunnels…NATURE ROCKS!!!

Wish they made water cameras digital…at the CVS as we speak! ( water cameras suck only these 2 were decent rest too dark:(

Okay yea back tot he logistics here…this is an all inclusive spot. Our suggestion just take the $3.00 van there, and pay the entrance which is cheap for what you get. Otherwise you’ll get a tour that will cost you like $100 a person. You can do it in half if you troop it on your own there. Not far, 30min from Playa Del Carmen. Go!!!

All kinds of good grub here…our favorite shrimp tacos.

The place was ours literally. Tourism was hit hard down here do to all the media hype about the fake flu. A lot of people cancelled their vacations to Mexico because they got caught up in the hype. Places like this where almost ghost town. It’s sad because people truly love their towns, and want to see it grow and flourish. They want to be able to earn a living in their own country, off their own natural resources. Tourism helps them do that and helps them preserve it for future generations. Then you wonder what the hell you expect people to do to survive and earn a living to feed their families if you go messing with their country and economy by taking that away from them. Pisses me off. Sigh…At least we left a bit of our crappy dollar over there:)

TULUM one of the best-preserved coastal Maya archaeological site…

We were tight on our budget by the 4th day so we decided to troop it on our own and hop in the $3 van to Tulum. Only 30 min away, a$5 entrance fee, and we were walking on Tulum’s ruins. A historic Mayan land. We had no idea about the gem hidden behind the ruins. Glad we brought our bathing suits!

The Iguanas everywhere lead the way there…

Never seen a beach so beautiful…

We stayed here almost all day…

Soft sand all the way into the deep turk crystal blue water of the carribean sea. Fell asleep by the shades of the rocks. You need no umbrella or chair, it’s all straight up chill with what you got! the best part of going there on your own is that once the tourists groups leave you were alone. No guide to tell you it’s time to go…you leave when you want:)

We stayed pretty long on this one. Didn’t make it to the cenotes:( underwater caves. The only thing I forgot to do…next time!

The closest town out is 15-30 min walk if you get hungry like we did so we had to head out:( You won’t find anything else but the ruins, and the stairs down to the beach. THAT’ IT!  It’s what helps preserve the natural landscape so plan accordingly eat & drink some mangu or something to last your swims and naps until you have to really really bounce…

Best Trip Ever! We are def coming back VIVA MEXICO!!!

We’re off to Playa Del Carmen! Be back nice and cripsy just in time for another holy heat summer:)

Back from illy Philly!

Shout out to the HAS ONE Kick Off Crew and Rarebreed for inviting us to set up shop for Younity’s Heart & Soul book with the Philly community.

Rarebreed hosts gallery exhibitions and events that showcase graffiti, street, sneaker, and urban art. They also sell a variety of art supplies, DVD’s,  magazines, books, and collector toys.

The books were a hit!

art recognizes art is what I say;)

Shout to the whole custom sneaker crew specially the ladies repping that night like Pink Eye, Fetti DBiasi, and Female Sneaker Fiend. Can’t forget Rebel Aire who hooked us up with some dope t-shirts! thank youuuuu:) Rocking mine right now, it’s a great fit!

It’s always dope to get out of NY and meet the community that supports and cares about it’s own. You never know when you’ll meet someone like Chris! Our official bodyguard for the evening, and local travel host. Shit closes early in Philly, and with no wo-hop in sight he hooked us up with the late night cheesteak spot! Thanks for getting my stickers up high too!!!

I’m back my peoples! It  had a nice little break. Enough time to re-charge, and to get my thoughts straight for the 09′ grind . Lot’s to do! Lot’s to do!

The first few days in my home city were spent making sure I was healthy and strong. Had a bunch of doc visits, and finally pulled out my molar for 20 bucks! hell yeah beats the $400.00 quote I was getting in NY. Whew! I wouldn’t trade my sweet, caring, funny, docs over any of the ones here. Rather fly miles away to be cared for then to have someone suck me dry and treat me like a number. Sigh…traveling to the motherland always helps put things in perspective;)

werd. So I’m all good just need to stop eating so much rice, and get my iron levels up. Gonna miss that raspberry alphalpha juice with yuca bread from el mercado for like $1.00;( organic is def the way to go, everything tastes so much better!

check out the array of chillies, fruits, veggies, and herbs you can dream off having all in one place!

Saturday’s is Pisina day for my grandparents…

We left the city and hit the country side for some swimming and sauna sessions. Mmm $3.00 entry to bliss!

Wednesday I hooked up with Kori, and Senikz at this skate park called “El Parque de las Carolinas”

It’s a tough place to paint because of  the slant on the floor but flicks look great!

The only thing that sucked ass was the paint…gonna have to use house paint next time.

Just thinking of the fumes makes me faint…

Peeps came through to hang in the sunshine with chochos in one hand, camera on the other. We got laughs for days with the chochos! Sounds like a perverted word, lol but really what it is is a bean with a bunch of lemon. Makes a healthy snack for like 25 cents!

That same night was tough…I was hella sick from the paint fumes, dizzy, and weak. Luckily I pulled off one of the dopest live Hip Hop radio shows recorded on GUAMBRA FREQUENCIA on 99.3fm.

My boy Sapín, Disfraz, and La Negrita, host it every Wednesday night from 10pm-12am.
Highest rated show to date;) yay!

On thursday I headed to the inner city to check out my peoples home base “La Casa del Gato Tiezo” ( The Stiff Cat’s House ) Turns out this place was abandoned for a very long time. A crazy shit hole with a dead and stiff cat! hense the name…

The guys in the neighborhood linked up, and asked the city for permission to take over this little house, and the land surrounding it.

The crew now organizes, and produces hip hop urban art and music presentations for youth ages 15-25 in the South and North hoods of Quito, Ecuador. Shout out to the collective and all their efforts!!! Gonna bust my ass to help you guys with whatever I can. Un abrazote a la linda Beatriz! She’s well on her way to unite women and help empower them. Estoy contigo amiga!

Besides all the fun, and mandatory activities to keep my health in check spending time with family is exactly what I needed to get me back on track. Los quiero mucho papitos!!!

kicking off my travels for 09′ with a trip back to the mother land…

I missed a whole year without the most amazing people in my life:( If it wasn’t for these two lovebirds, hard working, loving abuelitos life here would not have been this dope!

Looking forward to visiting my tia’s house! organic food, fresh fruit juice, 20+ family members for almuerzo, cafesito, and a game of 31! Can’t forget the lady around the way who sells my favorite yapingachos dish!

Communidad Hip Hop Ecuador gather the troops meeting ya at the skatepark in Quito I’m ready to paint!!!