Interviews > INTERVIEW: JESUS SAVES
The streets are talking.
The message from the street is direct and clear. The streets are telling me that I should “STOP SNITCHING”. The streets are telling me that I have to be a follower. The streets are telling me that the working man is a sucker and I need to be a criminal in order to be successful in this world. The streets are telling me that my former favorite MC sold his soul and signed a contract with the devil. The streets are watching and as Carlito Brigante said “There is no one left”.
The streets are telling me to hate myself. The streets are telling all kinds of negative messages, and after a while, I started believing them.
I started to believe all of these messages from the street until I read the words of a prophet. His words, although short, were reinforced by his consistency and the content of the message. The prophet told me that “JESUS SAVES” and that there was hope.
One of New York’s most consistent and active writers is “JESUS SAVES”. If you are a pedestrian or a user of the New York City mass transit system, more than likely you have seen his work.
Like former writer TAKI 183, who was known for his consistency and frequency in tagging, Saves has done a good job on continuing the tradition of tagging and slowly but surely labeled every borough in New York City, delivering his prophetic message.
Don’t get it twisted. Saves didn’t always walk the straight and narrow. Saves has had his share of problems, a life that involved drug use, crime and incarceration.
I recently bumped into the prophet and we exchanged words on Graff, life and his message.
“John 3:17 – For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.”
Clarke: Saves, ok let’s get started, tell everyone your full name, address and telephone number.
Saves: (Laughs) Clarke, you’re funny…
Clarke:You write “JESUS SAVES” why? Did you ever write anything else?
Saves:I write JESUS SAVES to let the whole New York state know the free gift Jesus offers called salvation. Through this message I believe many will be saved. I’m an evangelist in the graff game. An evangelist is someone who spreads the word of god to everyone, all nations such as Billy Graham, TD Jakes and Nicky Cruz. Back then I used to write SPAIN. I only wrote it when ever I had paint in my hand. I wasn’t into it like i am now.
Clarke: You’re one of the most popular taggers in NYC now, you’ve been featured in Mass Appeal, YRB and NY TIMES. How have you maintained a low profile while still getting exposure?
Saves: Well god opens doors and he uses me through graffiti to evangelize others either through walls magazine websites and video.
Clarke: You spent time in jail for writing, please explain what that was like.
Saves: Well first of all, I never got caught for writing on the walls. I got stopped by DTS (detectives) cause of the way I dress with my black baggy jeans and hoodie and black timbs. So what happens is that I get stopped since it’s like 3:00am in the morning. It’s been five times they found paint in my pocket and they took me in. I ended up in Rikers island cause of my records from back then including a felony. Sometimes I end up months in Rikers island doing my time in peace and minding my own business but I still continue to pray every night not caring who’s in there and what they say about me. Nobody in there fazes me or scares me cause I roll with Jesus Christ.
I got the father son and holy spirit with me. I’m untouchable.
Clarke:You’ve lived a wild life and you weren’t always spiritual. What was your life like before you found Jesus?
Saves: Well one thing about me I used to stop committing a crime I got arrested for and moved on to the next scheme. I got bagged robbing people with a metallic fake gun. I got away with loot a lot of times. I did my dirt far from my neighborhood in Bushwick. Manhattan was the spot to rob homosexuals in the village and by Fort Greene PJs, waiting for Mexicans by P.S. 67 …LOL… after I got bagged I went for burglarizing peoples crib and stores after they closed with laundry bags. I got caught in a dead man’s house after my boys Angel, Javi, Max and I broke a lock in the door in 25 monument walk in Fort Greene pjs with the dead man’s property in the laundry bag.
Someone must have snitched after the loud noise of breaking the lock. We got caught and we was taking to the precinct next to the library and P.S. 67. I also got arrested one time for selling drugs in 90 with my boy Timothy on Broadway and Cornilia. I got arrested for smoking weed in the handball court behind Bushwick high school only three blocks from my crib and I was taking to 83rd precinct on Knickerbocker Ave. I also got arrested for fighting, hoping the train, a double charge for trespassing and throwing eggs for Halloween in front of Bushwick high school….(laughs) ….. for being inside a stolen car and a second charge for my escape for having drugs in my pocket after a DT walked his k9 pretending he was a white dude walking his dog, but now god has liberated me from all this mess. I’m a new man in Christ but this is who I was before Christ.
Clarke: Who are your favorite writers?
Saves: JAONE, COPE2, LES, VFR, DINK, GANO, LASE, DURO, RASKO, COLO, TOSKE, ATE, SAPER, DELA, MEPH, CINIK, 323, FANTA, AV1, SKI, RID, KUMA, KORN, BABYCHARLES, JESS, KATSU, RATE, 2LITTLE KRAZ, DIOS, MENOS, SMITH, CHINO, KR, MARCO, SKUFF, NAISHA, DAYS and many more good writers out there with their own flava and skills
Clarke:Most recently Peter Vallone has been campaigning against graffiti writers. What are your thoughts on him?
Saves: He makes me laugh. I think he’s funny. When will he understand that there’s more than 700 graffiti writers in New York city and that graffiti is unstoppable. I mean from toys to professionals, and from the age of 13 to like the age of 50 years of age. I understand to complain about writing on clean property but legal graffiti or graffiti on abandon buildings trees or metallic signs is nothing to be complaining about
Clarke:what are your feelings on snitches?
Saves:I feel that a snitch should never open his mouth cause his own words could get him into deep trouble. There’s rumors about me being a snitch. Come on I know much better than that. I know that words has power to uplift and to destroy this is the main reason that I’m a man who keeps things to my self not caring what I see or hear. There’re times I don’t even care what situation takes place I just continue to go my way and mind my biz.
Nah Mean?
A snitch doesn’t know how strong words are and how harder it affects some one that could even caused them their life. If they didn’t know well now they do.
Clarke: You’re all over NYC, how do you find the time?
Saves: I make my own time especially for Sundays night every week I go to one borough and bomb so that means in a month I be all city since there is four weeks four every borough Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx. A new month comes in and I do the same as the chain continues.
Clarke: What are your favorite Graff movies?
Saves: Wild Style, Style Wars, State Your Name, Graff Core 2000 and Video Graff.
Clarke: You are one off the new generations taggers, following in the footsteps of Stay High and Taki 183, what are your feelings toward writers who don’t respect the old school?
Saves: Yo, most of these young bucks gotta learn their graffiti history and recognize that if it wasn’t for them we wouldn’t be doing what we are doing today. A lot of old school writers have motivated and influenced a lot of young people to continue graffiti going especially still they are influencing up and coming writers who knows and study the history of graff. I tell you this much. A writer who shows disrespect to old school writers is like disowning and rejecting the roots to the branches of the tree they climb on. These oldschool writers who’ve been bombing in the 70,s and 80,s have been a part of the best time era and generation to ever hit the face of the world especially being a writer growing up in New York City back in them days. It was a different world back then and what they did was way beyond to be compared to.
Clarke: What do you hope to accomplish by writing JESUS SAVES?
Saves: I believe that through my “JESUS SAVES” message tag will make an atheist into a believer, I believe that through my JESUS SAVES message tag, it will save souls that are lost and those who walk with out god!!! I believe that through my tag the whole New York state is gonna be saved and believe in Jesus. Many people laughs at me when I say that and some makes fun of me. Some even thinks I’m crazy and insane but I believe in a god who does miracles and that winning the whole New York state through my tag is possible.
Clarke: What is your advice to new writers in NYC and abroad?
Saves: First to always pray before walking out that door especially to go tagging. Tagging with cheap paint that’s gonna fade out in like three month is a waste of time and a waste of work, which means that anybody who bombs with cheap paint bombs in vain and also taking a risk of getting locked up for nothing. Always use Krylons and rustoliems for a long lasting tag that will rock on walls for a good fifteen or more years straight, especially on walls that have not been painted over or buffed for like over ten years.
Writing on clean walls for fame?
Please man that’s a no-no! That’s making your self very hot and wanted big time you know?
Clarke: What crews are you down with?
Saves: MSD, UCW, STF, RIA, K-TOWN, HSD, NSW, MOA, ITW, WRS, GGK, ACG, SAH and a couple of more that I can’t really remember to good.
Clarke: What do you think of the global graff movement?
Saves: Crazy and is amazing. Graffiti is universal which is to say that the whole world is filled with paint, art, graff and murals. Graff is all over the world and this is the future for art!!! Every one from around the world gets to express themselves and their skills for a whole world to see. It’s a skill and talent that shocks the world especially long time painting artist as well. Global graffiti leaves everybody speechless with all these pieces and burners, ….nah mean? It’s a futuristic art all over the world and all I can say is that graffiti wise and artistic wise the future is here!!!
Clarke: Graffiti is scene all over…movies, books, commercials, video games, but only a few writers are benefiting financially. What are your feelings on this?
Saves: Well as for me whether I get paid or not it feels good to gain my recognition, rather through books, video, games, dvds, websites, and magazines cause my job as an evangelist is to send my message out there! Getting paid is a good thing. Nothing is also more better than to get your recognition and to get paid but to me nothing is more important than to have more than 1,000 New Yorkers to view my JESUS SAVES tag message and to receive it to be saved. To me is very important for a lost soul who walks without God to be saved through my JESUS SAVES tag. Money is good nah mean? But the soul is priceless and is eternal. The more recognition I get through my tag the more chance there is for many souls to be saved!
Clarke: Graff has evolved in NYC. You were a part of a project that envolved technology and graffiti where your work was projected on buildings. How did that take place and who put that amazing project together?
Saves: My boy Evan who is very talented and very blessed. Evan set a specific day for the recording to take place. I’m being recorded through Evans small video camera and through that image he records me with is the same image he uses for the projection where more than 5,000 New Yorkers has viewed the big humungous tag on a non windowed building as if they was watching a movie. The projection contains 4 writers such as me, AVONE HELL and KATSU .the projection has also been featured in the NY Daily News paper. Evan is very talented and he has done a tremendous and a awesome job through this. One time I went to see the projection take place in the village. I saw many people point their fingers and even taking pictures of my tags as they all saw my big image and big tag on the wall. I could not believe my eyes I never thought I would have made it this far but hey god opens doors for those who prays.
Clarke: If you had a chance to put your tag on any spot in the world where would it be and why?
Saves: On an air plane because a plane travels all over the world from one country to another. If I could have the permission to do a whole plane or at least 10 planes it will travel on the four corners of the world and my JESUS SAVES tag will be universal ….nah mean?
Clarke: Any shout outs?
Saves: My lord and savior Jesus Christ! Mom I love you, Gesse my sister I love you so much you mean the world to me, Willie I’m proud of you my youngest one. Free my brother Kaste, hold you head and smile in the rain. ZORO, RASKO, TROLL22, RAK, STYLES, GLAZER, NOE, NEVER, NERE, JNISM, SKI, RID, ENZO, JB, RAHB, CO3, BEF3, SKEME, NEA, EMA, NANDO, JIN, SEAM, SMUG, STEZ, JNY, KRAZ, JAE, TAK, SIMS, DOSE, DOUBT, LASE, COPE2, DURO, STAR, NIC, CRIME, 79, JAMES, TOP, JEKEL, NOVA, DIOS, CHOKO, RAF, SHIMA, SNO, DM, CASPER, USEE, ZO, DELA, MEPH and any one I forgot, I love you and I’m sorry, I got too much in my head I can’t even handle peace and love to SASTER.
God bless ya’ll!
April 3rd, 2006 at 7:35 pm
o man my dude saves the ill write thats what up, thanks for the shout out
April 3rd, 2006 at 9:34 pm
hey j.s., it’s me mala. I loved the interview, very informative, I’m glad to see your doing well. I’ll e-mail you later.
peace!
April 4th, 2006 at 12:06 pm
Y0O G0O D L0OKS ON DA SHOUT OUT ..KEEP DAT PAINT FRESH ALL DAY ………
April 4th, 2006 at 7:32 pm
yo jesus saves man i looked ^ 2 your graff since i waz a lil kid i like dem sick write ups neway i write deen 1 fresh out da bronx yo0 we should go boming soon iight
April 5th, 2006 at 10:56 pm
Yao my yuut me have a question fi you. You once did a tag kinda in my tag, me wah fi know what dat meant. Other than that me like how yah a fin jah hova an change una life you know. Keep doing yah ting my yuut. JAH BLESS!
April 5th, 2006 at 11:43 pm
wassup Jesus Saves? ill holla at ya later
April 6th, 2006 at 12:27 am
very true and kept it real …doing big things with the JESUS SAVES …how did it feel to see that projection take place…..know that was a blessing
jude 20-25..later
April 6th, 2006 at 4:56 pm
Peace 2 u J.S. Just had 2 holla at u 2 let u know i always c ur stuff, i met u with Av.one in Bronx on whiye plains road 05 .c u out in N.Y.C. soon!!!!!
SHAMS.DGK-Bros.
April 6th, 2006 at 7:43 pm
MET HIM AT THE TATS CRU SHO..ONE COOL CAT. KEEP IT UP.
April 8th, 2006 at 10:16 pm
yo man u got mah ups and god bless
April 10th, 2006 at 8:56 pm
BIG UPS TO GOD AND MAD LOVE TO JESUS SAVES YO DUDE KEEP BLESSING THE NAME OF THE LORD AND KEEP THE FAITH
April 11th, 2006 at 3:54 pm
MUCH RESPECT GOOD ARTICLE NICE 2 SEE U STILL REP 4 THE HOOD
April 19th, 2006 at 10:03 am
Yo man, much, much respect on all of that man. I guess Jesus not only saves, but gives new hope to those who accept him into their heart and soul!
May 4th, 2006 at 9:38 am
cool interview u from bushwick wdup with raf ?
May 8th, 2006 at 6:23 pm
Jesus saves is da man . Keep doing your thing. Keep on the look out of choco tags everywhere maybe i just might tag your face lol just kidding
August 13th, 2006 at 9:38 pm
no disrespect, but once a toy, always a toy…especially a toy with a string of bad luck, being a the wrong place at the wrong time…oh well….i would love to pic your brain and discuss your form of religion in todays society, but im pretty sure it will not happen…anyways …peace
August 18th, 2006 at 3:38 pm
first time i heard of u, but i like how u roll. u goin places man! much respect from canada! God bless
November 2nd, 2006 at 1:52 pm
yo wats goodie, jus wana shout out hi n love ur work n always will love ya miss ya 1.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:29 pm
Yo saves manz u doing it big, keep preaching the good news to the world. hit me up. God bless you.
December 17th, 2006 at 3:50 pm
Much respect to you Jesus Saves. I been seeing ur name all city. I like da interview and ur style. Keep it going and look out for Demon you might see me around.
January 3rd, 2007 at 5:51 pm
EVEN HE DOE HE WENT TO ALOT.. BUT HEY… I,M WASNT PERFECT MYSELF… BUT MUCH REPECT TO YOU BRO…. I HAD SEEN YOUR SIVER PAINT MARKER AROUND MY HOOD… KEEP DOING YOUR THING… BECAREFULL… ITS LIKE GOLD FOR POLICE NOW….. THINGS HAS CHANGE.. ASS LONG YOU NO WHAT YOU DOING… CAUSE IT TAKES A REAL GRAFFHEAD TO KNOW WHAT THEY DOING…. PEACE AND GOD BLESS YOU
May 4th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
[...] Tag like a pro from your mobile phone! Using a projector, a computer, and a homemade mobile SMS gateway, watch as your projected text message is spelled out in the digitally captured writing style of NYC Graffiti Artist Jesus Saves. [...]
February 27th, 2008 at 1:08 am
[...] http://www.woostercollective.com/2007/05/drip_txt.html http://www.txtualhealing.com/ http://www.adamchapmanart.com/ http://graffmuseum.com/?p=173 [...]
April 23rd, 2008 at 3:42 pm
[...] Jesus Saves It’s hard to tell how seriously to take Jesus Saves’ message of Christian salvation, though to judge him by the promiscuity of his work he seems to mean it. Indeed JS may be up more than any other graffiti writer in New York. Good neighborhoods, bad neighborhoods, he does it all, though it’s quite possible that it’s not all attributable to him. Perhaps divine power as well? [...]
May 14th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
I love your tags!!!
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