Tenr Interview

How did you come up with the name Tenr?

Tenr: I got caught writing my old name Cese2, figured I had to change my name, I wanted a name with letters that not many other people were using here at the time, and something that had other ways to write it, like a number, and Ten just came to me, wrote that for a year or so, then decided I needed something more, so I added the R, and the rest as they say is history..

How long have you been painting?

Tenr: Painting, did my first wall piece, and frieght both in ‘99.. But been tagging since ‘92 or ‘93.. so graffiti has been part of my life for like 15 years now..

What got you started into graffiti?

Tenr: LOL.. as funny as it sounds, there were a few things, I cant pin it to one, but first off, Rap City on Much Music.. seeing it in videos, the Artifacts – Wrong side of the tracks video blew my mind.. Second, my sister, who at the time I started doing it lived in Van, with some pretty well known writers from out there (not going to drop names), and I used to send her letters with some sketches, and tags, and I would get letters back saying she showed them to these writers, and was told they “saw potential”, third, I’d see stuff around the city by other people, and wanna meet these people, so I kept doing what I was doing, figured I would eventually meet these other people..

What are you listening to right now on the iPod?

Tenr: Filthy Varmint, my boy, who weirdly enough, grew up here, and was heavy into bombing, kid did some crazy shit for this city, moved to van, and has since started rapping, check him out at www.myspace.com/filthyvarmint .. Returning the favour for shouting me out in one of his songs.. lol

What is your favorite color combo?

Tenr: wow.. tough call.. I really like the way browns, beige/almond/cinnamon/mango, etc work together, how you don’t need to blend them you can just stick the colors right on top of each other and they work good.. as for outlines, I am a real fan of classic black with blocks of like green, blue or purple in it.. as for one-shots, and backgrounds, basically whatever works and helps everything come together and pop off, depending on what your actually painting..

What’s your craziest painting adventure?

Tenr: Well, the first one that comes to mind is the crazy whistling killer night.. I used to live in the country, about 3 miles away from a spot were they laid up wheaties in the middle of a feild basically, they would sit there for a week at a time..anyway, I decided to ride my bike out there one night to paint, so I cruise out, leave my bike at one end of the train, walk the line about 8 or 10 cars deep, and start painting..I get my outline done, and start filling, then the train starts banging around, thinking it was just settling from cooling off at night I kept painting, but it got more violent, so I stopped, and sat on the rail on the next line and had a smoke, the noises stopped..so i step up to keep filling, and it starts as soon as I start painting, so I stop, so does the sound.. convinced I am tripping out, I decide to test it, I bang on the train with my fist like “bum-bum-bum-bum-bum”.. and as soon as I finish that I get “BUM BUM” right back.. I decided, enoughs enough, I am tripping to hard, I grab my shit, grabbed a can of white, put a fresh NY fat on it, and started towards my bike, thinking if someone pops out, imma spray them and bounce.. kept hearing noises, and it seriously sounded like it was always just 10 steps behind me, so I started talking out loud, like “Okay, I’m outta here, dont try shit, I got a knife, I’m leaving”.. get about 20 feet from my bike and hear someone whistle that whistle you make at a sexy girl.. I fucking ran to my bike, put the can of white in water bottle holder for quick access, and took off the fastest way home, which was straight down the middle of the tracks leaving the trains behind me.. We still paint that spot frequently, but I have yet to ever go back alone, as a matter of fact, I refuse to..I still see that un-finished freight, and I swore to myself, if I get the chance, I will finish it..(that was a huge story.. haha)

I have goosebumps from that story. So on a lighter note, What’s you favorite thing to drink?

Tenr: hmm.. I would have said beer a month ago, but, in all honesty, rye.. rye and coke.. DONT drink rye and root beer, I thought I was smart one night and tried that, just take my word for it, and dont..

A nice way to end, Anyone you want to give a shout out to?

Tenr: Defiantly have to give up to my boy, who has taught me all I know, and just generally been a fuckin awesome friend Nesone, also defiantly have to give it up to Areo, Payez, Loes, Mober, Saze, 2For and the rest of the Locals crew, and Filthy Varmit once again..PEACE!..

Added Note: Tenr got back to us last week and let us know there isn’t a whistling killer anymore. He got out and painted that spot again by himself. He said it was a bit nerve racking but the whistling killer was a no show.

 

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