what I remember about 1981 was it was
epitomized by the film with Kurt Russell
Escape from New York because if you had
the wherewithal you were getting the
hell out of here as quick as you can
what happens to a dream deferred does it
dry up like A Raisin in the Sun or does
it explode
I just washed up on the Lower East Side
which is what people used to do people
didn't even know why they were here most
of us didn't fit into our families
didn't fit into schools didn't fit into
our towns and we just had to go most of
the jobs that people like me would get
either working in massage places or
working in houses I basically did
that to make money to fund my artwork
before I came to New York City I was
wanting them church-going girls my
sister she was healthy looking like me
and I was I myself started losing weight
I found out she was in the bathroom
doing some crap oh that's how you losing
weight so I was like go get me some
there was a lot of crime a lot of
violence that I wanted to get away from
so I said I'm gonna open me up the store
and just sell fur coats the typical
middle-class people in the neighborhood
didn't accept me because they knew about
my street life so I catered to all the
underworld organized crime and
corruption it was a big thing back then
I said you mind your business you did
what you had to do it nobody stood in
your way people were trying to sell you
stolen merchandise every day they come
over you know you want to buy a radio
tires a bumper this was all day long and
they never stopped back then I had no
dreams I had nightmares I was a night
manager of Mickey D's in the Bronx I had
crime problems in the restaurant I had
to go over the counter and deal with him
individually I was getting rheumatism
arthritis from dialing 911 it was a joke
and instead I had cops coming in trying
to scam me for free food
I liked the the bleakness because you
could dream in that you know you could
dream new things the Lower East Side was
like a marketplace all the sidewalks
were covered with blankets and people
were selling things like broken light
bulbs you'd like to stand in going
America as a third-world country
the city of New York the economic engine
of the world was on the cusp of going
chapter 11 bankruptcy
all the services that we take for
granted now would know they weren't dead
because he had to be cut back
it was lawless vicodin was an everyday
affair violent was something that every
day you had to be in the look out I was
about 16 I had a friend of mine he was
18 you weren't done a milk truck he
asked me if I want to go to work with
him so he picked me out we get in the
truck it's a gun I said what are you
doing with that
he says protection broomsticks cut down
crowbars
people carry things when people came to
New York you're immediately schooled by
other people so you knew how to avoid
violence but sometimes you're just in
the wrong place at the wrong time I had
two workers in the back of the store
we're all working right and a customer
comes in and he's a major drug dealer he
goes out the store and these guys
attempt to kidnap him and he refuses to
go and they beat him with pistols all in
front of the store you know so the
challenge is what do you do at that
moment do you call the police or do you
mind your business and I chose to mind
my business
the week later they attempted to kidnap
me and I was resisted and it shot me in
the back and the bullets in the base of
my neck it was at this moment that
decide you know you can't be in it and
not of it
anarchy prevailed in the streets of New
York City because the cops would not do
in their job the cops if you would Latin
or your American Negro and they saw you
you had a problem citizens were forced
to fend for themselves so in reality
used to people who find me decided
enough is enough I used to see these
guys in the red berets and the red
jackets you know patrolling the
neighborhood hearing they were taking
back the streets and community and so I
finally realized you know it was time to
do some make a deficit even though the
atmosphere was very violent and chaotic
and dark and grim and you know there was
a just incredible falling of a heart
element that was in everyday life there
was also an incredible kind of
positivity that there's something very
important about being in a culture of
authenticity time to keep on changing
but you know for those that grew up in
those years there were the moral time
was it tough it was tough I refusing you
go it's the challenge I can't live
without chalice I need oh yeah moans oh
yeah you think you're gonna get away
that's what I'm that's the kind of
moments that I fight I'll fight hard
against you know people from all over
the world are attracted to New York City
because it's got the best of the best
and the worst of the worst my uncle used
to say
New York New Yo Ma so bad the head maybe
twice when I do
Oh