THE RAD ROAD BACK TO ATLANTA – RECONNECTING THE UNITED KINGS
The echoes of ghosts through the MARTA stations, neighbor blocks, and the style writing community throughout Atlanta have been in search of the infamous Atlanta based hip hop style writing crew, “THE UNITED KINGS.” Some 35+ years passed with no luck of finding or discovering who this crew was. Not a peep! All that was physically known was a “RAD” piece from 1985 and a “KINGS” piece from 1986.
Dr.Dax discovered this “RAD” piece fresh on the wall in 1986 when he was fourteen years old while scouting the walls of Atlanta, but never found the artist. But Dr.Dax did snap a photo of which we would later contribute to 2011 book, The History Of American Graffiti. “THE BOOK,” published by Harper-Collins, assembled by Roger Gastman and writer/artist Caleb Neelon, is said to be “the definitive story behind the most influential art form of the last one hundred years.” Dr. Dax’s contribution of one photo of that 1985 RAD piece and a mention of “RAD” and “The United Kings” in the 2011 book, cemented some initial Atlanta history! Dr. Dax states that the Atlanta chapter is one of the smallest chapters within the book! Every city has it’s complete history, but Atlanta’s has been shrouded in mystery with Rad, The United Kings, The Five Kings and SparkyZ! Julio and Pest, who the heck are these guys?!
In 1989 Antar of Steel Wheels 360 moved to Atlanta and would discover this same “RAD” piece as he would ride MARTA up to Lenox. But he would not photograph the “RAD” piece until 1993 or ’94 while documenting the freight trains that would lay up along this same wall.
Antar would meet Dr.Dax in 1994 and would compare notes and photos of Atlanta’s scene as well as New York as Antar had been photo-archiving since his youth in New York. In 1995 Antar would start SteelWheels360.
Fast forward 35-years…
April 29th, 2020 – On a miraculous chance the East Bay Archives (California based Instagram page) posted a photo supplied by HAM2 of KTD, that would connect the dots!
The East Bay Archives as of 2022, is in it’s sixth year of archiving and assembling the early days of the East Bay graffiti as their efforts will result in a major book. It was this post that linked everything together!
THE PHONE CALL
After RAD and Dr.Dax exchanged phone numbers via their Instagram chat, RAD said, “let’s talk tomorrow as it’s already late in Atlanta (1am) vs Rad’s California time of 11:00pm.” But Dr.Dax responded, “let’s talk now if your up for it! I’ve waited 35 years to talk with you!” They got on a phone call that went into the wee hours of the morning! Dr.Dax ended the call with a statement that a reunion of The United Kings needs to happen! Dr. Dax stated, “everyone knows “The United Kings” was the first crew of Atlanta, but no one actually knows who you guys! You guys have never been seen! Like aliens, you came, left your mark and vanished!”
REUNION OF THE UNITED KINGS
Logistics… All of the members of The United Kings are still alive! The majority of the members still live in Atlanta, with KRAM in Texas and RAD in California (1986 – 2021). But all of this is “happening” during COVID. While there is a lot of “free time” on hand, actually shaking hands is not really happening. But the mission continues and Dr.Dax has re-lit the torch within RAD!
THE MISSION – GET RAD TO ATLANTA
The United Kings are all alive and healthy, so this would be a really good time to prepare a trip to Atlanta to reunite the TUK crew! This blog post is being written during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, so this trip can not happen right now, nor do we want to during the summer heat of “HOTLANTA!” With an abundance of time on hand and very few dead presidents in the bank, the only way RAD is going to get to Atlanta is by getting creative! The power of social media!!!
The first social drop was this video bit: https://www.instagram.com/p/CAG0_rxgnv0/
OK FOLKS! Trying to raise money to get out to Atlanta and need your help! I am going to let go of one FULL-CAN of KRYLON JUNGLE GREEN spray paint from my collection! Never used, top never popped, fresh out the 28-year old box! It’s time for me to RE-UNITE with Atlanta’s first graffiti crew, The United Kings! It’s been 34+ years since I’ve rolled with my ATL-Crew!
Recent events have HOTLANTA excited about digging into the history of their Hip Hop scene, luckily I was there and participated in the formative early days! I currently live in California and need to stack some dead presidents to make the trip, thus I have to let go of some things, do some artwork, graphics work, whatever it takes!
We are all in our 50’s and can’t wait any longer as the whole crew is alive, healthy, kicking, and ready to share our stories! DM your offer! Don’t low-ball-insult me as I know what these vintage Krylon can are worth! I’ve been sitting on these for a long time, I don’t have to sell if the minimums are not met. The can is not 100 percent perfect but super-dope for show in 2020! Don’t think your going to spray a 28-year old can either. Defeats the purpose of having a full can anyhow! I can not warrant, guarantee that it will spray, not that I would try! But it is a full-can of JUNGLE GREEN!!! And for a good cause!
MEANWHILE….
Backing up a bit… Quite a few years passed and both Dr. Dax and Antar where busy with life as we like to say! But Randy Gue, Assistant Director of Collection Development & Curator of Political, Cultural, & Social Movements at Emory Library would rekindle some fire for Antar and MadClout.
Thursday October 17, 2019 – Creative Loafing (monthly paper serving the Atlanta metro) conducted a podcast: Leaving A Mark, Jack Stewart’s Photographs of Subway Graffiti Art • Photographs by Atlanta artist document early graffiti painting on New York Subway Cars at Emory Library, Hosted by Doug DeLoach. This show or rather the collection of photographs is very interesting as Jack Stewart was from Atlanta, Georgia and was in NYC during the early developmental years of “the application of a medium to a surface” know as “graffiti art” or style writing. This “Jack Stewart” topic will have to be a whole other discussion, but what it did was connect Antar with Doug Deloach. Doug Deloach is an old friend of Randy Gue as well as The United Kings…
See were this is going? But who the heck is Doug Deloach? This event was Hosted by: DOUG DELOACH – Why do I BOLD Doug Deloach’s name? Well, that will be another story, but lets just say he and I have a past connection dating back to my Atlanta days and we are still in contact to this day!
October 23, 2022 – Antar and Dr. Dax start Atlanta Graffiti Archive, much to the inspiration of the East Bay Archive page.
November 4 – 6, 2022 – ATL STYLE WRITERS WALL JAM
RAD GOES TO ATLANTA to attend and paint with The United Kings at the first annual Atlanta StyleWriters Wall Jam! This was the first time The United Kings have painted together in 36-years!!!
November 10 – December 7th, 2024 – TUK GALLERY SHOW #KingsArriveATL
The weekend following of the 2024 ATL StyleWriters Wall Jam, The United Kings showcased past and present artwork in their first ever group show held at EyeDrum Galley directed by Will Lawless and the show was curated by Antar Fierce. The show was named Kings Arrive prior to Antar seeing the image below used for the galley opening reception. Note the “The Kings Arrive” painted on the building. That is Fernando / Eskeme of The United Kings posing in front of the then recently finish mural at what was The Performance Galley” in Midtown, Atlanta, Georgia from 1985-6. Photo: Rodney Wills
ODE TO JUNGLE GREEN
RAD created a sixteen-piece series of 3.5″ X 7.5″ cards called ODE TO JUNGLE GREEN to help get RAD TO ATL. https://rad1tuk.com/the-collector-card-custom-by-rad/
