The Early Graff Scene

John Zender began getting up in the late 1970's throwing his placasos for his homies in the street of South Central LA, under the name Nite Owl. After his father was brutally murdered in those same streets he moved to Maywood CA. There he discovered hip Hop through his friends and music videos of the New York Hop Hop movement. He started hitting up Graff and later changing it to Phaze 52, he used the Los Angeles river bed as his canvas which spanned all the way to Long Beach.  Creating his first Graff crew BCB "Bomb City Boys" and joining a breakdance crew "The Dynamic Crew" he was invited to brake dance at the famous RadioTron.  There he was immersed in the whole LA Hip Hop movement.  After graduating from High School, John attended Otis Art Institute that happened to be across the street form RadioTron. Now he was able to spend most of his free time absorbing the movement and creating relationships with many of the early pioneers of the movement.