THE MILLION DOLLAR VANDAL (2023) Part 1 -NYC Graffiti Documentary-

"DESA" is a graffiti writer from NYC. In the mid-nineties, he was prosecuted and did time in prison for graffiti-vandalism. This is his story in his words.
Support independent filmmaking by visiting the official JWF Docs. merchandise store. Featuring limited edition DESA-tagged stickers. jwfdocs.bigcartel.com
#NYCgraffiti #NYC #graffiti #transitauthority #nypd #Brooklyn #queens

Пікірлер: 284

  • @kennysrecordcollection9573
    @kennysrecordcollection95739 ай бұрын

    Really well done. The gritty VHS footage really captures the era. Can’t wait for part 2

  • @bfbfbfgr8

    @bfbfbfgr8

    9 ай бұрын

    Some of the tape clips are from the 5 ninth Avenue project!

  • @qweensfinest

    @qweensfinest

    8 ай бұрын

    wheres that at?​@@bfbfbfgr8

  • @kevin5000
    @kevin50009 ай бұрын

    as always, really appreciating the work Jack. Much respect to DESA for doing the film. side note - it really stuck out to me how his mother wanted to move away from Bushwick high school for fear of getting involved in heroin. As a current teacher in the building, I can really appreciate how the place has cleaned up.

  • @DJ_POOP_IT_OUT_FEAT_LIL_WiiWii

    @DJ_POOP_IT_OUT_FEAT_LIL_WiiWii

    6 ай бұрын

    Because heroin was bad *at that time*.

  • @MAYONAISEHUMMER

    @MAYONAISEHUMMER

    2 ай бұрын

    I drove by there a few months ago and saw like 4-6 high school girls having a fist fight out front haha

  • @gotyourpantiesinatwist
    @gotyourpantiesinatwist9 ай бұрын

    Great doc, you keep coming up with banger after banger... Much love from Portugal, thank you for documenting the culture and making it available free of charge for us all. Hope to cop merch from you soon, keep it real, cant wait for the next one!

  • @KJAY2THOUSAND
    @KJAY2THOUSAND9 ай бұрын

    Such a dope interview/documentary.. can’t wait for part 2 to come out.. hell Id like a part 3/4 and 5 lol.. could listen to Desa talk all day. The added pictures and videos are a dope touch too. Very well done

  • @trustori2407

    @trustori2407

    2 ай бұрын

    TAD - TOTS AINT DOWN, 👈🏼 OTB - ONLY THE BEST 👈🏼 IBM- IDOLIZED BY BILLIONS👈🏼

  • @IanF5
    @IanF59 ай бұрын

    Incredible story I couldn’t stop watching. Man that guy was productive. Great editing everyone.

  • @llamatoots7699
    @llamatoots76998 ай бұрын

    what an amazing interview! ive been looking up to desa for my whole graff career ive always loved his throwies

  • @g3wb
    @g3wb9 ай бұрын

    incredible capture of graffiti and nyc history im excited for part two

  • @BLAZENYCBLACKOPS
    @BLAZENYCBLACKOPS9 ай бұрын

    I moved my kids to L.I. so they didn’t have to grow up like I did in the 80’s & 90’s, only got to live out there for 1 1/2 years before I got divorced and eventually moved back to Astoria, my X and the kids are still out there which is fine by me because it was always for the kids. Even though things are much different now than they were when I was growing up it comforts me to know that they’re living a better life. I can relate to so much of what DESA is saying because many of us grew up the same way at the same time, a stroll through memory lane right here!

  • @iluvdebussy

    @iluvdebussy

    6 ай бұрын

    Mad funny because my parents moved from Astoria to Long Island to give me and my brothers a better life. I kinda was mad at them because I loved visited my family in queens and hanging out there. There was so much to do especially since I skateboard. Long Island was so boring, but now that I’m older I understand they did what they did.

  • @bozosaurus666
    @bozosaurus666Ай бұрын

    Well made doc... keep up the great work, mate =)

  • @eggboye352
    @eggboye3529 ай бұрын

    Incredible work as usual, Jack!

  • @one_nation_fanwear
    @one_nation_fanwear6 ай бұрын

    Desa was a legend on the videograf vhs tapes hitting the tops of trains. I’m glad I grew up in era. Eventually the crew I wrote with the 203 crew got on the videograf tapes when we all moved into the city. Desa was the man when it came to ups. Y’all have fancy paint brands & caps now. We had Krylon, Rusto & few different caps. We made markers from shoe polish containers etc. y’all have it made today. The vandal squad doesn’t hunt you down. Banksy ain’t 💩 😆.

  • @dogbog99

    @dogbog99

    3 ай бұрын

    Y’all

  • @sea4our
    @sea4our2 ай бұрын

    hey man. would love to see more interviews with legends like this. i know not everyone is up for it, but goddamn it's dope getting into their backgrounds. MTA is legendary.

  • @sunstruck
    @sunstruck9 ай бұрын

    Can’t wait for part 2!!!

  • @rudiger5926
    @rudiger59269 ай бұрын

    Amazing work 👏 keep em coming ❤

  • @deedeeshamone
    @deedeeshamone9 ай бұрын

    really informative and enjoyable doco. looking forward to seeing the second part

  • @yesplease5661
    @yesplease56619 ай бұрын

    Thanks for the non-lurid documentary and the insights. I am an eighties child from Europe and came into contact with graffiti/hip-hop back then.. I'm having flashbacks right now 🙏

  • @laory1808
    @laory18089 ай бұрын

    you're great at making these my guy thank you

  • @Stu_DLNGR
    @Stu_DLNGR9 ай бұрын

    Dopeness. We need more! 😂 Well worth the wait. Salute.

  • @MFSHECKS
    @MFSHECKS9 ай бұрын

    Can’t wait for part 2

  • @Doksiman
    @Doksiman9 ай бұрын

    Great documentary. You really captured that era of graffiti with these visuals.

  • @EclecticWizard6
    @EclecticWizard69 ай бұрын

    Love your documentaries dude!

  • @zig.i_
    @zig.i_7 ай бұрын

    Amazing documentary!

  • @Restinpeacetompenny
    @Restinpeacetompenny8 ай бұрын

    Amazing storytelling amazing editing amazing video

  • @alfredoalfredo8796
    @alfredoalfredo87969 ай бұрын

    Another really dope 😎😎 video .....best audio at that .....🎉🎉🎉 Mots talked about ❤❤❤

  • @ingridfong-daley5899
    @ingridfong-daley58998 ай бұрын

    I remember watching the opening credits of Welcome Back Kotter as a kid from my little swamp shack in Louisiana, seeing the tagged trains blow past on the elevated lines, and i felt exactly how that guy is describing @3:55. It's a universal type of excitement... like an ultimate 'alive' moment. I totally get it.

  • @post-monk671
    @post-monk6718 ай бұрын

    I had a fun time watching and listening to this. Thank you.

  • @JWFdocumentaries

    @JWFdocumentaries

    8 ай бұрын

    Part 2 is coming soon!

  • @respectthearchitects3328
    @respectthearchitects33289 ай бұрын

    This was great!

  • @bigfriz1229
    @bigfriz12298 ай бұрын

    awesome footage of old trains with some nice work on them!

  • @BronxBastard730
    @BronxBastard7309 ай бұрын

    Whens part 2 dropping ???? , this was dope

  • @quinncooper9249
    @quinncooper92499 ай бұрын

    Please keep these vids going they’re awesome

  • @madbomr9129
    @madbomr91299 ай бұрын

    Great doc!.

  • @williammccarthy5265
    @williammccarthy52656 ай бұрын

    really cool. cool to see how he was saying how he seen on the trains and why he was randomly fixated on them. that was me growing up. and i always seen DESA wondering

  • @davidcutler6930
    @davidcutler69309 ай бұрын

    Dope!!

  • @grocker5382
    @grocker53828 ай бұрын

    He's such a legendary writer.theres a desa in my city, and he's been painting around the same time nyc desa has ..

  • @horrificillusion
    @horrificillusion9 ай бұрын

    Excellent work

  • @_antwonTT6
    @_antwonTT69 ай бұрын

    Damn fam... I havn't seen anyone show a RedBird train in forever. Where you get those clips? Beautifully done JWF. Legit History without filler in this.

  • @toneriggz
    @toneriggz9 ай бұрын

    REE is a good dude. He was big in the 70’s, chilled out in the 80’s but still always had that passion for graff. He does a lot of legal walls now but he’s older. DESA is a legend too, more of a vandal but both paid their dues in their own ways.

  • @DJ_POOP_IT_OUT_FEAT_LIL_WiiWii

    @DJ_POOP_IT_OUT_FEAT_LIL_WiiWii

    6 ай бұрын

    dude is a criminal

  • @mno3305

    @mno3305

    5 ай бұрын

    @@DJ_POOP_IT_OUT_FEAT_LIL_WiiWiievery writer is a criminal that’s just how it is

  • @KP-ec7mr

    @KP-ec7mr

    3 ай бұрын

    ​@@DJ_POOP_IT_OUT_FEAT_LIL_WiiWiiand what are you going to do about it? 😂😂😂😂😂

  • @DJ_POOP_IT_OUT_FEAT_LIL_WiiWii

    @DJ_POOP_IT_OUT_FEAT_LIL_WiiWii

    3 ай бұрын

    @@KP-ec7mr I'm gonna own this boy half-moons and rake in the dough, thats what you get for going full vandal

  • @zacharybenard1076
    @zacharybenard10769 ай бұрын

    What a legend this dude is. respect

  • @inkandsoles5038
    @inkandsoles50389 ай бұрын

    nah this shit is the realest ! big props to you jwf for this one.

  • @yommish
    @yommish5 ай бұрын

    Dope documentary, making this is a good deed

  • @user-qw9xv1xx3p
    @user-qw9xv1xx3p9 ай бұрын

    Most talked about!!

  • @headmondronary2127
    @headmondronary21279 ай бұрын

    Recognize alot of the early footage from my book graffiti art which I purchased in 1985 and just about wore that book out. It reached little old New Zealand back then.

  • @planetalignment2523
    @planetalignment25239 ай бұрын

    Fucking awesome video man cant wait for the next episode!

  • @TimandVic131
    @TimandVic1319 ай бұрын

    The Korean Artist TKA🔥🔥🔥

  • @alwaystired1
    @alwaystired19 ай бұрын

    great vid, i always like straight painting videos but i love the human side of graff too. some really interesting people

  • @mystermysterio5348
    @mystermysterio53489 ай бұрын

    Good Documentary ... DESA definitely got his props and respect. He put in work and got his fame in the Graffiti game.

  • @eadweard.

    @eadweard.

    9 ай бұрын

    How depressing.

  • @tehjamerz

    @tehjamerz

    9 ай бұрын

    ​@@eadweard.Toy

  • @eadweard.

    @eadweard.

    9 ай бұрын

    @@tehjamerz Me or him?

  • @mystermysterio5348

    @mystermysterio5348

    9 ай бұрын

    @@eadweard. Depressing" is when you don't know anything about the Graffiti World. So SaE LESS!

  • @eadweard.

    @eadweard.

    9 ай бұрын

    @@mystermysterio5348 The graffiti world is wack.

  • @Nicky-uo8zc
    @Nicky-uo8zc3 ай бұрын

    What a crazy and interesting life he must have lived.👑👏

  • @Bravonewyork
    @Bravonewyork9 ай бұрын

    Crazy how the mother didn’t want her kid to go to bushwick hs but moved to East Ny…

  • @Sho_Goat
    @Sho_Goat9 ай бұрын

    Good ass documentry 🙌🙌

  • @arcanehernandez867
    @arcanehernandez8679 ай бұрын

    This is fire 🔥 🙌 funny i just came from the lay up with Dek this past weekend lol...

  • @Mabu_T_Lusse

    @Mabu_T_Lusse

    9 ай бұрын

    Ok, keep name dropping so you can get clouted up or whateva

  • @headmondronary2127
    @headmondronary21279 ай бұрын

    Big love for the intelligence to be honest and humble but real.

  • @jdportwerks6795
    @jdportwerks67959 ай бұрын

    Damn this dude is a true G! Vandal squad Mona… never hear of him. My era was Tom & Jerry Also if anyone did damage was KEZ5

  • @HALOHOLES
    @HALOHOLES9 ай бұрын

    thats craazy story since i grew up in Ridgewood i like this nice documentary This is before all the hippies came different times so much change

  • @nyccrimespot
    @nyccrimespot9 ай бұрын

    Hell Yea 🔥

  • @Xander102
    @Xander1029 ай бұрын

    Nice one ☝️

  • @tonysmith5878
    @tonysmith58789 ай бұрын

    THIS IS GORGEOUS. BRINGS TEARS TO MY EYES... THINGS WERE SO MUCH MORE AUTHENTIC THEN. NOW IT'S A LOT OF TOYS R US SHIT NOW. THIS WAS THE "GET DOWN FOR YOURS" ERA.

  • @nastynate2379

    @nastynate2379

    8 ай бұрын

    💯💯💯

  • @christianmolina8677
    @christianmolina86779 ай бұрын

    Badass video

  • @tertube77
    @tertube779 ай бұрын

    Ahh TKA... Went to LaGuardia HS with him. We did some boosting together. Think I still got his work in a blackbook somewhere. Damn that feels like a lifetime ago.

  • @marc6016
    @marc60162 ай бұрын

    Bushwick legends! So much fun back then. I ran with or ran into a lot of these writers in the late 80's early 90's. Myrtle and Troutman! BLK, BMF, TNS, YKK and many other crews. RIP to those writers that have passed from drugs, accidents or murdered, so sad.

  • @PR4U2NV
    @PR4U2NV6 ай бұрын

    I remember my day's hanging out stories below the subways. Robbing train conductors for their keys. Shout out to Duro, Michelob, Mack2, Rebel, Dondi, Zephyr & Tkid. 149th St. bench where we all met to trade books and find out the best layups for the week.

  • @nastynate2379
    @nastynate23798 ай бұрын

    Protect DESA AT ALL COST 💯💪🏽💪🏽

  • @erichoepelman7764
    @erichoepelman77649 ай бұрын

    Allegedly I use to paint in the 90 and 2000s.

  • @eddieelprimoflores5620
    @eddieelprimoflores56207 ай бұрын

    Much respect from chitown homie. Fuckin dope!

  • @meltednostrilsbornwithoutn781
    @meltednostrilsbornwithoutn7819 ай бұрын

    "big deal it's a van, it will never be nothing more "😂

  • @Dontbemad1
    @Dontbemad19 ай бұрын

    🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

  • @gregoryklein7323
    @gregoryklein73238 ай бұрын

    DESA MDV - really enjoyed this one. He didn't talk much about what originally drew him to graffiti, style and outside influence - I'd like to hear that shit.

  • @dogbog99
    @dogbog993 ай бұрын

    Anyone got the name for the beat/song in the background? 7:30 Greatly appreciated

  • @SUFROC
    @SUFROC9 ай бұрын

    Most Talked About!!!!

  • @bennikomouk
    @bennikomouk9 ай бұрын

    DESA is a NYC legend like JA, GIZ, VE and so on . Thanks for the amazing work 🙏🏽

  • @erichoepelman7764

    @erichoepelman7764

    9 ай бұрын

    Tabe Cope rod dog the list is long

  • @The_Albanian_Syndicate

    @The_Albanian_Syndicate

    9 ай бұрын

    TABE & RIC had shit on lock!

  • @Mabu_T_Lusse

    @Mabu_T_Lusse

    9 ай бұрын

    Hot dog, dictip,scrotum,vagflaps….& the list goes on & on & on

  • @patswayze7359
    @patswayze73599 ай бұрын

    Looks like im about to smoke one and watch a desa documentary...we live in the future

  • @deuceproduction216
    @deuceproduction2169 ай бұрын

    HARD!

  • @JohnGaray
    @JohnGaray9 ай бұрын

    Peace Desa, good to know you still good! Grover Cleveland Days.

  • @Jorok_Paints
    @Jorok_Paints5 ай бұрын

    Fire vid🔥 my father (Zim) would tell me story’s about the M train

  • @Jorok_Paints

    @Jorok_Paints

    5 ай бұрын

    He from Ridgewood he gotta know DG,Zim, almost all of AOK, NWC, ect most of them were in or involved with MTA pretty sure

  • @madeyoucitytv
    @madeyoucitytv9 ай бұрын

    DESA YOU NYC LEGEND

  • @williamomarra9938
    @williamomarra99389 ай бұрын

    Yesssssss

  • @AMEHOELA
    @AMEHOELA9 ай бұрын

    Wow. That’s quite a story. Man. 🤯

  • @slicknick5944
    @slicknick59449 ай бұрын

    The homie CEND LSD 👊

  • @pablogallardo7872
    @pablogallardo78729 ай бұрын

    So sick but in the part2 subtitles in spanish please 🙏🏽🙏🏽

  • @D-Sin5
    @D-Sin59 ай бұрын

    Nice, doc. Perfect descrip of, N.Y. bombing culture in the 90's.

  • @differentlystill1846
    @differentlystill18468 ай бұрын

    🔥

  • @josemunoz-tr5dj
    @josemunoz-tr5dj8 ай бұрын

    🔥🔥🔥🔥😬

  • @josephsmith6777
    @josephsmith67778 ай бұрын

    Nyc in the 80s and 90s was fkn crazy

  • @abnormalarea5288
    @abnormalarea52888 ай бұрын

    ik its anti graft culture to be putting everyones work on front street lately but im loving it I really love hearing all the stories these guys are modern artists

  • @anthonyarcanumsanctumregnu9551
    @anthonyarcanumsanctumregnu95519 ай бұрын

    Yes Im from Queens and was Bombin the Same Time as Desa I had a good deal of fame too as far as Queens cats from that Era, I was Flik MIK Flik VKS Edit now all thse years later people still call Me that.

  • @nicholasrella6904

    @nicholasrella6904

    9 ай бұрын

    A lot of those old heads still do murals in the alley behind the train station. You would definitely know a lot of those guys. They told me Slash lives down here now but I don’t think he paints much anymore. Some of those guys still go bombing when they get all drunk. I think they’re out of their minds.

  • @100hands6

    @100hands6

    9 ай бұрын

    MIK but I never heard of you. Who put you down "Flik"?

  • @jamessones4044
    @jamessones40448 ай бұрын

    Until you’ve done a train depot you don’t know what adrenaline is…🥰💥🥰💥🥰💥🥰💥

  • @tomgiustra7087
    @tomgiustra70879 ай бұрын

    Man I grew up around some greats in the 90’s NYC scene but those train bombing days were sick. Miss 90’s Brooklyn 😮‍💨

  • @IHYDRO718I
    @IHYDRO718I8 ай бұрын

    This was actually pretty dope. I grew up in Bushwick and remember when he came out in the paper. MTA FTR KILLED SHIT !

  • @parttime9070
    @parttime90709 ай бұрын

    In the Netherlands they had designated graffiti zones along the rail lines and no one tagged the trains..

  • @DJJS1
    @DJJS19 ай бұрын

    DESA! For The Rush...

  • @Crypt11K
    @Crypt11K3 ай бұрын

    How the hell weed gonna give you anxiety but pcp doesn’t 😂 Dope interview wish I could go back in time to the late 80s early 90s graff was just different back then

  • @jakespizza-tj2of

    @jakespizza-tj2of

    6 күн бұрын

    angel dust

  • @getbuckposse
    @getbuckposse9 ай бұрын

    I think they sampled those bagpipes on House Of Pain “Jump Around”

  • @MarbRedFred
    @MarbRedFred9 ай бұрын

    Absolutely phenomenal

  • @wood4life
    @wood4life9 ай бұрын

    13:58 Bro in the back is having an existential crisis 😂 Hold it together Norm 🫡😵‍💫

  • @The_Albanian_Syndicate
    @The_Albanian_Syndicate9 ай бұрын

    This is Dynamite!

  • @poiuytrewdfghjksa
    @poiuytrewdfghjksa9 ай бұрын

    solid

  • @lolrip176
    @lolrip1769 ай бұрын

    do boston next graf scene been blowing up in the last few years

  • @user-pg4qj7vf8t
    @user-pg4qj7vf8t9 ай бұрын

    respect

  • @nastynate2379
    @nastynate23799 ай бұрын

    💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽

  • @daddypig.5796
    @daddypig.57969 ай бұрын

    I wasn’t a tagger. I knocked around with 6 or 7 of the main artists of my city in late 80’s. Some had witnessed the horrors of the Frank Beck situation here in UK, having been child residents of those boarding houses. My mates were out of control. Understandably. They’re all doing ok now in life. Some wrote famous records. Some wrote well known books. Some are running workshops for the next gen of artists. . It could of gone either way for a couple of those guys but I believe graff work is what kept them here. They were focused and out of trouble when working on a piece together. I’ve recently walked past a piece that my mate did in 92. I remember it being done. We all lived around from there back then. Wonderful to see it still up 30 years later and it’s also brilliant how our councils now dedicate certain spots for graff work. There will never be a day I don’t want to see work up. I don’t care much for vandalism but I think there’s a place or two perfect in every city for a touch of graff. I love to see it. It’s bright and colourful.

  • @Stoney-Jacksman

    @Stoney-Jacksman

    5 ай бұрын

    Don't you consider the bombardment of advertising wherever you look as vandalism? Dedicated spots for graffiti, is like Lion's in a zoo. It defeats the purpose. But you dont seem to get it.

  • @user-ub1uv2dv9f
    @user-ub1uv2dv9f2 ай бұрын

    Good stuff,,, LUE 1,,AOW