New Urban Era recently contacted Parlee – ERZ
ERZ Tamworth 2014
Hi Parlee thanks for taking the time to speak to us at newurbanera.org
Can you tell us a bit more about yourself , ERZ and the journey so far?
We started up the Essex Rockerz (ERZ) in 1986. We’d been painting since ’83 under a number of different names but became ERZ
when Demane, Noir and me hooked up with Severe and Proud2. We were all schoolmates in Chelmsford. I’m pretty sure at this point we share the same history to many of the old heads, racking paint, testing Boots deodorant section for caps and pulling all nighters.
We caught a lucky break when we appeared in the 2nd edition of Hip Hop Connection thanks to Steam and around the same time we released the first UK Graff fanzine. We got this mentioned on London and Capital radio and writers across the UK would send in photos and in return we put together an 8 page photocopied mag. What we did before the Internet kids…oint we share the same history to many of the old heads, racking paint, testing Boots deodorant section for caps and pulling all nighters.
Unfortunately a visit by the constabulary during school hours cut my time short. I was banned from going on to 6th form and deported back to where I belonged, Hull. Demane would come and paint and I slotted my way into the Hull scene hooking up with Si2. I also continued my art Education but the colleges slowly took control and by the time I went to study Fine Art in Nottingham it was game over. I graduated in 1994 and put down my pencil and didn’t pick it up again until 2011.
It was around the end of 2010, after moving to London, that 2 chance meetings got me to start drawing then painting again. Artist Rich Simmons, who runs an organisation called Artisthecure.com made it his personal mission to get me to take up art again, then randomly bumping into Steam who suggested I Google ERZ. It was great to see the guys were all still painting and hadn’t dropped their cans in the past 20 years.
Nowadays I paint with Demane and Noir when they’re free, Severe and Proud2 are semi-retired, only making an appearance for ERZ ‘special occasions’. Most weekends I hang out with Eska and Vandali and we paint around London.
Do you have anything in the pipeline and Whos Rocket and Plugs?
I feel really lucky that people in and outside of the scene like what I’m doing. That and the Internet have given me the chance to pursue it further. I now split my time between illustration work and exhibitions, more recently outside of the UK. My heart is still stuck on my 2 main characters, Rocket and Plugs. All the characters I’m painting on walls now are part of a children’s book I’m putting together with Rocket and Plugs at the centre. Rocket’s a little kid I met at a paint jam last year and Plugs is his giant robot.
Any memorable moments you would like to share with us?
I have a lot of memorable moments; The Gas works in Chelmsford played a huge part, Bridlington world champs and Normski ending up in the sea, meeting Dr Dre at UK Fresh ‘86 with Mode2, but mostly staying out all night with my crew and getting to paint with some big names in the game. They were good times but they have to stay back then. Too many artists are being handed 18 month stretches from posting stories and photos online.
ERZ Tamworth 2012
Do you have a favourite piece to date?
I don’t really have a favourite piece that I’ve done. I know I want my work to look like a drawing but other than that painting is a social event for me, a chance to hang out with really talented artists. I know I enjoy my walls more if I do a rough sketch the night before then leave it at home on the day.
Finally what advice would you give to readers who are new on the scene ?
If I was to offer any advice for someone just starting out, and I’m not sure I qualified for this as I’ve not been painting for long… I would say:
ERZ Tamworth 2017
