- published: 26 Nov 2014
- views: 42265
PHASE 2, born Lonny Wood is one of the most influential and well known New York City aerosol artists. Mostly active in the 1970s, Phase 2 is generally credited with originating the "bubble letter" style of aerosol writing, also known as "softies". He was also influential in the early hip hop scene.
Phase 2 is from The Bronx, and attended DeWitt Clinton High School along with a number of other early aerosol artists. Many famous writers of the early 1970s would meet at a doughnut shop across from the school called the Coffee Shop before heading down to the subway station at 149th Street and Grand Concourse to watch tagged trains on the IRT line pass by. Phase 2 was mentored as a writer by Lee 163d!, one of the pioneers of writing in The Bronx.
He began writing in late 1971 under the name Phase 2, a moniker which had a rather mundane provenance. As Phase 2 would later recall, "the previous year we'd given this party. We were getting ready to give another one and I said, 'We'll call this one Phase Two.' I don't know why, but I was stuck on the name. It had meaning for me. I started writing 'Phase 2.'"
All I can see is what I've fried
And all the world in your black eye
I'll run in circles all the time
I'll gather up all that is mine
Into the room inside my head
The walls are black, the roof is red
And fiery like a volcano, I wear it like a massive halo
This pretty speckled length of twine
That's wrapped around your neck is mine
A ruby rose, stiffed and froze is what I give to you
I'll run in circles all the time
I'll gather up all that is mine
Into the room inside my head
The walls are black, the roof is red
If I could taste your salty head
And pick your the dead hair from my eyes
An' let you smell the sweet despise
Those peaks and trusts guts for a valley
Are a dead scene in my back alley
How tall and wide you have to get?
How big and dark and badly lit?
And if I said I did, would you believe me
And I showed you gold
Would you see through me
And if tomorrow didn't come
Oh would you?
I'll run in circles all the time
I'll gather up all that is mine
Into the room inside my head
The walls are black, the roof is red
I'll run in circles all the time
I'll gather up all that is mine
Into the room inside my head
The walls are black, the roof is red
I'll run in circles all the time
I'll gather up all that is mine