Concrete Jungle is a Movement!

 It sparked in 2017, when myself,(Dier one) AKA DIER TIMES.. started throwing events in a spot i used to paint and go to for years to relax and get away. This spot was under a bridge alongside the LA RIVER. I called it CONCRETE JUNGLE SESSIONS LA. Because we were literally inside a tunnel surrounded by concrete. It was a session.. with graffiti, turntables, and music..nothing but 2 technics some speakers and the generator. I invited graffiti writers to come paint. The concept was to throw shows all around LA in spots in different bomb yards and inner city LOS ANGELES LOCATIONS. Concrete jungle type locations and we have been doing it ever since. Then 2 years later I recruited dj erize who helped me with carrying all the speakers over the train tracks. He has been there to support and has been rocking with me and part of concrete jungle crew ever since , and the 3rd year later, I recruited and met VERONICA AKA BEATRIX. She has now been a pillar in the movement with throwing these events in the last couple years..she's always there when i need her, she's reliable, she helps with organization, she's OG rock the bells guerrilla union promotor. She has a lot of love for concrete jungle. and what I been doing, and been rocking with me ever since.

We pick the location, the date, and then we go from there. I curate the DJ line up, and the graffiti writers, I make the flyer, and we start promoting. We have to wake up early to get there before everyone else with all our equipment. It's such a rush and I still get nervous but excited feeling like I'm painting on the freeway where everyone can see me or like im robbing a bank or something haha... but always have positive vibez. We always post and announce location day of or night before. We used to email it, so much stuff happening in LA with homelessness and crime. We announce location on our instagram, so follow us there for all upcoming events!

 I've been a graffiti writer since 1998 when i was in junior high growing up in LA PUENTE CA SGV...when i started skating. I always been a fan of graff, art, and the culture. It has just always been apart of my life.  It is not even a hobby, its life, so it was pretty automatic that I wanted graffiti to be apart of anything I did, and it plays a big role. because its part of the culture, I always wanted to throw shows or attend shows where we can actually paint and have permission, and with these events, it plays a big role, because it is the even. It is like having guest MCS OR DJS, we have guest GRAFFITI ARTIST, and i really want them to get shine, and be lifted up for what they do as part of the events, and for them to be the HEADLINERS ALSO OF THE SHOW. It's the culture, and that's what we represent, the people, and artist's, and graffiti writers in it. I don't want it to just be an after thought. IT IS THE SHOW AND A BIG PART OF IT. Bringing so many graff heads together as one to flex there skills, it's energy, it's freedom at it's best, especially when we are in a location we technically don't have permission for..its literally freedom, and occupying our territory, and space for a day. It's our fist in the air. and that's how I always looked at graffiti also.It feels like Rage Against The Machine type shit... haha punk

rock gangster shit..

 There are graffiti writers i have followed and respected for years..that I'm honored to say have been apart of our events, and those are the ones I invited first, but at first, I'd announce it and give an open invitation to all graffiti writers. It was always a first come first serve type of plan. It's like a free for all, but as the shows got bigger I would have more of a line up of graffiti writers. It is similar to curating a dj line up. The line up would get 1st pick on wall space. Any one after that coming to paint would have to find space if there is any, but as we continued to grow, I want to rotate the line up, and give all graffiti writers a chance to shine and not just come to paint, but be apart of the event, giving them a flyer to share, promoting them, lifting them up as graffiti artist. we want to showcase there work, and actually be apart of the event, rather than just random heads coming to paint, but we welcome that to haha.

Luckily, and blessed to say, we havent had any real problems or major problems.. the only problems we had I can say, is the cops showing up, and that happened only a few times in the past 5 years I been doing it. For the most part everyone shows respect, so over all it's been really great and smooth, but always lil problems like," I forgot some wire connections" or "gas for generator". haha.. but that's like lil things that comes with throwing events sometimes... haha. always forgetting something, but it hasn't happened in a while because we got our routine down pretty good.

My goal is to take it to a legit location. I want somehwere big enough to have the same capacity, and vibez, where we can paint, and still do what we do. I envision  taking it to the next level. I am working on getting sponsors, and more people involved. My goal is to be in a place where i can provide paint for all graffiti artist, and even pay them, get bigger acts, bigger performers, provide a place for vendors to make money and sell their food, clothing, art, ect.. I want this to be a festival.

Elysian park, frog town LA river location, LA river near down town, the middle of the desert in the middle of now where, the beach, we've done warehouse locations in down town. We are literally always scouting and looking for locations, because I like to change it up.

 I'ts about building a foundation, and platform for the culture. The culture to me, is hip hop, junglist elements. That includes art, music, producing, mcing, djing, graffiti, and now so much more. The culture is adding independent vendors, food vendors, ganja vendors, clothing vendors. It's about building this brand and platform so we can take it to the next level, so it can pay for itself to keep running, and becoming its own entity. for the people to have a place to call home. I want to bring back those rock the bell vibez.

My advice is be original, scout your locations yourself and take the time to find your own spots. Don't use other people's spots. You just don't do that ,even growing up throwing and being apart of punk shows. We tried never using each others spots, but for venues that will happen... so no biggy. I would say with renegade parties it seems like all these cats are now doing it, and it's become a thing here in LA ever since we've done it in 2017. There has been a flood of these type events.  Recently someone used our spot and even took out a map we made and used it. haha its like really? who does that? Make your own maps, find your own spots, and do it the right way, or at least have respect to reach out. My advice is, have fun, take your time, have respect for your fellow promotors and organizers. This is LOS ANGELES. we are all here.but have respect. There in no need to step on each others toes. You should reach out and maybe we can do something together.

My favorite pieces have been from artist like, jaber,sensae,cion,gaso,pryer,derse,all the sd writers that came down this last event, so many to name, but I named those because I really respect them and followed them for years.There are too many to name but every artist, every time, even if its just a bomb style, if they came to throw down and represent with there best work. Big ups to all artist's and graffiti writer's who ever painted at CONCRETE JUNGLE LA!!!

 Yeah that really means a lot to us, its hard sometimes, not hard, but we get so busy with the organizing and making sure everything is ok. we forget to reach out to companies and brands like you. It means a lot to us that you get involved, because infamy art is the culture also. and what can help us is sharing our events, sharing our page, and would be awesome if more brands like infamy art got involved and donated some stuff to give away to some artist's involved and the people who are in attendance.  That type of promotion helps build, and creates momentum and everyone loves free stuff...haha ,but not just that, it's having something to remember, something you can take home, like a souvenir..we would like to collab with more companies for future events and have them sponsor us in that way.