[Graffiti] Quick adventure with NAKS & Capital Q SDK

www.stompdown.ca/
In the late 1990s, pockets of hip-hop obsessed Canadian kids from suburbs like Surrey and Langley, British Columbia, set out to make themselves known. Removed from urban centres like Vancouver, they saw themselves as outcasts and took refuge in music, the streets, and their crews. These skaters, rappers, and graffiti artists-with alternate egos like Vision, Capital Q, KeepSix, Caspian, and a host of others-would eventually help found intertwined brands Ephin and Stompdown Killaz.
Stompdown Killaz (SDK) is likely the most recognized of the two entities and it looks after the graffiti and design side of the business. SDK was named by the filmmaker Capital Q. Capital Q, real name Quinn Leathem, is the brand’s co-founder, along with a handful of friends who hung out at Brookswood Skatepark in Langley. They started gaining a larger audience for their art, which you could find bombed across train cars and brick walls after Capital Q uploaded graffiti videos on their KZbin channel in 2005. The first videos were simple slide shows of their work, and eventually they produced everything from music videos to an online talk show called Get off the Couch. Their videos went on to gain hundreds of thousands of views worldwide. Their logo became the infamous Canadian flag-stamped ski mask with crossed baseball bats behind it.
Before SDK’s rise came Ephin, legally called Ephin Lifestyle Holdings Corp. Formally established in 2002 by Ryan Wiese, aka Vision, Ephin grew from a small t-shirt vendor in Surrey. Opened in 2004, the first Ephin shop at 162nd and 84th Street was 500 square feet; two shops later, today the current space is five times bigger than the first iteration. Around 2006, Ephin and SDK came together, giving the SDK brand a solid business backing. Ephin, which is majority co-owned by Capital Q and Vision, grew to manage branding for artists around the world.

[@josephrivas4762]

I got mad respect for those old hobo writers.

[@efitter7]

Another great one Q!

[@DaroeSeven]

Fuck yes. Love these videos.

[@SurfacePotential]

So tight, loved it!

[@mojojoejoe457]

Seen my hit up from back in 2007!!

[@VexD152]

5:25 ive seen that teddy bear + sword tag/moniker right next to each other on a lotta cars! Hmmm

[@dambrosio11]

Love these!

[@streetwalk15]

awesome tattoos buddy

[@pb.pb.pb.pb.]

that is sick.. what cap is that for outline?? the yellow outline

[@snorewak]

had a feeling ive seen you guys use this spot before and then Q points the camera at an sdk sticker to confirm it, i just cant remember what video it was when you guys last went there i think it was craver wasnt it?

[@stayathomedad4830]

I love ol bum graffiti

[@wannadanc3894]

Reading though the comments and people seem to have missed 0:59 . I don’t know how often this method is used but fuck does it make sense for complex pieces. The only thing that would make it not work is if you didn’t stand in the same exact spot every time you checked. Other than that idk. You put me into a new artistic strategy. Thank you!

[@stillfree47]

wow that atomik is raw

[@TehUltimateBlazer]

Naks if you're reading this, do you remember vandalsquad and all the beef with BOO2 / Marsh and Sifer? Back in time when you used to write "Scan". Sooo many memories

[@callumbooker7433]

sounds interesting, tell us more

[@DIRTYDAG]

Was that PORK from the 216?

[@garybungo2949]

Pork BAK one of my favorites growing up

[@cjjessome3723]

Dope

[@kanti1]

Naks and Label are my favorite from SDK. Q, tell Label to come out of retirement!! Doug too!!

[@MisfitSince85]

Naks....my favorite drunken pirate.

[@XSVterror18]

Atomik always going hard.

[@calebhopkins6501]

I need one of those retractable ladders

[@cosmblotter]

i know right.. shits sick

[@tol8tetoh8te65]

Dope piece. Would have been alot nicer with a darker outline tho

[@maxencefenoll9823]

FDK is from Montréal 😮

[@SillyNag]

d30 erupto 321 nice!!!

[@tagger0001]

5:58 BUKET TKO!!

[@alexanderkode8350]

I saw that same shit man!

[@josephrivas4762]

I think every writer has those shoes.

[@sperathoner]

Jeah Kobra I like it

[@pietroberbenni6355]

love erupto sws at 5:34...

[@gudestauder]

c.45 is it from germany?

[@wins114]

canada

[@JosephCee]

Ya'll are decades behind the US thats why graff is still so rampant there and easier to get away with.

[@waynesagich]

what cam do you use?

[@waynesagich]

k

[@FreskyBootsTojo]

1:35 F_F Respect for that Montreal Tattoo

[@IAmSHROOMY187]

@6:10 Edmonton writer The zodiak killer

[@isaacrocksyay]

montreal logo tattooed on his arm

[@PATWIST]

8:35 - good view 8:40 9:08

[@1800iloveboobies]

@ 6:40 RIP Sema GSF NFK

[@abirkhan-iy9jq]

Aladdin

[@vinnyalves9963]

Sdk... !

[@castrokevin5148]

TKO

[@Kots999]

Дуже нагадуэ Україну)

[@joshweinstock9173]

buket tko LA repping

[@blistergarcia6829]

BlisteeeeR. abc

[@josephrivas4762]

Gah! Slugs are fucking gross.