BACK TO THE FUTURE -1997

BACK TO THE FUTURE - TBT ARCHIVE 1997

20 years ago, this is how our pieces looked. Back then, we were the new school, rocking sparvar and German grey skinnies, probably blasting “Triumph” by Wu-Tang Clan while we worked on these creations. Time flies, but one thing hasn’t changed—we still love putting our names on walls.

In the '90s, there was no Photoshop. The photo montages were done the old-school way. We would take analog photos, develop them, and carefully select images with the same ratio. Then, we’d cut them out and use scotch tape to create our montages by hand. These collages would then be placed on a black page and stored in a binder, which we called a "black book."

For us, the black book was the most valuable thing we owned. It wasn’t just a collection of images; it was a unique archive of our work. Often, we had to keep these books away from our apartments, storing them elsewhere to avoid losing them in case of a police raid. The black book was our treasure, and we treated it as such.

But just like those black books were a reflection of our true selves, being real isn’t about following the rules others set for you or fitting into what society expects. It’s about staying true to yourself and embracing what you love, no matter what anyone thinks. It’s about creating your own path, not just following trends. That’s what we mean by “keepin’ it real”—it’s about being authentic, unapologetic, and never losing sight of your own journey. The best thing you can share with the world is your true self.

So let’s keep pushing, keep creating, and never stop rocking what we do. Peace out.

Peace out !

back to the future bandit1sm 123klan black book from 123KLAN on Vimeo.