Alleged L.A. tagger arrested after cops find him on YouTube

An image of "Revok" from a graffiti video on YouTube, and the Riverside County booking photo of Jason Williams.

"Revok" is a prolific graffiti artist who also has a heavy presence on YouTube (see video below). As it turns out, the two might not go so well together. As KNBC reported here, Indio police arrested Jason Williams in Los Angeles last week on vandalism charges after they traced fingerprints from various tags and street art back to the L.A-based Williams. Most of the tagging in question apparently took place during the Coachella music festival.

Revok is not a small-timer. He appears in a number of online videos about graffiti, including at least one where he spraypaints a wall himself -- and others where he is interviewed and profiled as a well-known Southland graffiti artist. In this video interview, Revok says, "More than half my life now has been spent doing graffiti. I've gone to jail I don't know how many times, had people trying to kill me. There's really no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for that."

The graffiti in many of the YouTube videos is ornate and expertly rendered. Revok is clearly a talented artist. But ...

"No matter what you call it," an Indio police spokesman told KNBC, "it's defacing public and private property.''

For repeat offenders, felony vandalism (for damage greater than $400) is punishable by a jail term of up to one year, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. Not what you would call a pot of gold.

Comments

[Fred]

"No matter what you call it," an Indio police spokesman told KNBC, "it's defacing public and private property.''

This is the most ridiculous statement I've heard. The video posted in this article show him painting a legal wall and it is definitely not defacing a private property. A police officer should know the law...

[Skate All Cities]

This is straight BS! Tracing everything back from YOUTUBE? So does that mean that the information on YOUTUBE isn't private and the information (aka home address) can be given to the authorities even though that particular video posted above is on a LEGAL wall with permission?! Invasion of Privacy in my book...

[od]

actually what they did was use his face on youtube and matched it to the fingerprints... he states he'd been in jail before so his prints are in the books. if he had hidden his face in those interviews, they probably would not have found him.

[Anon]

This guy is at the top of his game when it comes to what he does... very few people on this PLANET can do what he does, let alone as well. The last place this guy deserves to be is in jail, REGARDLESS of whether his murals are legal or illegal. Oftentimes it seems the arguement for/against graffiti boils down to a power struggle. The "MAN" wants to be able to say "NO, you can't do that, because I don't want you to!" and have that be the end of it. However, when enough people decide that rule is stupid and decide to do what they're going to do anyway, even in this case when the artist is painting amazing murals, the "MAN" just can't seem to learn to live with it... they got to keep making problems for people. It's a damn shame. I hope KING REVOKER gets off with little to no punishment.. it's all part of the game but as far as I'm concerned, he deserves a get of jail free card for life regarding anything graffiti related.

[LA LIFE]

FREE KING REVOK......HE BEAUTIFIES OUR STREETS! LEAVE HIM ALONE.......! CATCH THE TOYS WHO VANDALIZE YOUR LOCAL AREA WITH TOY TAGS. EVEN REVOKS TAGS ARE A MASTERPIECE IN ITSELF.....FREE KING REVOK!

[Tax Payer!]

This vandal should get time and pay through his wallet! He has been defacing Los Angeles for years. And he rubs it in the face of the people of Los Angeles and to the police who work hard to protect it! Look at his videos on you tube. He gets paid for his graffiti and is given spray paint as sponsorship? (7th Letter Clothing, Montana Spray Paint) People who defend him claim its only for legal graffiti. Sure it is! We all know the truth. The more defacing he does the more he is admired and with that comes the money and the paint! Ridiculous! All this information is on You Tube videos and Los Angeles based graffiti websites.

L.A. Times you should ask authorities as to why they stand for this COSTLY blatant disrespect when they know who it is!

[graffiti writer]

having people on the internet beable to recognize you in the street because of the crimes you commit is crazy. for sure? seems like graffiti has been moving in a direction where people are turning into rock stars and flaunting shit on the internet. its still a crime when you paint private property, doesnt matter how good it is. its a pain when you get caught, but he likely has a good lawyer, and thats all that matters in the states. best luck to revok...

[Kevin G.]

When vanity comes back and nips you in the butt. There's a reason why graffiti writers are supposed to stay anonymous. He's been running around showing his face for years. What did he think would happen? A victim of his own demize, he can only be upset with his own actions.

[neil diamond]

7th Letter is the man's company, not a sponsor. The man has worked harder than most of you to get where he is at, has traveled more extensively than you, has more heart for what he does and stands for, and actually loves what he does and makes a living off it. Alot more than I can say for myself as well as probably everyone else on this board. The man is an urban legend, within his genre of art and culture the man is one of the untouchables, a true well rounded king than has dedicated his life to his craft. I would much rather see a fresh Revok piece over some lame commercial billboard anyday. It is his bad for putting his face out there the way he did, but the man has done graffiti the right way, the way it should be done. will skill, passion, and no regard. PEACE

[James Kane]

I don't think The Seventh Letter is his company. None the less, FREE REVOK.

[Gregorian]

This man has alot of heart. He has an unlimited amount of energy. For a long time he has marked surfaces you would think are impossible to touch without any major use of equipment and/or man power. His styles. Revok acquires his comrads styles(I believe the culture calls it, "Bite".) and uses/modifys them with his limitless energy. Outlasting them. He has acquired the styles of Saber, Ewok, Ayer, and most recently Augor.

I don't understand why one becomes an outlaw and promotes himself publicly under the same alias. Fighting a system. Is it not a part of the graffiti culture to be anonymous? Reasons being, protect ones true alias, and to speak based on ones style?

In the past I hired aerosol artists to paint logos on my store front.
I am not perfect. I do believe if one does the crime. They should be ready to pay the time.

[RAWKET]

HE PROBABLY HAS A PERCENTAGE ..............BUKET IS THE ONE IM WORRIED ABOUT ......AS WHERE REVOK MIGHT GET COMMUNITY SERVICE ...MAYBE TEACH ART APPRECIATION AT AN AFTER SCHOOL BOYS AND GIRLS CENTER.....BUKET IS A STRAIGHT UP VANDAL THAT WILL PROBABLY GET THE GAVEL THROWN AT HIM................WE HAVE TAKEN A FEW MAJOR BLOWS IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS WITH DIARS ACCIDENT AND REVOK AND BUKET'S ARRESTS....................................WE HAVE TO DESTROY MORE THAN EVER...................................

[flabergasted!!!]

this is ridiculous!!! REVOK is a extremely talented and positive figure in the graffiti art/contemporary art world of youth culture. Our president is running this country into the ground financially and ethically -children are being abused, women are being raped! and this is what the Indio police are wasting their time,resources, and money on!??? -its a coat of paint for christ's sake!!!

[Whatever]

What does the president have to do with this, not that I'm a fan but I don't see the relevance. Dude has been flaunting his face allover for a while, it was simply a matter of time. Nonetheless he's super talented and consistent and been at a for years. Pot of gold or not hes been handsomely rewarded in the game of graffiti. Now as far as the crime goes they penalty far out weighs the damage and the estimated costs of graffiti "removal" is outlandish and under managed. Graff should be illegal but shouldn't have such dire repercussions. Relevant but I stray. Use some of the gravy boat graff loot and get a good lawyer.

Peace

[R.ONE]

I find it absurd how Revok is invited and welcomed to paint in other countries where he is given the royal treatment and appreciated for his art work yet here in Indio he is being made out to be just some outlaw thug. I think IndioPD is ill-informed and basically has nothing better to do. In LA alone you have 4000+ illegal billboards placed all over the city for corporate advertising, so why are the people/companies responsible not being arrested and labeled as “Serial Advertisers”? As some people have already pointed out Revok has a lot of heart and he has put his life on the line for something he loves to do, so unlike majority of people this guy lacks no courage. He is respected by other artists (colleagues and rivals) but more importantly there is a whole generation of kids growing up looking up to him in hopes that one day they can be like him and live their dream…travel the world and make a living doing what they love to do. So regardless of what is said of him by IndioPD and the media…if we stop and look at the bigger picture the accused here is greater than Indio and even greater than Revok. The People vs. Graffiti.

There is a natural tendency in all men to avoid punishment and when you make a mistake it hurts like a battle wound. But mistakes can benefit us as much as our successes. Revok is a warrior with a lot of heart so I know he will prevail. Like all the Pollocks and the Picasso’s who were once attacked for their form of expression it’s only a matter of time before people are capable of understanding what Graffiti is about.

There's more that I want to say but the more I think about this the more I realize how ridiculous and blown out of proportion this whole thing is. It's sad that they have to post up his mugshot and another shot that does no justice for who this guy really is. But I guess projecting the negative is the de facto approach for cases like this. So let me end this with a quote I read by someone who said it best….

“Creating fear isn’t going to make a problem go away. Sending a kid away for eight years for painting on a wall and housing him with killers is just going to make another killer…”

Forever, Thug Life….

[Arthur]

I wish I lived in a country where artistic masterpieces like the ones REVOK has been doing for years were glorified and admired, and the visual pollution/takeover of free space by commercial billboards with (at best) manipulative intentions are despised and made illegal....

[REPO]

Terrible news for any artist worldwide, and yet another example of America's control over its population....
FREE REVOK!

[mike mycok]

man ride or die my dawg revok.....this is crack the streets the hooker ..aint no rehab its a friggin disease dudeeee haaaaaa...crome msg...
FREEEEEEE who ever they think revok is...fingerprints right keep watchin csi....

[Hunger Pains]

I see Revok and The Seventh Letter's work to be on the forefront of the largest art movement in the modern world.
Using the world as a canvas, just the same as corporate america uses mediums such as Television or the internet to promote consumerism., the differnence is a single man's art stands pure and free and bold and mirrors society, mirrors morality and reflects modern times.
Revok getting caught and publisicized may make the "normal" world know of the possible potential and strength of spray can art. The world couldn't understand the labour of love, the drive, strife or the dedication of one's life to create consistant masterpieces globally for a cost. I feel as an artist, the man has given, given art, given energy and given freedom to the world, more then he has taken from it.

FREE GRAFFITI! ART IS FREEDOM... THE SYSTEM IS CROOKED

[GDW]

Revok's "art" is on other people's property including the public property owned by the taxpayers, the majority of whom apparently don't approve.

If he is so great at this "art" the city should invite him to beautify the publicly owned walls they want improved. (See Chicano Park in San Diego, CA - http://cemaweb.library.ucsb.edu/4x6/res351md.jpg ).

Other than that, Revok should stick to painiting walls where he has paid or been paid to do it by the actual property owners or do it on his own private property.

Public property is paid for by every Taxpayer, not just the grafitti fans. Revok does not have a "right" to paint grafitti on warehouse walls or a public buildings anymore than I have a "right" to piss on them.

[smart crew usa]

As you can see, this guy Jason has access to some very professional video editors. Nowadays, it is VERY easy to digitally create/edit video. This stuff could have easily been created as a joke, and people take it too serious.

Also, I can brag on camera about commiting crimes as a joke all day long, doesn't mean I actually did any of it. It's all a publicity stunt to sell clothing. This guy doesn't actually do any of the illegal work. "R.e.v.o.k." is a crew, it is not even the tag of a single person.

Now, all the brands he works with will gain street credibility.

The police also need federal warrants to use IP addresses against you in court. Anyway, This is just one making graffiti charge? What is up with all this media hype?

[feAR2]

Soo many people know, have seen, and respect this SUPER talented artist. I personally am a giant fan and do aspire to reach the level that this modern day picasso displays for all to see. The penalty for being caught doing graffiti is more harsh than getting a DUI. I can't believe the amount of time and money that is being spent to try and catch graffiti artists today, especialy with murderers and drug dealers on the loose. In my city they label graffiti artist as gangmembers and terrorist, when most of us are anything but. The artist i associate with are educated, have families, and good jobs. "WE PAY TAXES TOO!" Please dont fall for the B.S. that the city spends millions on covering graffiti. Were i live there is one man that does it full time, who has been doing it for alot of years. How would his family eat if he lost his job because we all stopped painting graffiti murals. Please do take into concideration how long graffiti has been around. This art form will never die out and as long as people like REVOK and many others that BEAUTIFY the streets continue their crafts, younger generations will continue to be inspired and graffiti will live on. FOCUS ON COMING UP WITH A COMPROMISE rather then trying to scare us into stopping.

..THOUSANDS more people have died in this war than becuse graffiti.. LET MY ART STAY UP, use that money u say u spend to bring our troops HOME!!! FREE REVOK!!

[Generation Now]

Revok is not a tagger. He is an artist!

[an artist]

Graffiti art is an oxymoron. Taggers are no more than dogs peeing on their territory. The only difference is that dogs are smarter. There is a reason people stop tagging after they are about 20 years old, it's called maturity.

[Thy Artist]

I love Graffiti!