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ZONK DDS
( DDS / AC / KSM )
LONDON
ZONK DDS
“It’s a London Thing”
Evolution Of An All City Icon
Now this one is Special , for me one of the very best to ever do it. Growing up in the late 90’s / early 2000’s this was one my favourite Writers, simply for his original classic chrome and black pieces, in that original London style. And also the shear amount of work he put in over the decades and he is still as active today. Every time I would go to London, you knew you would see something new and exciting , and fresh from the All City Legend that is ZONK DDS.
He had all the style , letters, colours, style, tag , getting up , consistency, and he did all of this , in the most underground way, he was so illusive, that was also a huge draw for everyone who witnessed his work in those early years of DDS.
He is also one of the key members of the infamous crew DDS (Diabolical Dubstars), while also running alongside a strong network of crews over the years including TSB, FBS, TBF, TK, AC and PBS — all names that carry serious weight within the culture, all while maintaining that same elusive presence and letting the work speak for itself.
This is ZONK DDS “It’s a London Thing” - Evolution Of An All City Icon
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As a child he briefly lived in Tokyo before coming back to London where his family are rooted. That early exposure to Japanese culture mattered more than he probably realised at the time. His mum was a serious artist — sculpture, calligraphy, disciplined line work — and he’s always been clear that he inherited both talent and instinct from her. From a very young age he knew he could draw. More importantly, he understood that simplicity and speed in art can sometimes be more powerful than overworking something. That lesson stayed with him for life, and when you look at the way he approached dubs and pieces later on, you can see it clearly.
Around 1991/92, when he was about twelve, he started noticing something happening around him. Kids his age were getting tags. It was that early rave era, Walkmans, pirate radio humming in the background of London life. He wasn’t fully inside that culture yet, but the tagging bug was spreading. His first tag was TRM. A mate had KSR — “Kant Stop Rushing,” he had “The Rushing Machine”. Eddings. Posca’s. Early paint stainers like Fiebing’s dye. Then he evolved into DRM — “Da Rushing Machine.” Him and his friend started tagging locally because the dominant name around Cricklewood at the time was NSR — Non Stop Rushing — which he later discovered became MISTO. MISTO was seriously up. That presence lit something in him. The idea of seeing one name everywhere. Buses especially — that was important. If your name was on buses, it travelled. It was visible. It mattered.
He remembers older tags around Cricklewood that he assumed were done by grown men. There was mystery in it. There was weight. A writer called BLUE always wrote in blue, and in a slightly tongue-in-cheek move he decided he’d write RED. Getting hold of the right coloured pens wasn’t easy back then, but he’d track down whatever he could — Poster pens, whatever would flow — just to make sure RED was getting seen. Even at that age, the mission was visibility.
As he started digging deeper, he began learning the real culture — racking paint, hunting down copies of Graphotism, bunking school to move around. One of his early sparring partners was Oze — sometimes written Ozi or O2e, because swapping a Z for a 2 was the trend. Oze was talented. Proper outlines. Strong A-Level art skills. ZONK was genuinely in awe of his sketches. That competitive inspiration is important. He wasn’t just tagging — he was studying.
Then came a bizarre twist. He discovered through family that he was related to one of London’s most prolific and mysterious writers — TEACH. Completely underground. Multiple styles. A name he’d seen in magazines and on the streets. Suddenly those family visits made sense. That connection pulled him closer to the core of London graffiti without him even chasing it. Around Cricklewood at that time were names like MISTO, DUB, KRS, DOSE, KLASSIC (who later became OUCH). Slightly older heads. Really active. Really visible.
By thirteen he moved into his first proper name: BONK. Slightly rude. Rebellious. Very of the era. That teenage energy. He put his first train tag up around 1993 in broad daylight at Golders Green yard after learning there was a quiet route in. It felt easy. Too easy. That moment changed things. He started learning paints properly — Japlac, Plasticote metallic silvers, the early foundations of what became the London dub aesthetic. Beltons arriving with pinks, purples, baby blues. Radiator paints with killer caps. Materials mattered.
Once the older heads realised he was related to TEACH, and that he was genuinely active, the tone shifted. One moment stands out — SANE MTS ( R.I.P ) giving him an outline. He took it to school, not to boast, but to prove he wasn’t inventing connections. That was acceptance. That was entry. He wasn’t just a kid tagging anymore — he was linked. Watching these older kings up close pushed him harder. He wanted that level.
School days were still normal in a way — finish at three, home by five for dinner, Arcades, Street Fighter II, Weekends at the Trocadero — but graffiti was steadily becoming central. After that phase he linked with writers at Tufnell Park Hall of Fame. RESPO, who later became SPANK, brought BONK further into the mix. Through those links he was painting yards like Morden. This is when consequences began. Arrests for shoplifting paint. Bombing buses. First convictions. Graffiti Squad taking notice. He realised then — this wasn’t a hobby. This was who he was. BONK was active. Hitting lines. Racking paint. Just about staying in school while constantly looking over his shoulder.
But with mounting trouble, he knew BONK had a shelf life. He’d seen IDEA switch to ODEA after pressure and admired the philosophy of evolving rather than dying. So one day he ran through the alphabet mentally, testing replacements for the B in BONK. When he reached Z — ZONK — it clicked. He’s described it as almost spiritual. It felt bigger. Stronger. More him. 1995. Fourteen years old. New identity. Clean slate. Same hunger.
From that point he was relentless. Mid-90s London was electric. Writers meeting at Farringdon, Finchley Road, Golders Green — midday link-ups before missions. North, South, East, West all converging. That’s when he first met COSA DDS. And this is where the story shifts into something legendary.
COSA and ZONK weren’t built overnight. Both had already earned stripes individually. But together they were explosive. Chrome and Black dominance. Dubs everywhere. Consistency beyond normal levels. Even outside London, their names travelled. In places all over the UK , even years later, people still speak about them. They weren’t just prolific — they had balance and style. They bounced off each other perfectly. That Total Kaos / Diabolical Dubstars energy was powerful, and the city felt it.
By 1996 ZONK was being put into multiple crews — IMF, TBF, TSB, FBS. Recognition at a young age. Then came the major moment. The one everything had been building toward. Being put into DDS — Diabolical Dubstars — by TEACH DDS. Tracks somewhere on the Jubilee line stretch — Willesden, Kilburn — an all-nighter. Mid-mission, bombing chrome, he heard “Put up DDS, ZONK.” He thought he’d misheard. Then it was repeated. Know that was it. Fifteen years old. Officially recognised by the London elite. That moment of Magic was real.
Mid to late 90s DDS were relentless across the network. Trips abroad to source better paint because Europe had colours London didn’t. Even those trips brought trouble — arrests overseas, time inside. But the crew moved like a family. Like professionals inside a chaotic underground world.
After serving time abroad, he, COSA and BOZO were already planning their return. In youth prison sections they were talking about how they’d smash the scene when back in London. Tupac’s “California Love” playing repeatedly. The word “City” sticking in their heads. MIN ONE’s All City quote from Style Wars echoing. They decided on AC — All City — entwining the A and C into one character. Two letters. Strong. Direct. That then became another London chapter.
COSA from South London. ZONK from North West. True dynamic duo. Pushing each other. Sparring creatively. Helping each other level up. AC became formidable. It inspired younger writers. It felt original. It felt dangerous. And it cemented both of them as Kings of that era.
Later years weren’t simple. Multiple convictions. Deeper criminal worlds beyond graffiti. Significant prison time. Pace slowed. Passion partially buried but never gone. And then one moment in Brighton changed something again. Walking past a mural being painted by AROE and the New York legend SEEN. For the first time in his life, he felt properly starstruck. Emotional. After everything he’d been through, seeing one of his heroes painting live on a wall brought him right back to the beginning. Back to that kid with a pen wanting his name seen.
Notable Kings of London such as ZOMBY FBS have been quoted saying such things as ZONK “Absolutely “King’ed it” , he took his foot off the pedal for a bit, but came back with a bang”.
ZONK has spoken before about the balance of having a four-letter name — sometimes wishing for five letters to expand compositions and push more complex structures, but at the same time recognising the strength in simplicity. Four letters can fit into places others can’t, making it faster, more direct and more productive in certain situations.
Some of ZONK’s most striking work comes from high-risk rooftop spots, often done without equipment — purely through climbing, commitment and focus. For him, it’s about the adrenaline and the mindset. Once you’re locked into the mission, there’s no hesitation — you’re fully committed to seeing it through. A big part of that process is research — finding the right spot, understanding access, timing, and visibility. Once it’s done, that’s it — mission accomplished.
Coming from an era where chrome dominated heavily through the 90s and early 2000s, ZONK has spoken about how his relationship with colour has changed over time. After years of heavy chrome usage, he reached a point where he wanted more — more variation, more experimentation, more depth. Now, with access to a wider range of colours, his work reflects that evolution.
Like many writers coming up, ZONK speaks openly about how becoming more known and more prolific naturally feeds the ego — pushing you to get out more, do more, and prove yourself further. But that learning curve is essential — no one starts out great. You learn through repetition, mistakes, and consistency.
In more recent years, ZONK has started incorporating speech bubbles and messages into his work — not just as a stylistic element, but as a way to communicate something more. These additions go beyond Graffiti, aiming to uplift and connect with people who come across the pieces in everyday life.
At a young age, ZONK looked up to names like DIET, TEACH and ZOMBY, and being surrounded by that level of writing early on brought its own kind of pressure — something that ultimately pushed him forward.
As his work has evolved, ZONK has leaned more into combining traditional Graffiti with elements of Street Art — particularly through the use of faces, characters and speech bubbles — all part of that idea of doing more and pushing beyond just letters.
When speaking about moving further into the contemporary art world, ZONK sees it not as a departure, but as progression. After dedicating so much of his life to graffiti, it feels natural to start opening new doors — not leaving anything behind, but building on everything that came before. He’s put in the years, earned his stripes, and now it’s about evolving the work into new spaces while staying true to the foundations.
At the end of the day, writers like ZONK don’t come around often. This isn’t just about being up, or having a moment — this is decades deep, built through chrome and colour, missions, rooftops, yards, risk, evolution and straight dedication to the name. From early London dubs to full city presence, from underground missions to evolving styles, the blueprint has always stayed the same — get up, stay consistent, and let the work speak. In a time where a lot changes, that core foundation still holds weight, and ZONK represents that fully. Still active, still evolving, still carrying that original London energy — a true writer in every sense of the word, and without question, one of the very best to ever do it.
ZONK DDS
“It’s A London Thing”
Evolution Of An All City Icon
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Easssyyy ZONK - First of all, Welcome to upinthespot.com , and thanks for getting involved in the Archive and creating this Amazing Miniature Graffiti World !
ZONK: Yes, Hello brother, good ?
Take us right back to the beginning — where did it all start for you, and what first pulled you into graffiti?
ZONK:
What first pulled me into Graffiti, was 11, 12 years old at School, someone saying whats all this Graffiti thing, all this tagging thing, so that was the initial beginning parts, understanding it, so that would be the beginning parts.
Prior to that would be just like noticing it, scribbles on shop shutters, and stuff like that, in the late eighties, early nineties, secondary school, so yeah…
So yeah like 11, 12 years old, yeah I hit my first train when I was 12 years old I wrote BONK, and yeah I remember that being at Golders Green, so yeah back end of 92 / 93, I was 12 years old.
So yeah that was the initial bit, just from school. And learning that my cousin does it properly, and yeah… learning from there.
So yeah would be the first year of secondary school.
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Growing up in London in the early 90s, what was the energy like at that time, and how did it shape you as a writer?
ZONK:
What the scene in the nineties, it was well, you know, the Nokia 3210’s snake days, garage music, jungle, all stuff like that, that era, mobile phones were in there infancy, one 2 one free after 7.. was all that era.
We used to meet up at probably about lunch time at Farringdon, loads of us, and I think there was only about one mobile phone, and you know FUME was the one that had that.
So that was the time, those days there, great time, great era.
Ummm… yeah yeah massive influence, on yeah my Art career…
Yeah those years there, definitely.
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Do you remember your first tag and the first time you saw your name running properly?
ZONK:
My very first tag, was TRM and its an acronym and it standed for, or it stood for…
The Rushing Machine.
TRM that was my first tag, so yeah..
I had a few little tags before I got to BONK, which was say my… first proper tag, that I actually got out and painted.
BONK was the very first tag I painted on a train, and then… I got caught with that and flipped to a Z, but yeah BONK was my first tag I painted on a train.
So yeah… those were my early tags.
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When did it click for you that this wasn’t just a phase, but something deeper — something you were fully locked into?
ZONK:
Probably within the first six to twelve to eighteen months, that period there, I thought, ok yeah this is a very strong, energetic hobby or whatever it was.
You know and yeah at the beginning I knew it would go far, and then as I got older, and got into the thing, then other things distracted me, and I left the scene for ten / fifteen years, but then I came back obviously.
So yeah right at the beginning after about a year of doing the thing, I just thought yeah…
This is something I really wanted to be part of.
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Who were the writers you looked up to early on, and how did they influence your style and mindset?
ZONK:
Well TEACH obviously, he’s my cousin, and yeah you know, and we’re like family and that…
So yeah he’s a massive inspiration.
Locally to me though, would be SUB, SUB One, as in just seeing a name being so dominant.
That was the first Tag, First name that I saw, really dominating, and ummm yeah…
SUB One DDS, he was definitely a massive inspiration for me.
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What were those early years like in terms of learning — sketching, experimenting, figuring out your letters?
ZONK:
Yeah I mean great, I mean…
The bible would be Subway Art you know, very New York inspired, and yeah just… doing… kind of thing isn’t it.
Yeah it’s a great time, all the times are a great time to be creative, so yeah… it was great, it’s a great time.
Especially, the most, for me, the nostalgia of that era, was that it was pre internet, just pre internet.
It’s almost like, where we live in now, it’s almost like, the internet after the internet, *and then before the internet (Referring to the pre internet era).
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How important was trial and error back then, and how much did failure play a role in building your style?
ZONK:
Yeah, yeah, yeah uhhh, like even now, just keep doing, keep doing, keep creating and yeah, it will come.
It's natural progression, natural evolution, just practicing and developing, and naturally occurring.
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When did you start feeling confident in your own lettering and identity?
ZONK:
About a year, a year… eighteen months.
I’d say after about a year to eighteen months into it.
I was confident enough to know that I was at a standard, so yeah, that was one of the first milestones.
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How did getting known and building a name affect your mindset — did it push you harder?
ZONK:
Yeah it did, it did, because it was all new to me isn’t it, and it’s just a work in progress.
I didn’t realise it at the time, but the more people recognise you, and the more influential you become, and your creating more, and generating more energy, and yeah its massive and that was massive.
And you feel like you’ve got people backing you, and kind of encouraging you and stuff.
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Looking back now, what do you think was the most important lesson you learned in those early years?
ZONK:
I think just getting involved with doing Art with different human beings, politics, dynamics and a lot of experience.
Um yeah… general experience, in life and in the scene.
That would be what I would take out most from the early years definitely.
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The mid to late 90s in London — how would you describe that era from your perspective?
ZONK:
A great era.
I mean they obviously had more of a budget to stop criminal damage, and stuff like that.
Yeah it was just a great era, no smart phones, just more retro…
Yeah, just a bit old school isn’t it, and you could get away with more.
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What made that time so special compared to now?
ZONK:
The Era, The Time, Less CCTV, No Smart Phones, and the internet was very much in its infancy.
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Can you describe the feeling of being fully active during that period — the missions, the energy, the lifestyle?
ZONK:
Yeah it was great, it was absorbing…
At the time… probably didn’t really recognise what I was doing as much as now.
Now that I’m looking back, it was a great time, magical time, adolescent, and just growing up, and a time I won’t forget.
You know, it was great, a great time.
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How important were link-ups and meeting other writers across London back then?
ZONK:
Yeah very important, and there’s no internet, there’s no social media, so that’s how we used to meet, and find out what’s going on within the scene.
Very organic.
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What was the mentality like when it came to getting up — how serious was it?
ZONK:
Well… its like everything, its like sales, what you put into it.
I still take it serious now…
You know, so it's not like… that era made me more something than I’m not now or anything like that.
If you're that way inclined, you're that way inclined.
The prolific people are still going to be prolific, even within ten, twenty, thirty years, because they have that energy.
There’s people that you easily forget, at that period, because they're not really putting the work in.
Not everyone puts the same work in, but that's ok, because not everyone is in it for the same things.
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Can you talk about the risks involved at that time and how you approached them?
ZONK:
Yeah… its just criminal damage, and theft, nothing major, you know, nothing major, because it’s a nice crime, you know it’s Art.
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Were there any close calls or moments where things nearly went wrong?
ZONK:
Yeah… there’s loads of those, i’d be here till next week if i had to talk about those.
Yeah loads of those kinds of stories, near death, countless arrests, raids, going court, trials and all of that.
It was all worth it, it was part of the scene, all part of the game, and yeah thats it…
Take the rough with the smooth.
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What was your approach to planning missions — or was it more instinct and movement?
ZONK:
Yeah, a bit more instinct, bit more sporadic, but you have a rough plan as well and then obviously we have, you know, we have detailed planned missions too, so a bit of both.
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You were heavily active across the city — what did being “All City” really mean to you, and how did you achieve it?
ZONK:
What did it mean to me…
It meant being prolific.
When your prolific your kind of resonating on a higher frequency, because your talked about more.. and stuff, and you can feel your energy getting higher, and you get out what you put in.
And knowing what it takes to be prolific, and it’s not easy, and it’s not, and its not for the faint hearted.
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How did different areas of London influence your work and movement?
ZONK:
I’d try and adapt, and I’d actually try and adapt to the social status of that area.
If i felt it was a bit… if i thought it was a bit posh or a bit thingy… i’d try and adapt.
(Both Chuckle)
…make it sort of easier on the eye for the local people… or something the local people can try and relate to.
So i’m quite conscious of that… but also at the same time… you know… theres um…
The whole things very rebellious.
(Both Laugh)
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What role did trains, tracksides and street bombing each play in your overall output?
ZONK:
Massive, it’s everything.
The streets, the trains or the trackside, simple as that!
That's my everything.
Probably love the Streets the best.
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How important was consistency in building your name?
ZONK:
Yeah yeah very important.
You know you’ve got to be consistent at anything thats it, consistency is key.
You’ve got to build momentum.
To be prolific, you have to be consistent.
You can’t do everything in one day, it's constant.
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Can you talk about the balance between quality and quantity — how did you manage both?
ZONK:
Ummm Quality…
Umm well an artist is an artist.
I may have started when i was 11 or 12, but really my art career started when i was two years old with my mother, constantly drawing with me so, i’ve always had an eye for keeping things technically neat and tidy, and trying to be creative, and take risks, and yeah, and try to inspire…
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What were some of your favourite spots to hit, and why?
ZONK:
Yeah i mean, i like all sorts, i like things in every part of it, you know, there’s not just one thing.
I like finding good spots on the streets, preferably not in my immediate area as well…
Yeah thats what satisfies me…
The spots!
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Looking back, what moments stand out as defining points in your journey?
ZONK:
Being put in DDS, the 96 Christmas, we did a top to bottom whole train, that was quite iconic.
Also when i did that large dub in Royal Oak with FUME & BOSH that as well.
And then more recently the collaboration with Louis Vuitton.
And i still feel my best days are in front of me, so yeah still very excited, and just keep on doing!
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How did your style evolve during those peak years?
ZONK:
There’s nothing much i can say about evolving, creatively, that i wouldn’t do now.
Its just natural, its just natural…
Don’t think about it, just do.
So I'm very much in that way of thinking, and just naturally evolving, just as soon as a new idea comes in my head.
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What did graffiti teach you about discipline, mindset and life in general?
ZONK:
Maybe, Discipline to get UP, Consistency to get UP, and faith to stay with something that doesn’t reward you straight away.
Its quite organic really… isn’t it, its art.
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Your work has evolved over time — how do you approach colour, fades and composition now compared to back then?
ZONK:
I think, i’ve just grown up more.
Your more of a child back then, as you move forward, your brains bigger, you’ve got more experience, and you just naturally improve in all aspects of things.
And i can look back at some of my work now, from back in the day, and i can see how much i’ve changed.
And you still should be improving, and you should always be looking forward, to develop.
But i can just see how…
I was good with colours anyway, you know i have an artistic element to me anyway, obviously.
But i can see, i’ve just got a better eye for shapes and colours now.
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Do you plan pieces in detail, or do you prefer to paint more freely in the moment?
ZONK:
Yes!
Most of it, is in the moment.
Most of it is in the moment.
Sometimes… i’d come with a detailed outline, but thats very rare.
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Your work now blends graffiti with wider artistic elements — including speech bubbles, faces and messages — how do you see that evolution, and how do you balance graffiti, street art and contemporary art while still staying true to your roots?
ZONK:
It’s just natural progression.
Keep moving forward the way, the way I should be moving forward.
And yeah I try and blend it all in, and yeah its just more more more bows to your arrow.
I wouldn’t just stay in one genre, because then i’m not pushing myself, i’m not becoming, the most I can be.
So yeah, so just keep moving forward in all aspects of Art.
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Looking at the scene today, which writers are you feeling right now and why?
ZONK:
Who would I be feeling right now…
Hmmmm…
More of the same, the old classics, and some of the new people.
Some of the SMT lot, they're quite new, and they're doing quite a lot of new stuff.
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After everything — the missions, risks, progression — what has graffiti truly given you?
ZONK:
Ahhh it's multiple things, lots of things, I can’t even put it into words…
It’s almost like this mystique energy of this name that i’ve created.
The impact its had in so many different scenarios its mind blowing, you know…
90% of the time 95% of the time, its just nothing but love.
So it's quite humbling, and it's good for the ego.
It's good to know, that I've done something, and I've made some sort of impact, and people have been inspired by things that I’ve done, and people have recognised what I've done, and appreciate what i’ve done.
Yeah so, it massages the ego.
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And finally… if you could speak to your younger self starting out, what would you tell him?
ZONK:
I would say, never mind the fast money.
Just concentrate on your dream of what you are as an artist and just develop, and just run with that, and never mind the easy money and stuff like that.
Magical - Thank You So Much ZONK My Brother , What a journey ! Now would you like to give some shout outs to your Friends / Family , Fellow Writers, all that jazz ??
ZONK: Big Up DDS & AC Crew !
Finally, UP IN THE SPOT would like to thank you for taking the time out to get involved in the Archive - Where can people see your work ?
ZONK: @mrzonkddsldn
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Photographic Credit : LEE.102 / Graffiti.Org
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