KAVES

Michael “Kaves” McLeer is a Brooklyn-born painter, recording artist, graffiti artist, author, tattoo artist and creator of Brooklyn Pop - an astounding immersive experience celebrating the borough of Brooklyn. The installation features hip-hop memorabilia, graffiti, movie collectibles, historical artifacts, and personal items celebrating the neighborhood that shaped him.

In this episode we discuss his path from the proverbial wrong side of the tracks in Bay Ridge, to becoming a renowned graffiti writer and founder of the rap/punk rock group Lordz of Brooklyn. We also chat about the neighborhood gangsters growing up, why free Adidas tracks suits sometimes fell from the sky above Verranzano Bridge, and how Brooklyn based movies and television like The Warriors, Saturday Night Fever and Welcome Back Kotter played a key role in developing self-identity and career goals. 

Throughout his career he’s designed exclusive visuals for Audemars Piguet, Jaguar, NIKE, Rockstar Games, WWE, MTV, ADIDAS, Van’s Warped Tour, and created logos & graphics for world-renowned artists such as the Beastie Boys and Metallica.

Kaves' energy and thirst for creative expression took him to the world of acting and filmmaking. In 2006, Kaves created, produced and directed The Brooklyn Way, a multi-episode docu-series about his family’s life. From 2011 to the present day, Kaves has been featured in short and feature films including The Many Saints of Newark, Gravesend, The Humdinger, Star and The Eulogy.

The Brooklyn Pop interactive installation is open to the pubic at Industry City. See link below for details.

Have any comments, feedback or suggestions for upcoming guests? We'd love to hear from you. Email The Plug w/ Justin Jay at: theplugpodcast.jj@gmail.com

⁠https://www.theplugwithjustinjay.com/⁠

⁠https://justinjay.com/⁠

HI 1K - 10 Years / 1000 Moments On Hawaii’s North Shore by Justin Jay:

⁠https://www.hi1k.com/⁠

Brooklyn Pop

⁠https://thebrooklynpop.com/⁠

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