Charlie Ahearn: 'One Night at the Times Square Show, I was approached by this very cool guy wearing dark Ray Bans. He said his name was Fred Braithwaite (aka Fab Five Freddy), and he had a very interesting proposition: to make a movie combining rap music with graffiti.' Photograph: Charlie Ahearn/powerHouse books
Charlie Ahearn: 'Smiley 149 (RIP) was one of the original subway writers from the late 60s. His doo-rag style in this image inspired Zoro's outlaw style in the movie.' Photograph: Charlie Ahearn/powerHouse Books
Fab Five Freddy: 'When I had originally gotten with Charlie (Ahearn) we were going to co-direct, co-write, co-do everything. But I was caught up in the art world, making paintings, and I really didn't have the time to focus on the movie. Charlie and I divided the duties that we would handle: I worked on the music and on creative production ideas, while Charlie did the writing and directing. But we collaborated throughout.' Photograph: Charlie Ahearn/powerHouse Books
Charlie Ahearn: 'I always wanted Lee to play this outlaw artist whose art was famous all over the city, but who must keep his identity secret in order to keep painting. I would see Lee and Pink at the different events and I couldn't help being drawn into this impossible romance between a shady loner and an up-and-coming graffiti writer.' Photograph: Charlie Ahearn/powerHouse Books
Lady Pink:'I don't remember how I was chosen to be in the movie or why. I can only say it was the lack of competition. There were no other females around. I was a young toy, I was in way over my head with these guys, these masters who had already graduated from the subway trains. So I had to get good very fast.' Photograph: Charlie Ahearn/powerHouse Books
Charlie Ahearn: 'Graffiti artist Crash painted this mural for Connie's Superette, which inspired the scene of Lee fighting over the broom.' Photograph: Charlie Ahearn/powerHouse Books
Fab Five Freddy: 'I need to state that it was never, never, never my intention to be on screen. My intention was to be involved in creating and making this movie. We had cast everybody except the Phade character and at the eleventh hour, Charlie turned round and said, "Fred. You."' Photograph: Charlie Ahearn/powerHouse Books
Charlie Ahearn: 'They had given us a 'dead car' to paint in the yards, but the sides were streaming with rain and the paint wouldn't stick. Later, working in a loft space in Rafik's, we built the side of a train out of masonite to re-shoot the scene. Dondi came over to play Zoro again, this time painting in close-up.' Photograph: Charlie Ahearn/powerHouse Books
Charlie Ahearn: 'Funky Four member Rodney Cee lived at his mom's house two blocks away from the set. He generously introduced me to his neighbourhood where much of the film was shot.' Photograph: Charlie Ahearn/powerHouse Books
Charlie Ahearn: 'Is it surprising that the world premiere was in Japan? Fran and Kaz Kuzui, who later brought us Buffy the Vampire Slayer, convinced Daiai, the distributor of Kurosawa movies, to bring this unknown independent movie to Japanese screens (months before it opened in New York) in the fall of 1983.' Photograph: Charlie Ahearn/powerHouse Books
