Joe Daiuto's MySpace gun show in his graffiti laced room
We’re learning more about admitted graffiti “artists” and members of the ”millennial” generation Rex Ikwueme and Joe “Guder” Daiuto, who frustrated Brooklyn Heights residents recently with a spree of spray paint and magic marker powered vandalism.
Both “artists” have left a trail of social media breadcrumbs which reveal a little bit about their personalties and world view.
Daiuto’s MySpace profile shows the 19 year old posing shirtless in a room laced with graffiti, while his blog on the social network includes what appears to be surveillance video of two “taggers” on a roof. He also attempts to drop the “N” bomb in its colloquial manner but manages to spell it wrong (or any of its hip hop variations for that matter).
As for Rex Ikueme, he claims to have been an extra in hipster rock band Passion Pit’s video for “The Reeling”. Known for their complex arrangements and gifted musicianship, Passion Pit are serious musicians and artists who graduated from the prestigious Berklee School of Music. What is ”artist” and Pace University student Rex up to during his matriculation? This YouTube video provides at least one piece of the puzzle:
This next video brings new meaning to the phrase “higher education” as Rex and friends frolic in what appears to be the St. George dorms:
Chillen w/ Tony boobs n’ shiet from rex ikwueme on Vimeo.
A glance at Rex’s Twitter feed (@themiddleman) shows a very social but average 20 year old with a slight obsession for Nudie jeans. There is also one tweet from November 11th that suggests contrition on his part:
Life experiences always humble my personality. I aint invincible after all. Thanks fam!(@stephaniethb ,momma, bevski, sistaz)
One more thing, Rex’s Twitter profile lifts a line from legendary Brooklyn born Hip Hop star Busta Rhymes — “Respect my conglomerate“. Mr. Rhymes spent years building a reputation in the Hip Hip community based upon his talent and the swagger exhibited in that song is well earned.
After having what amounts to be a minor run-in with the law, we hope that both Rex and Guder take Mr. Rhymes’ example and learn the true meaning of respect and how it is earned.
Note: Thanks to No One of Consequence and X as well as other commenters for doing some of the leg work for this piece. We’ve also reached out to Rex via Twitter, offering him a chance to tell his side of the story directly to our readers. The same offer applies to Mr. Daiuto who also has been contacted by BHB/The Brooklyn Bugle. - Homer
And this is the way the world ends: the transmutation of antisocial miscreants into media celebs.
Next stop: Oprah and their own line of spray paint….
Amen, AEB.
Couldn’t agree with you more.
wow that didnt take long for someone yo make that sily point . Maybe the actual
Point here is that theyre just dumb kids
May I add that while property owners are cleaning their stoops and property this guy is elevated to a position where he is performing a sort of dramatic soliloguy.
This is insane. Jazz has got it right, these are just two dumb kids looking for attention and unfortunately they got it.
By the way Jazz, I think that AEB was being sarcastic and that both of you are in agreement.
did i mention that Guder is dreamy?
Dreamy…or high on inhalants.
…bad dreamy, Jazz….
I’m not sure this “get to know the graffiti clowns” does anything other than pump up their volume, so to speak. I don’t know what the consequences for their idiotic actions are, but they may be a small price to pay for the amount of attention these jerks getting. And if their style of graffiti isn’t about “pay attention to ME,” I don’t know what is.
Allow me to explain. These kids are most likely stoner idiots, but the aerosol art movement is not all bad. I for one would love to see an outlet for the truly talented writers that would take them out of the realm of vandalism and into the legit art world. Again, Rex and Guder seem to be more on the side of THC than MOMA but I’m certain the next Warhol or Haring is out there.
TW, you may be the next Bill Stelling. Have fun with that.
Go back to Maison Mom ‘n Dad in Jersey, Guder, and tag it up as much as you’d like.
This is a really strange post. They’re just graffiti artists (or “artists”, whatever you prefer). They didn’t kill anybody. We don’t need to know what’s going on in their heads. They caught them. Let’s just leave it at that.
Bravo, Publius!
That photo of Rex got me thinking… We’ll never see those plastic New Year glasses again until the year 3000 (!)
Oh publius, jersey put-downs are so old-fart-old-school. You need to dig deep into your imagination and think of new ways to express your superiority.
Read Guder’s bio on his MySpace page (link above). This d-bag really is from Jersey. Just stating the truth.
Sorry if this hit too close to home for you.
Publius (life-long Brooklynite)
just a couple of stupid college aged kids ..
Someone please take the pro-dorm stance now.
I feel dumber after reading this. I do not care who they were, but they should be remanded to clean up all the frigging tags everywhere. I must admit that there are some master google searches who read this blog to obtain the info. Kudos to you guys!
It dosnt take much to google a name with “myspace ” or “Facebook” next to it, just alot of free time.
Zing!
Come on folks….be an inspiring artist and be constructive or at least don’t destroy property. And I really don’t find spray painting intials on every wall, etc. the product of a dedicated, trained artist. Let’s not celebrate this
Are these the clowns who tagged that lame rhyme all over the High Street A-C station? The one that ends with “pass it on …”
It wasn’t the anti-Jersey part of the comment i liked (well, maybe some of it) … it was the part about going home to mom and dad and messing up their house.
God something about that lame shirtless photo and the smug look on his face as he is surrounded by his tag-filled walls in his momma’s house fills me with disgust.
I also like that Rex thinks we’re on the Hudson River.
thats my cousin none of u fckn idiots know what yout talking about or who ur talking about brooklyn is trash he was just adding to the mess…big deal he tagged a few walls we all do stupid shyt his parents…my aunt and uncle arent the nicest people so run ur fckn mouths cuz u dont kno ur dck from ur pinky
ARE the nicest people…correction
J:
You’re cordially invited to copulate with yourself.
Indeed, we all do stupid things …you just proved that point. Must be a family trait.
J – Nice has nothing to do with it. We all make mistakes. Perhaps someday you may have your head out of your posterior long enough to understand just why the people of this neighborhood were upset. I’m hope your nice Aunt and Uncle do. Did you know J that this is where the modern abolitionist movement began? Did you know that the great Walt Whitman wrote Leaves of Grass here? Truman Capote invented the reality novel here when he wrote In Cold Blood?Yes, it’s no historic place like Hawthorne, birthplace of Deborah Harry of Blondie, but it deserves respect – which your post shows you have no concept of – nevertheless.
yea well dont believe everything you read…this just proves this even more how u fools bring his parents into it who had no idea this was happening and had no control over it hes an adult now hes away at college how do his actions pertain to them..ur judicial system is absolutely ridiculous btw…he didnt hurt anyone ,yet they seem to be treating him like a murderer he got caught only a few days ago he sat in a holding cell for 2 days got released and re arrested the next day for similar charges that they were already aware of seems a little off to me heel been in and out of court for the next year OVER GRAFITTI…i think they are handling this the wrong way, paint can be cleaned make him paint the building or something as punishment…im sure they should be worrying about other things that so often come into relation with brooklyn…drugs, murder, prostitution,gangs…seems like ur community has there priorities in the wrong places…check the facts before you open your mouth and sound stupid