1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,640 Speaker 1: If you guys are recording, Oh yeah, all right, all 2 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:09,200 Speaker 1: recording club one two three. So my name is Eddie, 3 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 1: lifelong photographer and Boyle Heights. He's Los Angeles covering the 4 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:18,760 Speaker 1: East party scene, backyard party scene from the nineties. Eddie 5 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: is showing me around Homeboy Art Academy, an art studio, 6 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: and Boyle Heights. He's currently the main photographer at Homeboy Industries, 7 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: a nonprofit that offers services and support for formerly incarcerated 8 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:35,560 Speaker 1: or getting involved people. Eddie is showing me a series 9 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:39,839 Speaker 1: of framed photographs, all photos he's taken. Well, that's the 10 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:43,199 Speaker 1: girls party crew. You know they knew me as the 11 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: streetbeat photographer. And there is your friends from high school. 12 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 1: Many are of childhood friends he grew up with or 13 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:51,960 Speaker 1: people he met in the party crew scene in East 14 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 1: LA in the nineties. He shows me a black and 15 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:58,280 Speaker 1: white picture that he took of a party crew simply 16 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:02,280 Speaker 1: called the Girls. The girls are posed around a motorcycle. 17 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: This was a photo shoot for their party crew going 18 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 1: down Melrose in Hollywood. The Harley Davidson was another like 19 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 1: style that comes with the bike riding. You know, the 20 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 1: biker boots and the leather bass. Some of them are smiling, 21 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:20,400 Speaker 1: some are more serious, and everyone's wearing a dark shade 22 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:25,840 Speaker 1: of lipsticks. About nine other photos with this series of pictures, 23 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: but the girls are wearing their muscle shirt. They're they're 24 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 1: like biker pants or like boot cut le by jeans 25 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: with big belt buckles. They're all wearing high waisted jeans 26 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 1: with their teas and tanktops tucked in to show off 27 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:44,039 Speaker 1: their black leather belts. It's a very nineties look, the 28 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:47,400 Speaker 1: kind that never goes out of style. Eddie tells me 29 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 1: that he didn't even have copies of a lot of 30 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 1: these pictures until a few years ago when a friend 31 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 1: passed along some negatives. He found like this girl right 32 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: here in the man I forgot her name, but she 33 00:01:56,800 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 1: was like the other one with some kind of sexy 34 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 1: little jumpsuit. I love saying images of women just like 35 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 1: super you know, powerful like they look so they look 36 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 1: so like you know, It's like in the picture the 37 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:14,800 Speaker 1: women are frozen in time at seventeen or eighteen high schoolers. 38 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:18,359 Speaker 1: There's something about seeing them at this moment in their 39 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:22,359 Speaker 1: lives and knowing they are in their late forties with 40 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:48,360 Speaker 1: probably so many stories to tell from my hearts Michael 41 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 1: Duda Podcast Network, Vice and Elias Studios. This is Party Cruise, 42 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:59,919 Speaker 1: the Untold Story. I'm Janis Yamoka. In this bonus episode, 43 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 1: I talk to photographer Eddie Rubagaba. Part of why I 44 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 1: wanted to talk to Eddie in this bonus episode was 45 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 1: that he was a documentar of the scene. His work 46 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 1: represents a link to the past that helps me understand 47 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: the history of the underground party scene I was a 48 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 1: part of was street Beat. The first publication that you 49 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 1: were published in. Street Beat Magazine was a magazine that 50 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 1: was made for party crews, maybe the only one ever. 51 00:03:56,880 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: It was a big deal in the nineties and it 52 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 1: was the first place that Eddie had one of his 53 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 1: photographs published. In those days, you know, one out of 54 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 1: a thousand people might have had a camera in society. 55 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: It was more for me to be able to shoot 56 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: for Screebee was like my backstage pass to anywhere. The 57 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:20,920 Speaker 1: earliest issues were black and white, xerox and Staple together 58 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:26,040 Speaker 1: very DIY. Each issue of street Beat featured local party crews, 59 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:30,279 Speaker 1: their fashion, their music, stories about their neighborhoods, and lots 60 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 1: of post pictures like the one Eddie tug I was 61 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 1: like I'm just having fun and taking pictures at the 62 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:40,320 Speaker 1: same time at parting, drinking, dancing with the girls and 63 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 1: all that stuff where you're just showing your camera and 64 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 1: you're like press Yeah. I mean like so if I 65 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: had my camera and big flash and all whatever, and 66 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: the reputation that carried me was like, Oh, there's Eddie 67 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 1: Street Eddie Beat. Eddie and Street Beat Magazine were part 68 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:59,239 Speaker 1: of the party crew scene a decade before my time. 69 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:04,159 Speaker 1: The party crew scene has had several generations, each with 70 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 1: its own unique flair, which, according to Eddie, goes all 71 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:12,479 Speaker 1: the way back to the seventies and eighties. My older sister, 72 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: she was class of eighty eight. What was your sister's crew. 73 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 1: She was from Dynasty Desires. Yeah, Dynasty Desires. Yeah. Did 74 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:22,719 Speaker 1: she have a nickname? I think they had nicknames for 75 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:27,039 Speaker 1: each other, but I don't recall her having one. Um 76 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 1: they recently got back together. I was of them. You 77 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 1: guys are Dynasty Desires. You guys are Dynosaur Desires. The 78 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:45,159 Speaker 1: music of the time, the fashion and pop culture really 79 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 1: defined the cruise from my era, and I imagine it 80 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:52,360 Speaker 1: was that way for every era. The party scenes that 81 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 1: that exploded during the nineties were basically deriving from what 82 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: evolved originally coming from, like the disco era of the 83 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 1: eight in Los Angeles. He's Los Angeles. Our fashion and 84 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:07,720 Speaker 1: style was different, So the disco era was more like 85 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 1: influenced by Madonna the big hair, and other girls had 86 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 1: the big what they called Chaca hair, and that's where 87 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:20,919 Speaker 1: the AquaNet influence or style of hair came from. You 88 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 1: might hear Parawana six has a disco flashback session they 89 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 1: called the aquante set. Yeah, because that relates to the 90 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:32,320 Speaker 1: disco hair of that time. Women would douse their hair 91 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 1: with AquaNet hairspray and would tease their hair into a 92 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 1: fluffy wave rising half a foot above their heads. And 93 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:43,840 Speaker 1: then the guys had the disco mullets, so papadoor in 94 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 1: the front, shaved on the sides along the back. That 95 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:51,040 Speaker 1: was like a disco mullet for the guys in those 96 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:55,640 Speaker 1: mid to late eighties. The eighties disco vibes gave way 97 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:59,160 Speaker 1: to a retro greaser style in the nineties or what 98 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 1: was known rebel style. I think James Dean in Rebel 99 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:09,760 Speaker 1: without a Cause, you're tearing me up by what you say. 100 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 1: One thing he says that doesn't. Everybody changes back again, 101 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:17,040 Speaker 1: leather jackets and slick back, shiny hair. The party crew 102 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 1: that I hung out with was the Ruthless Ones less Ones, 103 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:24,520 Speaker 1: and they they had their first party in my mom's backyard. 104 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 1: Really yeah, that was a great party. But did you 105 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 1: ever join them? No, I can't say that. They were 106 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:34,080 Speaker 1: all my friends. That's who I hung out all right. 107 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:37,840 Speaker 1: The images on those flowers were like of James Dean, 108 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: Betty Page, Mary n Roll, the Outsiders, the Outsiders movie 109 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: kind of images, These classic Hollywood iconic images of greasers 110 00:07:54,880 --> 00:08:05,880 Speaker 1: and rebels and those kind of characters. The first time 111 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 1: Eddie picked up a camera was as a student at 112 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:11,480 Speaker 1: Roosevelt High School when he was asked to photograph a 113 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:16,320 Speaker 1: baseball tournament. So I played baseball Roosevelt. Roosevelt High School 114 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 1: in Boyle Heights is a high school with a lot 115 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:23,320 Speaker 1: of history. Students in the sixties participated in the ESLA Walkouts. 116 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:27,680 Speaker 1: The boy Heights Giants was a traveling baseball league. Our 117 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:31,760 Speaker 1: team in a traveling league. They had a tournament for 118 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:35,079 Speaker 1: the spring break of eighty nine up in San Francisco, 119 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:37,080 Speaker 1: and I was invited to come along as long as 120 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:39,960 Speaker 1: I took pictures. I'm like, oh, hell yeah, I was 121 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 1: all out two sports. So I was working at a 122 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 1: pharmacy on soda and first that's gone now. And every 123 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 1: time these magazines would go up out of date, they 124 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:54,960 Speaker 1: would throw them out or like, hey, let me take them. 125 00:08:55,679 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 1: So take all these sports pictures out, cut them out, 126 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:01,600 Speaker 1: and I made like a bail collage on my room 127 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 1: wall of sports images. After he graduated in nineteen ninety one, 128 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:13,840 Speaker 1: he enrolled in eLAC East Los Angeles College to take 129 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:18,840 Speaker 1: my first photographer class there, and I'm taking pictures in 130 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:20,959 Speaker 1: these backyards. I learn how to use flash on the camera. 131 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:24,160 Speaker 1: I get my own camera. I'm shooting black and white film. 132 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:27,800 Speaker 1: Eddie started taking his camera everywhere with him, even a 133 00:09:27,920 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 1: parties two and one day at a party in nineteen 134 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:35,760 Speaker 1: ninety one, someone stopped him and then I get recruited 135 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 1: by Marty Beat from STREEV magazine. Marty Beat, whose real 136 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:43,040 Speaker 1: name was Martin Casado, was the brain and the soul 137 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:46,079 Speaker 1: behind Street Beat magazine. This is a new issue of 138 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 1: Strev magazine Augusteptember issue. He since passed away. Here he 139 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 1: is in a commercial from the early nineties. You can 140 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:57,560 Speaker 1: hear his enthusiasm for the magazine. Yeah, the number one 141 00:09:57,600 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: thing me, Marty Bet is most proud of the first 142 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:03,080 Speaker 1: oh the state party rave scene. As you get, Street 143 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:06,960 Speaker 1: Beats started when Marty xerox and distributed DIY copies of 144 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:10,560 Speaker 1: it himself with party crew, culture and fashion as the 145 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:15,840 Speaker 1: main focus. Street Beat magazine the news stands now brass 146 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:25,679 Speaker 1: it loves you Street Beat Magazine while it's hot. What 147 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 1: was the encounter Like, you were just like partying. Yeah, 148 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:30,360 Speaker 1: we were just at a party and they're like, hey, 149 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:32,960 Speaker 1: see you got your camera man on Marty Beat from 150 00:10:32,960 --> 00:10:37,240 Speaker 1: streetb Magazine and I'm like, oh, okay, what's up. Yeah, 151 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:40,679 Speaker 1: I heard about this magazine and it's just started getting out. 152 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:46,880 Speaker 1: A few years later, Streetby would get noticed and acquired 153 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 1: by a big magazine publisher, the same one that published 154 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:56,320 Speaker 1: Lowrider Magazine, a top selling automagazine at the time dedicated 155 00:10:56,360 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 1: to candy colored low rider cars, legit stuff. As it 156 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:04,680 Speaker 1: started to get in more popularity and momentum, it started 157 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 1: getting wider distribution. Wherever Lowrider was distributed, street Beat would 158 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:12,520 Speaker 1: go as well. So before you know it, that rebel 159 00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:15,880 Speaker 1: scene that you're seen out of this area was in 160 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:20,880 Speaker 1: the valley in Orange County and there were rebel crews everywhere. 161 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:25,640 Speaker 1: He didn't have social media influence back then. He had 162 00:11:25,679 --> 00:11:28,800 Speaker 1: screet Beat, though, and street Beat got out and its 163 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 1: distribution got wider and wider, and the party cruise that 164 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:34,559 Speaker 1: you're seen here in the style that it expanded because 165 00:11:34,559 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 1: of that magazine. So like that whole James Dean thing 166 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:40,080 Speaker 1: was something that came out of here that ended up 167 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:43,640 Speaker 1: going everywhere in southern California. Wherever that magazine was at, 168 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:48,360 Speaker 1: it was an influence. Street Beat wouldn't last long. By 169 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:52,120 Speaker 1: the mid nineties, it was out of print, but while 170 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 1: the magazine was coming out, it reflected Latin exteen lives, 171 00:11:56,800 --> 00:12:00,440 Speaker 1: shining a bright positive light on party cruise at a 172 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:03,800 Speaker 1: moment that was also one of the most tumultuous times 173 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:33,079 Speaker 1: in LA history. That's after the break. As Eddie moved 174 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:36,480 Speaker 1: into party photography, he says he saw the scene change 175 00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:39,880 Speaker 1: as gang violence, which was guy rocketing in LA in 176 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 1: the late eighties and early nineties, started affecting parties. Some 177 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:48,440 Speaker 1: of these crews lived in certain areas that were connected 178 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:52,160 Speaker 1: to the gangs of those areas, and so some of 179 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:57,040 Speaker 1: these party crews brought in homies from their neighborhood to 180 00:12:57,160 --> 00:12:59,840 Speaker 1: go party with them, and there would be other crews 181 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:03,040 Speaker 1: with their homes from their neighborlads that would be rivals 182 00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:06,200 Speaker 1: at the same party and before another, big shootings happening 183 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:11,960 Speaker 1: at these these parties, and I believe because of the 184 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:16,200 Speaker 1: gang violence, it kind of like helped to take down 185 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:20,160 Speaker 1: this backyard party scene. It's a certain extent, people were 186 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 1: still partying, but it was always more risky. In this 187 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: time frame from nineteen eighty eight to nineteen ninety eight, 188 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:28,200 Speaker 1: we call it the Decade of Death. The Decade of 189 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:31,880 Speaker 1: Death was a ten year period where gang homicides in 190 00:13:31,920 --> 00:13:35,840 Speaker 1: the County of Los Angeles peaked. And that same period 191 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:39,160 Speaker 1: was the Ronney King beating and the La uprising that 192 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:44,560 Speaker 1: came after. You can hear them now. I mean LA 193 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:46,720 Speaker 1: was tense, you know, so I was kind of wondering, 194 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:49,959 Speaker 1: like how did you experience it? Yeah, that was one 195 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:52,959 Speaker 1: of the big events of that era. In that time frame, 196 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:57,440 Speaker 1: it was those riots of Ronney King riots. It was 197 00:13:57,520 --> 00:13:59,640 Speaker 1: crazy because it went on for about a week and 198 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:02,920 Speaker 1: a half and the whole city was on fire, the 199 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:06,680 Speaker 1: smoke everywhere. I got pictures of that as well, like 200 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 1: being a high point and just seeing all the dark 201 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:14,800 Speaker 1: smugg year in East Los Angeles, cruising around and looking 202 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:19,440 Speaker 1: at the National Guard in every corner. I have pictures 203 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:27,640 Speaker 1: of that still. It was around that time that Eddie 204 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:31,720 Speaker 1: told me he started experiencing his own challenges with substance 205 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:36,840 Speaker 1: abuse after graduating high school. When I went to high school, 206 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:40,320 Speaker 1: football and baseball pulled me away from the street so 207 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:42,760 Speaker 1: that I survived, and I graduated high school because of 208 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:46,480 Speaker 1: the sports. When I got out, you know, I was 209 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:48,200 Speaker 1: making a little bit of money, and it was all 210 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 1: about partying my addiction. And seeing the Hamma side rate 211 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:57,200 Speaker 1: explode and everybody just getting killed and gang violence is exploding. 212 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 1: Seeing everybody going down, it was like, who cares, We're 213 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:03,160 Speaker 1: gonna die anyway, so it might as well party as 214 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:07,280 Speaker 1: much as we can before we go. It got so 215 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:09,880 Speaker 1: bad where one day we were having a little baptism 216 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:13,920 Speaker 1: party it my mom's and some of the guys from 217 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:16,320 Speaker 1: the neighborhood that we're friends that were like the rowdy 218 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:20,160 Speaker 1: ones were there and we're like, all right, sided to 219 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:24,120 Speaker 1: go get some more beer. And so as we're walking 220 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:26,640 Speaker 1: outside as a car creeps up, the lights are on, 221 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:30,920 Speaker 1: like hits up, It's up it's up. We look, it's 222 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:33,600 Speaker 1: close at the corner, and it start blasting bloom boom boom. 223 00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:37,280 Speaker 1: We all hit the floor and they take off. Check 224 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:39,680 Speaker 1: on everybody. Everybody, okay, everybody, okay, all right, let's go 225 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:44,000 Speaker 1: get that beer. If nothing happened, we were so desensitized 226 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:50,520 Speaker 1: from all that where it was like nothing. In nineteen 227 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:53,920 Speaker 1: ninety four, Eddie says he got a wake up call. 228 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:57,880 Speaker 1: So I just was waking up every day looking for drugs. 229 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:02,240 Speaker 1: My mom got fed up with me and threw me 230 00:16:02,280 --> 00:16:05,000 Speaker 1: out of the house. It was a tough love that 231 00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:07,360 Speaker 1: I needed to wake up and step out of it. 232 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:14,120 Speaker 1: And she also throughout my negative books and the rain 233 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:19,160 Speaker 1: Tarma negative. So I have some surviving images. The pictures 234 00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 1: you see, I've shown and shared with you guys, some 235 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:32,320 Speaker 1: of the pictures that survived. Yeah, it's heartbreaking. In the 236 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:34,320 Speaker 1: midst of the things that Eddie and his friends were 237 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:37,760 Speaker 1: going through and the decade of death, street Beat was 238 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:43,040 Speaker 1: trying to send a positive message. I looked through an 239 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:46,480 Speaker 1: old issue of Street Beat from October November of nineteen 240 00:16:46,600 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 1: ninety three. There was a glossy purple page with a 241 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:54,000 Speaker 1: headline in bold orange letters that said pump it up. 242 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:58,000 Speaker 1: It's a little article about party crews nels Aino and 243 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:02,720 Speaker 1: Highland Park. The Articho praises the crews x Clan Latins 244 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:08,720 Speaker 1: above villains, modern men and suicide kings for quote throwing 245 00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:13,800 Speaker 1: undergrounds and raves in peaceful fashion, and it encourages the 246 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:17,520 Speaker 1: crews to quote show the police and the establishment that 247 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:22,560 Speaker 1: the Rassa can get it together. After losing his pictures, 248 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:27,600 Speaker 1: Eddie at that point focus on other things besides photography. 249 00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:31,320 Speaker 1: He started working for the US Force Service while still 250 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:35,440 Speaker 1: dealing with his addiction, but he would eventually get sober 251 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:38,680 Speaker 1: in early two thousand and then in two thousand and 252 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:43,119 Speaker 1: two he joined the Marines. It was a long road, 253 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:48,200 Speaker 1: but Eddie eventually found his way back to photography. Well, 254 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:51,040 Speaker 1: I think about what would have happened if I never 255 00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:53,200 Speaker 1: partied and so get out of the Marine Corps to 256 00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:55,720 Speaker 1: go back and learned all the digital stuff. I'm getting 257 00:17:55,800 --> 00:18:00,080 Speaker 1: published again, sports Illus created ESPN the magazine. It's like 258 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:04,480 Speaker 1: this was my path the whole time. I fell off 259 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:08,199 Speaker 1: track though, and I and it's like confirmed to me 260 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 1: because I picked up where I left off and I'm 261 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:17,480 Speaker 1: right back in it. And Eddie would find that even 262 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 1: years later, his work documenting Party Cruise would live on. 263 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:27,879 Speaker 1: So um Now I'm the photographer at Homeboy Industries, and 264 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:31,679 Speaker 1: I meet some of these guys that were in the 265 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:36,400 Speaker 1: Party Cruise from back in the days that got more 266 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:40,160 Speaker 1: into the gang life and got in trouble and doing 267 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:45,720 Speaker 1: the only stretches of jail time. And some of them 268 00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:48,720 Speaker 1: remember the magazine. Oh my god, you shot for the magazine. Wow, 269 00:18:49,359 --> 00:18:51,920 Speaker 1: I remember that magazine. So we reminiscee and we shared 270 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:54,480 Speaker 1: pictures and we remember some of the same people, and 271 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:56,879 Speaker 1: some of these pictures that we're still up there. No 272 00:18:57,040 --> 00:19:00,760 Speaker 1: Mala Lupa's page shows a lot of those friends from 273 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:05,640 Speaker 1: Macado's days. Eddie is talking about Gadupa Rosales. She runs 274 00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:09,800 Speaker 1: an account called Rucas and she has been archiving the 275 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:14,879 Speaker 1: nineties party crew scene for years. Her popular Instagram profiles 276 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:19,480 Speaker 1: Etana Santrucas and Matt Points have become a space where 277 00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:27,560 Speaker 1: people share their memories of their party crew days. As 278 00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:30,040 Speaker 1: we're nearing the end of the interview, he shows me 279 00:19:30,119 --> 00:19:32,880 Speaker 1: two other pictures that have a lot of meaning for him. 280 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:36,679 Speaker 1: So this is the picture from nineteen ninety two. The 281 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:39,919 Speaker 1: first is a photograph of five young men on the 282 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:43,400 Speaker 1: steps of a chapel. That's me in the middle, all 283 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:47,600 Speaker 1: skinny two standing and the rest of them sitting. They're 284 00:19:47,640 --> 00:19:54,040 Speaker 1: all looking proudly into the camera. The casual guy O 285 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:58,200 Speaker 1: what a nineteen two? Eddie shows me the second picture, 286 00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:07,680 Speaker 1: and then twenty seventeen, same spot, all those guys has dyed. 287 00:20:09,920 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 1: It's the same shot, same place, but decades later. This 288 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:18,400 Speaker 1: was his friend group and aside from him, only one 289 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:32,240 Speaker 1: is still alive. The skills and passion for photography Eddie 290 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:34,720 Speaker 1: built up in his youth in the party crew scene 291 00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:39,400 Speaker 1: are still with him today. But it's not just his job. 292 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:42,960 Speaker 1: It's also how he's documented the changes in his life. 293 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:47,160 Speaker 1: It's how he remembers the good and the bad. And 294 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:52,480 Speaker 1: you know, I look back and think, Banna, I'm still here. 295 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:57,000 Speaker 1: Some I survived, and so that's why I'm at home 296 00:20:57,040 --> 00:21:01,880 Speaker 1: where I feel for me, it's like fulfilling to be there. 297 00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:05,280 Speaker 1: I can't help those that are gone, and where I 298 00:21:05,280 --> 00:21:08,960 Speaker 1: can help those that are still here. And I share 299 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:14,680 Speaker 1: my experience my my sobriety now twenty one years shoulder. Um. 300 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:17,080 Speaker 1: You know, father Greg, they found your homeboy. Industry talks 301 00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:22,400 Speaker 1: about this community that you know, kids planned their funerals 302 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:27,719 Speaker 1: before they planned their life. That was me. I didn't 303 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:30,000 Speaker 1: think I was going to live to see your two thousand, 304 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:33,639 Speaker 1: but I was one of the lucky ones. I guess 305 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:37,560 Speaker 1: um I am, I am, I know, I am. I'm 306 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:47,760 Speaker 1: still alive. I'm here to tell thank you so much 307 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:51,680 Speaker 1: for this conversation and for you know, opening up and 308 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:56,520 Speaker 1: sharing your story. Thank you, Oh my pleasure. That was 309 00:21:56,600 --> 00:22:03,440 Speaker 1: photographer Eddie Rubaba. This episode was written, reported, and hosted 310 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:07,479 Speaker 1: by me Jennis Yamoka. It was produced by Maria Pea, 311 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:12,840 Speaker 1: Victoria Lejandro, Kyle Chang, and Sophia Pelissa car. It was 312 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:17,679 Speaker 1: edited by Antonia Seihido. Sound design in original music composition 313 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:22,680 Speaker 1: by Kyle Murdock. Our supervising producer is Janet Lee, Art 314 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:27,560 Speaker 1: by Julie Ruiz and Victoria Koyon. Our executive producer from 315 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:31,919 Speaker 1: Vice Audio is Kate Osbourne. Our executive producers from Elias 316 00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:37,320 Speaker 1: Studios are Antonia Seedihido and Leo g Additional editing by 317 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:42,880 Speaker 1: Annie Ablis. Our Vice President of Podcasts from Elias Studios 318 00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:47,600 Speaker 1: is Shanea Naomi Krocmo Party Cruz. The Untold Story is 319 00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:51,440 Speaker 1: a production of Elias Studios in Vice Audio. In partnership 320 00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:56,320 Speaker 1: with Ihearts Michael Thura podcast Network. For more podcasts, listen 321 00:22:56,359 --> 00:22:59,920 Speaker 1: to the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you list 322 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:05,400 Speaker 1: send to your favorite shows. Special thanks to the UCLA 323 00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:09,480 Speaker 1: Department of Communication Archive for access to their news collection. 324 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:15,280 Speaker 1: Subscribe to our show anywhere you listen to podcasts and Hey, 325 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:17,560 Speaker 1: were you and a party crew? Send it your party 326 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:20,679 Speaker 1: flyers or photos. I'd love to see them, even a 327 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:23,600 Speaker 1: voice message about your memories. Anything. You can send us 328 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:26,840 Speaker 1: a message or a picture at party crews at Elias 329 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:30,680 Speaker 1: Studios dot com. Support for this podcast is made possible 330 00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:34,200 Speaker 1: by Gordon and Donna Crawford, who believe that quality journalism 331 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:38,000 Speaker 1: makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program 332 00:23:38,080 --> 00:23:42,040 Speaker 1: is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, 333 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:45,680 Speaker 1: a private corporation funded by the American people.