Cope2

Cope2 has been a graffiti artist since 1985. His cousin "Chico 80" inspired Cope2 to pursue writing. In 1982, he made his own crew called Kids Destroy, eventually changing to Kings Destroy after he dubbed himself "King of the 4 Line".{{cite web |url=http://www.cope2kingsdestroy.com/about.html |title=Cope2 True Legend |accessdate=2008-12-22 |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20080121055108/http://www.cope2kingsdestroy.com/about.html |archivedate=2008-01-21}}

Cope2's "throw-up" was given to him by Cap to use until he had enough skills to create his own.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0amUI0WApNgC&q=cap+gave+me+my+throw+up&pg=PA119|title=Taking the Train: How Graffiti Art Became an Urban Crisis in New York City|first=Joe|last=Austin|date=19 June 2019|publisher=Columbia University Press|via=Google Books|isbn=9780231111423}}

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Some of Cope2's initial commercial artwork has been sold at Christie's for $1000 USD per painting.{{cite news|title=From Vandal to Artist |publisher=Business Week |date=July 19, 2005 |url=http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jul2005/sb20050718_049224.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310190410/http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jul2005/sb20050718_049224.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 10, 2007}} Early work includes cover art for a Boogie Down Productions album titled Sex and Violence.

In 2002, Cope2 provided artwork for Adam Bhala Lough's Bomb the System, including a piece on the Brooklyn Bridge. He can be seen on the DVD's behind the scenes footage painting one of the pieces at the end of the film.

In 2003, Cope2's book entitled Cope2: True Legend was published by Righters.com.{{cite web |url=http://www.cope2kingsdestroy.com/projects.html |title=Cope2 True Legend |accessdate=2008-12-22 |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20080121055110/http://www.cope2kingsdestroy.com/projects.html |archivedate=2008-01-21}}

In 2005, Cope2 collaborated with and designed a pair of sneakers for Converse under the "Chuck Taylor All-Stars" line.

Also in 2005, Time magazine commissioned Cope2, for $20,000 USD, to paint a billboard ad in the SoHo district of Manhattan, on Houston and Wooster. The ad depicts the magazines cover with graffiti tags scrawled over it; the text reads "Post-Modernism? Neo-Expressionism? Time. Know Why".[http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/2005/06/30/2005-06-30_riled_pol_tags_time_mag_ad.html RILED POL TAGS TIME MAG AD] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515153445/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/2005/06/30/2005-06-30_riled_pol_tags_time_mag_ad.html |date=2009-05-15}}

In 2006, Cope2 appeared in Marc Ecko's video game, Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure. He features as one of the "graffiti legends" who gives the protagonist advice on the graffiti world. Cope2's "throw-up" has also appeared on walls in the video game GTA IV and in the movie Shrek the Third.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

In 2008, Cope2 collaborated with Adidas and Foot Locker to release a collection of clothes and accessories in Europe. The collection included baseball caps, jackets, T-shirts, sweaters, belts and sneakers.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishhiphop.co.uk/features/interviews/cope2.html|title=- Cope2|website=www.britishhiphop.co.uk|date=30 March 2008}}

In 2011, Cope2 teamed up with Shepard Fairey and Martha Cooper to create a screen print, limited to 450 editions, capturing the collaboration between these iconic figures in street art.{{Cite web |title=OBEY X COPE2 X COOPER Print |url=https://obeygiant.com/prints/obey-x-cope2-x-cooper-print/ |access-date=2025-03-30 |website=Obey Giant |language=en-US}} Two years later, in 2013, Cope2 released another screen print with Shepard Fairey, limited to 300 editions, to launch the collaboration collection between Cope2 and Fairey's renowned clothing brand, OBEY, further solidifying their creative partnership and influence in the world of urban art and fashion.{{Cite web |title=OBEY x COPE2 Takeover |url=https://obeygiant.com/prints/obey-x-cope2-takeover/ |access-date=2025-03-30 |website=Obey Giant |language=en-US}}

Cope2 has been arrested numerous times for drugs, vandalism and violence.{{cite news| url=https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/cope2-arrested-september-2015 | location=London | work=Wide Walls | first=Bob | last=Lansroth | title=Cope2 Has Been Arrested | date=2015-09-15}}

Cope2 was arrested and charged with two counts of felony mischief and one count of graffiti in September 2010 on suspicion of vandalizing subway cars in a tunnel in uptown Manhattan in 2009. The arrest took over a year as he was abroad. On June 27, 2012 he took a plea agreement in exchange for a conditional discharge.{{cite news| url=http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-10-02/news/27076956_1_graffiti-artist-trains-subway-car | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707055843/http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-10-02/news/27076956_1_graffiti-artist-trains-subway-car | url-status=dead | archive-date=July 7, 2012 | location=New York | work=Daily News | first=Rocco | last=Parascandola | title=Cops nab longtime Bronx graffiti artist Fernando (Cope) Carlo after he tags subway car | date=2010-10-02}}

In 2015, Cope2 was arrested again for allegedly pulling a gun on fellow artist at the Bowery Graffiti Wall in New York City.{{cite news| url=https://www.boweryboogie.com/2015/09/bowery-beef-cope2-allegedly-pulls-a-gun-at-the-graffiti-wall-while-futura-painted/ | location=New York | work=Bowery Boogie | author=Staff Writer | title=Bowery Beef: Cope2 Allegedly Pulls a Gun at the Graffiti Wall While Futura Painted | date=2015-09-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220129072059/https://boweryboogie.com/2015/09/bowery-beef-cope2-allegedly-pulls-a-gun-at-the-graffiti-wall-while-futura-painted/ |archive-date=2022-01-29}}

Cope2 has a well-documented history of making problematic, homophobic, racist, threatening, and misogynistic rants online. Despite this, in 2014, Cope2 unveiled a pride-based mural at the Bowery Graffiti Wall in New York City. However, this was met with criticism from victims of his abuse, including RJ Rushmore, editor of Vandalog, who shared several of Cope2's past homophobic and violent tweets and Instagram posts.{{cite news| url=https://www.boweryboogie.com/2014/05/olek-adds-commentary-cope2-scandal-bowery-graffiti-wall/ | location=New York | work=Bowery Boogie | first=Elie | last=Perler | title=Olek Adds Her Commentary to the Cope2 Scandal at the Bowery Graffiti Wall | date=2014-05-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521212834/https://boweryboogie.com/2014/05/olek-adds-commentary-cope2-scandal-bowery-graffiti-wall/ |archive-date=2022-05-21}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|www.cope2kingsdestroy.com}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20100121020747/http://www.curbsandstoops.com/blog/?page_id=64 Curbs and Stoops Interactive Gallery: Cope2]
• [http://issuu.com/liquidteksmagazine/docs/liquidteks_issue_three/19 Liquidteks Magazine Interview with Cope2]
• [https://triumgallery.store/collections/cope2 Cope2 in Trium Gallery Store (IT)]
• [https://triumgallery.store/en/Collections/cope2 Cope2 in Trium Gallery Store (EN)]

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Category:American graffiti artists

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Living people

Category:Artists from the Bronx

Category:1960s births