“Decepticons Divebomb and Lord Vital
Exclusive Q&A”
One thing is for sure. The Decepticons history and legacy as the most infamous Gang of New York is shrouded in mystery and suspense. As one can imagine, there are a ton of perspectives on this over 20-year-old story, and hard facts about the social and criminal activities of the gang are hard to come by. After the story ran, the floodgates of even more stories were opened. AllHipHop.com managed to capture somel of the stories, memories, and notoriety surrounding the Deceptz, but certainly not all. Click here for Part 1 and Part 2 of Decepticons: Gangs of New York.
Believe it or not, there are still members
from the late 1980s and early 1990s claiming Decepticons, and that is
a tale within itself. To that end, AllHipHop.com presents Part
3 of the Decepticons series, to allow Deceptz Lord Vital and Divebomb
to share some thoughts on their existence and legacy as one of the most
vicious street crews in American history.
Decept
Lord Vital
AllHipHop.com: Give me a brief background about your Decepticon affiliation.
Lord Vital: HAIL MEG DFL. I am
Lord Vital Constructicon Leader, Head of the 3rd Generation and an active
member of the Decepticons.
AllHipHop.com: How long have you been involved with the Deceptz?
Lord Vital: I became Decept in
1990, five years after my older brothers started it, so I can’t take credit.
[laughter] The name was already known before I came along. But one thing
I want the people to know is that Decepticons was a family that shared
a brotherly bond, but by the time the second generation started…we
were a gang. This was because there was a huge gap of information that
was missing between the two generations. Most of us didn’t know about
the history of our family – mainly because we were young and too focused
on ourselves and gettin’ our names known to want to learn. Our egos
are what plagued this thing of ours.
AllHipHop.com: What inspired you to get involved with Decept?
Lord Vital: Since a freshman in
J.H.S 117, I was wylin’ out. I was known for fighting, so it was only
natural that I would end up with those similar to me. We had a little
clique that would go off on our own missions, doing whatever came to
mind, going up to various other junior high schools.
Now at this time, my older sister was
dating a Decepticon. He was a Horrorcon (a legion I later became second
in command of). He heard about a brawl me and my dudes had with some
Face Heads on the G-train one day, and he came to me to recruit, or
as we say “bring me into the matrix.” This was funny because I agreed
to get tested (initiated), and that same day my boy Ghost got tested,
too.
“SUBTRACTICONS FORM CYPHA!!”
Next thing I know, 50 n*ggas came out of nowhere and surrounded me and
my twin. (I got down with a close friend). Now as I look around not
knowing what to expect, I see the same friends from school. I had no
idea they were already down, so this was another school day to me.
AllHipHop.com: I’d like to know a little more detail about Decept life back then. What did they do?
Lord Vital: Like my big brother Cyclonus would say, we were like the
Warriors. We rode the trains, terrorizing passengers, and fought with
rival gangs, the Lo-Lives, A-Team, and Raiders, just to name a few.
We robbed jewelry stores, clothing stores, everything Meg put his mind
to. They lived for
each other, and one stole to feed the rest. That’s how the family
moved.
This was the Decepticons of the 80’s,
but by the 90’s, Decepts were running around like crazy… there is
a difference between the two.
AllHipHop.com: How was the gang structured?
Lord
Vital: We were structured like any other organization that you can
think of, with all the head members of each chapter connected at the
top. Then you had the leaders of each legion who reported in and received
their orders or missions of the day. Then there were us Decepts, the
ones who didn’t ask no questions. We just lived for the rush and carried
out any necessary issues that needed to be dealt with. All we knew is
that it came from the top and that was it.
AllHipHop.com: How did your individual names come about?
Lord Vital: All the originals
chose their names directly from the cartoon, but Rumble is responsible
for choosing the name Decepticons for the fam.
AllHipHop.com:
What light can you shed on your most memorable moments with the Decepticons?
Lord Vital: Certain things are
not meant for others to know about.
AllHipHop.com:
Do you have any regrets?
Lord Vital: I would say the attacks
on the innocent. They were never prepared for what we did to them.
But for the ones who shared this lifestyle, f*ck’ em. They knew what
it was. So I don’t regret no bottle to they face, no hammer to they
head, or boot to they chin.
AllHipHop.com: What impact has Decept had on your life?
Lord Vital: Me being Decept has
made me not underestimate anybody, and made me more alert at the same
time. I’ve watched the smallest man out da group bring down the biggest…lol.
But the most important thing that I’ve learned is that deception is
your best weapon when used correctly.
AllHipHop.com: What do you think about the Deceptz being back in the news?
Lord Vital: I love it…because
I’m in the middle of it all. I made it cool to rock that symbol in all
fashions. At every show, on every album cover, on damn near everything
– “Decepticlothes” is what I called it.
Then by releasing the “PURPLE REIGN
MIXTAPE Vol. 1 – I.C.O.N.”, it has brought my family back together
and reunited cons that haven’t seen each other in 20 years. We recieved
a write up in The Source, featured in F.E.D.S., and have
a 6-page spread in MASS APPEAL magazine.
This gave New York a breath of fresh
air and took us back to that era, even if only for a minute. And this
also helped bridged the gap between the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
generations. For us to finally meet each other…to the point where
if you wanted to learn your history, I could bring you straight to its
founding members. It feels good to say I was a major part of that happening.
AllHipHop.com: What do you want the world to know about Decept?
Lord Vital: I want the people
to know that as long as I live, Decept lives. You can see it in me,
hear it through my music. And you can call me Prince, ’cause I’m about
to change my name to the symbol.
Decept is a part of me like my name.
My life story is a fraction of my life experieces edited through the
minds of the reader. We are a part of New York’s history…we exist…
I’m still active with six legions under me ready to move on call.
The family still grows – CONSTRUCT, LLC – build from the bottom
up.
Also I want the world to know we had
structure and a chain of command that we still follow ’til this day,
and the lack of information is how we will continue to keep it. But
know all legions were connected in some way, no matter what borough
they were in.
Decept Divebomb
AllHipHop.com:
Give me a brief background of yourself.
Divebomb: My name is Divebomb
of the Predacons, under Decept. I am an Artist, Filmmaker, Educator,
and Entrepreneur. I reside on the planet Brooklyn via Cybertron.
AllHipHop.com:
How long have you been involved with the Decepticons?
Divebomb: I’ve been a part of
Deceptz since the Fall of 1986.
AllHipHop.com: What inspired you to get involved with the Deceptz?
Divebomb: I wasn’t inspired, I
was recruited. At the time, Decepts was not the popular group everyone
today knows it to be. If you were drafted, it’s because you brought
something to the table. You were expected to be part in bringing this
little Decept thing to the empire that is known for today.
AllHipHop.com: What are the most memorable events in your experience as a Decept?
Divebomb: My most memorable events
are when I’ve witnessed how thousands of minds can move as one – one
movement, one agenda, one family.
AllHipHop.com: Any regrets about any of your experiences as a Decept?
Divebomb: None.
AllHipHop.com:
How has being a Decept enhanced your life?
Divebomb: Decepts has enhanced
the world.
AllHipHop.com: How is that, and what are your feelings on the attention Deceptz gets now?
Divebomb: It is well deserved.
Decepts are original New York I.C.O.N.S. You can’t speak of anything
original from NY without mentioning Deceptz. Deceptz are pop culture.
AllHipHop.com: What’s one thing you want the world to know about the Decepticons?
Divebomb: What I would like the
world to know about Decept, I will show them.
AllHipHop.com: What are you doing with the Deceptz now?
Divebomb: I’m wrapping up the
making of the Deceptz documentary, as told by those who lived it –
not those who witnessed from a distance or through close relation. The
film, produced by me, is coming soon to premiere film festivals. People
can visit www.divebombonline.com to learn about our mixtape albums. The documentary
soundtrack will include songs from the Original Deceptz’ such as “Purple
Reign” and Lord Vital’s “It Can Go Down Anywhere.”
We have many individuals involved in
their own private endeavors, from music, producing, brand apparel, construction,
engineering, medicine, design, automotive, film/video, and marketing/productions,
just to name a few areas.
AllHipHop.com: What do you see as the Decept legacy?
Divebomb:
The range of talented people within the Decepticons is phenomenal. The
sky’s no limit.
Team Beastmode contributed to this
report.
