On a quiet Wednesday night in Honolulu’s Chinatown, you might hear deep rhythms pulsing from the walls of NextDoor Club. If you look past the decks, you might spot a soft-spoken artist with decades of drawings behind him — and a second life just beginning in sound.
Meet Vince (@bkpr2025), an Indigenous artist, DJ-in-training, and father to the late graffiti artist Matt Smith, also known by his tag, BHIVER. What began as a private sketching habit has become a tribute to grief, legacy, and creative resilience.
Creative Journey: From Private Sketches to Public Healing
“I started taking art classes, and everyone in the art class was so much better than me, I quit,” Vinny says with a knowing smile. “So I said, I’m just going to go on my own.” And he did—quietly making art on his terms, without needing validation.
But years later, it was Matt—known for his powerful graffiti and street art in Seattle and Honolulu—who gave him a reason to pick up the pen again.
“Before he passed away, he said I should start drawing again. So I started drawing. That’s where I got this kind of iteration of my drawing.”
Matt, or BHIVER, passed away at 23. But his energy lives on through Vinny’s new work—visuals that echo the boldness of street art, the softness of memory, and the fire of a father’s tribute.
Community Influence: Chinatown, Beats, and Belonging
Vinny’s creative journey has recently expanded beyond drawing into DJing. On Wednesday nights from 8:30 PM to 1 AM, he spins beginner sets at NextDoor Club, one of Chinatown’s cornerstone venues for underground music and arts.
“Everyone’s really nice, super open,” he shares. “Not a lot of criticism, really. You just do your thing, and people are really accepting.”
Although he hasn’t yet displayed his artwork during performances, NextDoor often features visual art on its projector wall behind DJs. “I haven’t gone there yet,” he says, “I’m just learning the controller.” But it’s clear—this, too, is art in motion.
Creative Process: No Plan, Just Flow
Vinny’s artistic approach is refreshingly simple:
“Start drawing. Comes out.”
There’s no agenda or expectation—just intuitive expression. Whether on paper or through sound, his work reflects a sense of presence, of making something honest with what you have in the moment.
Advice for Emerging Artists: “Don’t Get Discouraged”
Vinny offers wisdom for artists at any stage of the journey:
“Just keep going. Do your work. Sometimes it’s gonna drop away — don’t worry about it because it’ll come back. But I would just say keep working on your art. Don’t get discouraged.”
“It’s a huge process. It’s a big universe. Just keep going because it’ll come back stronger.”
For anyone who’s paused their creative path, his words are an invitation to return—without judgment, and without needing to be “better than the class.”
Support Vinny & the Legacy of BHIVER
You can follow Vinny’s art and DJ journey on Instagram at @bkpr2025, or explore the powerful street art legacy of his son Matt (BHIVER) via bhiver.tumblr.com.
“He loved art deeply,” wrote one friend of Matt. “But he also loved artists. It might be possible that he loved artists even more than he loved art.”
To see creativity and community alive in the streets, in the clubs, and in the sketches — support local artists like Vinny and the legacy they carry forward.
Explore more cultural stories from Hawaiʻi on the Clear Kayak Adeventures Blog, or learn how CKA connects guided and self-guided tours to the island’s creative soul on our About page.
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