JAKOB NILSSON Age 23 of Atlanta, has tragically died in a car accident on June 29, 2004. Jakob, born in Sweden, moved with his family to the United States at the age of 3 and became a US citizen in 2003. He graduated from the Atlanta International School in 1999 and was a student at the Pratt Institute, New York and Perimeter College, Atlanta. Jakob's beautiful free spirit and love of life will be deeply missed by his family and many dear friends. He is survived by his parents Bo and Pia Nilsson. A memorial service will be held Wednesday, July 7, 2004 at 5:00 p.m. at the funeral home chapel of H.M. Patterson & Son, 1020 Spring Street, NW. Flowers will be appreciated or for those wishing to make a contribution, it may be made in memory of Jakob to the Atlanta Children's Shelter, ATTN: Dr. Jacqueline E. Brown, P.O. Box 54322, 607 Peachtree Street, NE Atlanta, Georgia 30308, www.atlantachildrensshelter.com. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the memorial service and again after the service at their home. Arrangements by H M. Patterson & Son, Spring Hill.

The Graff community has lost another true soul. Even though he probably didn't know it, Atem helped motivate me to make this site bigger and better. He'd come over every so often to show me what he had been up to with flicks upon flicks of his stuff, whether it be a train in the howell mill yard or a wall he had done with crew on one of his vacations up north. He was truely a good hearted person who's life was cut way too short. You will be missed as the thought of never seeing you or anything new by you again kills me. My sincere condolences go out to the Nilsson family who has lost their only child. Rest In Paint, Atem.

Please email me if you'd like to add some words or photos to this page.

- LAY-LO

view ATEM's work

I was in shock about ATEM checking out so soon. I used to like talking to the guy at the civic in atlanta or seeing him under  bridges from time to time. Lots of love to him and his for sure......
- tume tna 013106

I remember New Years day a few years back. We were at jake,javi,chris and daniels house.  The next day touche me and jakob walked up to IHM and played frisbee and then all three of us rode to chillis in his mustang- with no seats in the back. I think jakobs life is proof that you make the most with the time you have.  He had so much talent and he was able to express that talent on the walls of peoples apartments, around the city and in notebooks he would carry around. I miss him and the red label nights at matt and austins.  You will always be in my heart jakob.
- hannah 101005

Jakob was a very good friend of mine and I would like to share a chapter of his life many of his ATL gang knew little of. My name is nathan and I met Jakob my first day at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. In fact, the first I hour I was there he was already on his skateboard when I spotted him.  We lived on the same floor of the same dorm and had the same classes. It turned out we both skated and wrote graffiti and from that first day until the day he left new york city, we were inseperable.  He was writing sear and I nsk. We would ditch class and skate at BAM and scheme on girls and explore abandon brooklyn edifices along the brooklyn queens expressway. He was one of the sweetest genuine kids I ever came in contact with. He told me crazy stories about ATL and the lots with layers of pieces and peach st and freaknik and his crew. I would always make fun of his big head and his inablility to drink beer and eat pizza. He would tell me about Jennifer and how dope her butt was, although I suspected he was in love. We would take figure drawing classes together and laugh at wrinkled naked men and oggle at the young women models. I even met his parents and had a brief word with his mother when they came to pick him up at pratt in their subaru wagon. i can't believe i'll never see him again, altough our time together was brief, to me he is irreplaceble. I have nothing but love and empathy to all his fam I never got to meet. Please write back.Jakob, rest in peace my nigga
- Nathaniel S Kim 100604

Yo everybody knows Yak was the ill nig and he neva fronted,and thats one of the things that drew everyone to him. Every single day i think about Yak and how crazy it is that we will never get to drink smirnoff together while smokin a blunt. but i know that Jakob is watchin over everyone of us now and that alone keeps me smiling. so to all the soldiers... kep yalls heads up to the sky and to our man Jakob and he will never leave your side ever. I love you yak keep it real my brother. One Love.
- Boma P 083104

hope your life in heaven is better then it could have been down here in hell... rest in peace my homeboy... just wish i had the paint to finish the trains i started with you...you are missed and loved by the whole adm
krew...
- *Moper1* adm 080404

to my friend: jakob you always had a way of making the most boring of situations fun. your swedesish grin and your crazy ass laugh made my day. ill never forget skipping class to smoke and then paint with you, bobming in buckhead at 4 in the mornin after way too many drinks at mcduff's, the tard yard, athens, you skatin my skates, parties at just about everywhere, trains, goin to get sandals, fuck i cant even dig deep enough to remeber it all right now cause it hurts to much. you were one of my best friends and i hate that it went from you comin over here every day to never again. i love ya and will always miss you. peace to jakob bo nilsson, up and atem, yak, dirty swede.
- mikemc 070704

Jakob every memory I have of you is a good one... Even if it was just sitting on Jamie's drive late at night stoned not knowing what to do you would have that same grin on your face and it would make me crack up. I used to always say you was like a cartoon charactor because you didn't even have to say anything and you would make me laugh. It hurts soo bad that now i'm finally moving we wont chill together again. You have left a army of people who will miss you forever man... i hope you like the gift I sent over for you brother, the first thing I do when i touch down is come and pay my respects. I'll miss you playa. Much love..
- Alan. 070704

me and jakob painted a lot together in last couple of years and grew to be close friends. his death has completely taken me back and i wished i could do something more.  he was my friend, drinkin and smokin partner, and most of all he was my teacher.  he taught me how to paint and was never too cool to go get up with me, even if i sucked. either way, i miss him and hope that i will see him again someday.  i got a shit load of pics from one of our spots so ill have to send them individually probablly. peace.
- sukr-----kurs----icant. 070704

Unfortunately, I can not make it home for the services. I wish I could, and believe me, I tried. Jakob Nilsson meant a lot to me, more than just a friend. He and Chris really did bring me into the graff scene… and I most certainly would not have the skill that I do today, or probably not even paint today had it not been for but one man, Jakob Nilsson. I can remember the first day that I met him; he and Chris picked me up from high school to go watch them paint a bridge. It was my first real graffiti experience. I did my first tag that day, after Jakob said, ‘Hey, you look bored. You can go tag something with this can if you want.' I've never looked back. I started painting a lot with all the friends I now call ADM after that. I didn't start really hanging out with Jakob until my Junior/Senior years of high school. Even then, more so my senior year. Towards the end of my senior year, I was driving back to my house with Jakob when my mom called me and told me I got into school up here in Philadelphia . It was a hard school to get into, and I distinctly remember Jakob telling me, “Sweet, just don't fuck it up.” It meant a lot coming from him, and after a less than attractive past semester, it means a lot more now. That summer before I came up to school, last summer, we must have chilled every day, no joke. He came by, we smoked, and we figured out what to do next. Most of the time we ended up out at CyberZone shooting each other in Counter Strike. Other times we went to the Tard -Yard with TK or whoever. Good times…Jakob was one of the smartest people I knew. He was genius at whatever he did. A little bit of Jakob will stay with all of us forever; no one will forget his grin, his Arnold accents, his black and white Polo golf shirts, the Newports , the corn tortillas, and everything else that made Jakob who he was. He was the first person I called when coming home to Atlanta , and the last I said goodbye to.
Jakob Nilsson, Yak Attack, Sear, Atem . 1981-2004.
Rest In Peace.
- S 070704

The first time I ever met Jakob I was going under a bridge as he was leaving the bridge, we were both alittle spooked but exchanged a casual nod and whats up back and forth. Once i got under the bridge the fresh paint smell was everywhere and a brand new atem piece was painted on one of the walls. When I finally met Jakob formally we talked about that day at the bridge. Jakob was always so positive about everything when I was around him, not to mention one of the most modest guys I have ever met. I never actually realized how much I have painted with Jakob, I always enjoyed his company. He was at every single party that my anti-social ass got dragged too, and I am sure many more that I did not attend. I remember the good times painting boxcars or krog street together. I remember trying to show Jakob how to use this crappy griffin mop I made and watching every handstyle he did just turn into a drippy blob of ink. I remember making noise in the bushes and kicking rocks around outside of the layup to attempt to spook him, it didn't work though because he knew I was on the way. I remember the time when we got on a bnsf icicle car end to end on both sides. Although I had not had the pleasure of chilling with Jakob as much as I would have liked to in his last few months, my crew members would tell me what he had been up too. I have been at a lack of words for awhile now. But the point is you will be missed by me and all that has ever came into contact with you and countless others that never had the pleasure of meeting you but were influenced by your style. Rest in peace Jakob.
- Poers. 070704

Damn man....Jakob was one of those people who could help you get your mind right..his whole style would take you out of any stress you had been dealing with and shit.....fuck man Much love atem, I have always admired your skills and will never forget you. i hope to one day be as positive a person as you, brother.
- kevinPdowling themiserylovescompany 070706

Jakob was the realest, most true to life person I have ever met. the only person who would drive me to get tattoo, then buy a bag to smoke Me out. the coolest person I have ever met on my many trips to atlanta. I saw him EVERYDAY, since I got down here two months ago, and will miss him forever.
Jakob you are forever the realest, tightest person to ever pick up a can of spray paint. Here's to the nicest guy I will ever know. I miss you Yak.
- NAT 070604

jakob was tha best friend I ever had.  I met him randomly in buckhead skating, I thought he, Chris, Richard, and nick were gonna kik my ass..haha...but they just wanted to know how to get to tha mall...so after that we just kept runnin into eachother...then I got his number and ever since that...we have been kikin it, skating, drinking, smoking, going to tha clubs, trying to get girls(well i was) I still cant believe he is gone and I wish every freaking night for him to come back...I miss him sooooo much...all tha times I spent with him were great...he's a big part on why i am tha way I am today...but now that he is gone...I don't know if i can go on with my life...it hurts sooo damn bad that my freaking boy is gone...ahh...I cant write any more...i love u man..be easy..later yak attack
- matt "beer" Higgins 070304

Man, ATEM will be greatly missed. I'm in shock right now. He influenced me with his quickness, his skills,his talent. He made it seem effortless and easy. Boy was I in for a surprise when I picked up that first can of Krylon. I did not hang out with Atem enough. Just a couple of times, but always the coolest kat and always willing to give a few pointers to a newbie. Atem you will be missed, brother. Peace.
- Canon. 070104

Was always great chilling with Atem and Mylk and the rest of the AP crew...Atem was good peoples...I remember the time we was all hitting buckhead the same night and kept seeing each other's still wet tags all night long but kept missing each other then talked about it 2 days later at the civic...like I said before Atem was good peoples and will be missed.
- Low 070104

the first time i met jakob was running up on him at a bridge, he and i both explained how we hated meeting other writers but that we'd both been intrested in meeting each other.  From there we sort of lost touch till I began hanging out at matt and austin's and from there it was on.  We started taking jakob out to our spots and chilling with him every weekend.  We all got along so great I always enjoyed his company.  We would always bullshit about how school was going and share our GPC experiences with the crazy foriegners.  To me he will always be that crazy ass sweed, even with his citizenship we still loved to rag on him just for fun. all those nights hiding out in matts room just so me you and dave could get high together.  I can't help but thinking back to the last time i saw you outside the bar parking cars, they wouldn't let me in because of my jersey but after a little persuading you loaned me your under shirt which you explained was stinky because of your lack of showers in the past two days but still you gave me the shirt.  I ended up getting drunk and dipping out the back and when i came back to get my car you had gone home.  Thats the last time i saw jakob and he was still down for the cause.  I still havent washed that shirt, and it still smells like sweed, i doubt i'll ever wash it.  It sounds strange but thats all I have left besides the countless flicks, and a couple sketches, thats all I have to remember my friend jakob. I still can't believe he's gone. jakob i miss you.
- D 063004

Jakob influenced me before i even knew him. When i met him he just brung tha most positive vibe to tha table. Last time i saw him we got together and said a prayer for close friends risking their lives for tha art of gettin over. Seems like yesterday we were all sittin in TK and Neat's apartment drunk and blazed talkin bout our days work as he sketched. This was one tragic lost. May your soul live though your paint. Condolences to his mother and father. R.I.P Jakob " ATEM" Nillson
- SkUdZ OnE 063004

I'm not quite sure where to start, so I guess I'll start from the beginning. Atem was one of the first writers I met in Atlanta when I moved here in '99. He was actually living in New York going to school at Pratt when I first moved here, but I had heard all about him from his boy Mylk who I had become friends with. At the time he was an 18 or 19 year old writer who loved to party living in the Graffiti Mecca, so school wasn't top on his list. Needless to say Atem soon returned to Atlanta after school didn't work out. We kicked it and started painting more together when Mylk split to school. We had plans to take on the streets as soon as he got his citizenship. Even though we both occupied the same city we kinda lost touch over the past couple years as our lives took a bit of a different direction. We didn't kick it and paint as much as crew members should over the last couple years, but I knew he was crew and only a phone call away. Last time we kicked it we talked about how we needed to link up more, but again we never got around to it. I will always remember the countless hours we spent under bridges, walking tracks, and smoking blunts. Yo Atem, I told you that I owe you big for the night you scooped me up outside MJQ with my busted head, and I'll honor that by putting you up on every train I paint. Rest In Peace Brother.
- SAUCE APCREW 063004

My best friend since I was 12. There was no one else like him. Rest In Peace.
- Mylk 062904

Atem was one of the illest people on this planet. We must have burned a thousand blunts together. I feel an empty void in my soul and will miss you forever. I hope to see you again some day. May your soul rest in peace. One Love.
- Homer 062904

The times with you will be great memories. You are missed & will be forever. Rest In Peace Jakob.
- THICK 062904

may you rest in peace jacob. my boy. my good friend. one of the illest artist i know. i'm writing this with tears on my face. i'll miss the hungover trips to willy's, and kickin it at the bar on tuesdays. your life was cut off way too short my man. rest in peace atem one ap. i'm sorry...
- TK 062904

May your soul rest in peace; let the paint be bountiful, the counter strike glorious, and the cars fast. You single handedly brought me into and helped me through the graffiti world and had a dominating effect on my style. I am your disciple, your drinking pal, and your friend. You will be missed by all.
- Sater ADM 062904

"Atem" - Sauce	"Jakob" - Neat	"Atem" - Kesta	"Jakob" - Smerk
"Jakob" - Mylk	In Loving Memory...	"Atem" - Sauce	"Atem" - Smerk
"Atem" - Neat	"Atem" - Dopez	"Atem" - Tork	"RIP Atem" - Poer/SWD
"Jakob" - Sater	"Atem" - Icant	"Atem" - Abort	"Atem" - Sauce