With rap so dominant in every form of media, it's easy for the casual fan to
overlook the total hiphop experience. But, while the music gains the most
focus, there is much more to the genre. To borrow a line from one of its most
vocal advocates, KRS-1, "Rap is something you do/hiphop is something you
live." This series will focus on hiphop as a lifestyle, as it is commonly
viewed among those who are fully immersed in the culture.
There are four pillars of hiphop culture: Graffiti ("Writing"), "B-Boying"
(Breakdancing), "DJ-ing" and lastly "M.C.-ing" (Rapping). In this issue we
will focus on the street art known as graffiti writing.
New York, known as the birthplace for hiphop culture, also produced graffiti
writing. It seems to make perfect sense considering the city's cultural
diversity. Immigrants from every part of the globe have for decades converged
on the Big Apple, hoping for a new and more prosperous life. However, what
they have found is a burgeoning population, a lack of resources and many
unrealized dreams. Despair and poverty has bred discontent, especially among
the young, who often full of rebellion, yearn to belong.
Long ago, gang involvement became a common hobby, in part to answer that
need. One way gangs marked their territory or "turf" was to write their names
or "tags" on the walls of their respective neighborhoods. This served as both
an invitation and a warning. Gangs in Philly, Baltimore and other large
"steel and concrete" cities also adopted this form of artistic vandalism.
But, New York has brought forth some of the most innovative graffiti artists
ever.
Writer Kilian Tobin notes in his story "A Modern Perspective On Graffiti,"
that the practice has a long history. In Roman times soldiers would write on
the walls of the cities they conquered and cave men would mark on walls in
some detail. Today, graffiti has evolved from mere scribbling on walls to
grand and expansive "pieces." In New York, a sub-culture has been formed and
fused with the hiphop lifestyle.
Hugo Martinez, founder of the Martinez Gallery that focuses on street art,
noticed the "writing" boom in the early 70s. Young, inexperienced writers
("Toys") would follow and emulate the elder writers ("Masters"). They would
design elaborate lettering schemes using their vivid imaginations and various
tools of the trade such as: Krylon paint spray and permanent markers. Writers
assumed catchy and unique aliases. TAKI 183, a New York writer, even received
coverage in a 1971 {New York Times} article. Before long writers were
"bombing" (saturating walls with their tags). This of course, led to protests
from various building owners and residents.
But writers had a greater legacy in mind. The train yards were a scribe's
dream. In the late 70s, graffiti on the city's transit system was as frequent
as on the marked walls of the city. The trains of New York attained legendary
status based on the striking letters and colors that adorned the sides of
their massive cars. As writers became bolder, police involvement escalated.
However they couldn't seem to stop them. The writers developed a system where
speed and a sharp eye mattered most.
Graffiti writing and hiphop share an allegiance in many ways. Hiphop was born
in the parks of the Bronx in the late 70s where youth of different ethnic
backgrounds shared in their disdain for the straight-laced normalcy of those
who could not relate to them. Graffiti artists also needed this type of
society to survive. These angst-filled teens and young adults, grappling with
impending adulthood and social expectations, eventually found each other. To
the outside world they were deviants and misfits, but in this peer group they
were equals.
The graffiti bug eventually spread from street vandalism and drifted into
mainstream culture ending up on clothing, advertising and in art exhibits.
This "street art" is now part of our popular culture. Even in DC we have our
own group of talented writers such as the infamous "Cool" Disco Dan and the
F.F.C. Crew. Graffiti is no longer an "underground" art form. It, and all the
other elements that make up hiphop, continues to flourish even as the new
millennium unfolds. To comment on this or any article by D.L. Chandler email
confluence@metroconnection.info. |