Hip Hop exploded in popularity the early '80s. Music videos featuring various aspects of NYC street culture proved very appealing- @149st Illegal dX
cHAd^dX’s™ pure playaz' network rock thiz baby alive home
HISTORY INTRODUCTION by xFresh's Archive Stealer
Phac tuliskan pendahuluan nie untuk semua bBoy, budak Hip Hop dan semua Hip Hawk kat Malaysia dan satu dunia; budak-budak lain pun boleh baca jugak. Sebenarnya, Hip Hop pun Underground jugak, jangan lak korang tak tau. Orang Malaysia sekarang fikir yang Hip Hop tu bukan Underground, Underground terbahagi kepada beberapa puak atau team iaitu:
1. Underground (Original)
2. Hip Hop (bBoy dan Hip Hawk pun Hip Hop jugak)
3. Nazi (Skinheads)
4. Grunge (Cobain’s followers / Pengikut Kurt Cobain)
5. Hardcore (Gangster-gangster)
6. Dan macam-macam lagi…
Sebenarnya sejak dari mula Hip Hop dah dikenali sebagai Undergrounders yang banyak membernye, cuma budak-budak kat Malaysia je yang salah sangka! Okay, carik kamus kalau nak baca History nie, itupun kalau tak tau baca laa!
Documenting the history of writing is inevitably subjective. Due to the fact that it is an underground movement and the life span of works can be as brief as days, most of history is limited to word-of-mouth accounts. We here @149st have made a modest attempt to encapsulate the history. In addition to witnessing history first hand, we have spoken directly with many participants. We have chosen the medium of the web over print due to its flexibility. Historical inaccuracy on the web can be addressed in a matter of minutes or hours. The print medium is not so forgiving. Keep in mind that this site is a work in progress and its aim is to build towards the truth.
With
respect to the pioneering stage, of particular importance is the book Style
Writing From The Underground By Phase 2
We also recommend Subway Graffiti: An aesthetic study of graffiti on the
subway system of New York City, 1970-1978. By Jack Stewart
and the classic for the newer school, Subway Art by Henry
Chalfant and Martha Cooper.
HISTORY
by Online Website and edited by @149st Illegal dX
GROUND WORK 1966-71
Graffiti was used primarily by political activists to make statements and
street gangs to mark territory. It wasn't till the late 1960s that writing's
current identity started to form.
The history of the underground art movement known by many names, most commonly
termed graffiti begins in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the mid to late
'60s and is rooted in bombing. The writers who are credited with the first
conscious bombing effort are CORNBREAD and COOL EARL. They wrote their names
all over the city gaining attention from the community and local press. It is
unclear whether this concept made its way to New York City via deliberate
efforts or if was a spontaneous occurrence.
PIONEERING 1971-74
Shortly
after CORNBREAD, the Washington Heights section of Manhattan was giving birth
to writers. In 1971 The New York Times published an article on one of
these writers. TAKI 183 was the alias of a kid from Washington Heights. TAKI
was the nick name for his given name Demetrius and 183 was the number of the
street where he lived. He was employed as a foot messenger, so he was on the
subway frequently and took advantage of it, doing motion tags. The appearance
of this unusual name and numeral sparked public curiosity prompting the Times
article. He was by no means the first writer or even the first king. He was
however the first to be recognized outside the newly formed subculture.
Most widely credited as being one of the first writers of
significance is JULIO 204. FRANK 207 and JOE 136 were also early
writers.
On the streets of Brooklyn a movement was growing as well. Scores of writers
were active. FRIENDLY FREDDIE was an early Brooklyn writer to gain fame. The
subway system proved to be a line of communication and a unifying element for
all these separate movements. People in all the five
broughs became aware of each others efforts. This established the
foundation of interbrough competition.
Writing started moving from the streets to the subways and quickly became
competitive. At this point writing consisted of mostly tags and the goal was
to have as many as possible. Writers would ride the trains hitting as many
subway cars as possible. It wasn't long before writers discovered that in a
train yard or lay up they could hit many more subway cars in much less time
and with less chance of getting caught. The concept and method of bombing had
been established.
Tag Style
After a while there were so many people writing so
much that writers needed a new way to gain fame. The first way was to make
your tag unique. Many script and calligraphic styles were developed. Writers
enhanced their tags with flourishes, stars and other designs. Some designs
were strictly for visual appeal while others had meaning. For instance, crowns
were used by writers who proclaimed themselves king. Probably the most famous
tag in the culture's history was STAY HIGH 149. He used a smoking joint as the
cross bar for his "H" and a stick figure from the television series The Saint.
Tag Scale
The next development was scale. Writers started to render their tags in larger
scale. The standard nozzle width of a spray paint can is narrow so these
larger tags while drawing more attention than a standard
tag, did not have much visual weight. Writers began to increase the
thickness of the letters and would also outline them with an additional color.
Writers discovered that caps from other aerosol products could provide a
larger width of spray. This led to the development of the masterpiece. It is
difficult to say who did the first masterpiece, but it is commonly credited to
SUPER KOOL 223 of the Bronx and WAP of Brooklyn. The thicker letters provided
the opportunity to further enhance the name. Writers decorated the interior of
the letters with what are termed "designs." First with
simple polka dots, later with crosshatches, stars, checkerboards.
Designs were limited only by an artist's imagination.
Writers eventually started to render these masterpieces the entire height of
the subway car (A first also credited to SUPER KOOL 223.). These masterpieces
were termed top-to bottoms. The additions of color design and scale were
dramatic advancements, but these works still strongly resembled the tags on
which they were based. Some of the more accomplished writers of this time were
HONDO 1, JAPAN 1, MOSES 147, SNAKE 131, LEE 163d, STAR 3, PHASE 2, PRO-SOUL,
TRACY 168, LIL HAWK, BARBARA 62, EVA 62, CAY 161, JUNIOR 161 and STAY HIGH
149.
The competitive atmosphere led to the development of actual styles which would
depart from the tag styled pieces. Broadway style was introduced by
Philadelphia's TOPCAT 126. These letters would evolve in to block letters,
leaning letters, and block busters. PHASE 2 later developed Softie
letters , more commonly
refered to as Bubble letters. Bubble letters and Broadway style were
the earliest forms of actual pieces and therefore the foundation of many
styles. Soon arrows, curls, connections and twists adorned letters. These
additions became increasing complex and would become the basis for Mechanical
or Wild style lettering.
The combination of PHASE's work and competition
from other style masters like RIFF 140 and PEL furthered the development. RIFF
is noted as being an early catalyst in what is termed style wars. RIFF would
take ideas from other writers and improve upon them and take them to another
level. Writers like FLINT 707 and PISTOL made major contributions in
development of three dimentional lettering adding
depth to the masterpiece, which became standards for generations to come.
This early period of creativity did not go unrecognized. Hugo Martinez
a sociology major at City College took notice of
the legitimate artistic potential of this generation. Martinez went on to
found United Graffiti Artists. UGA selected top subway artists from all around
the city and presented their work in the formal context of an art gallery. UGA
provided opportunities once inaccessible to these artists. The Razor Gallery
was a successful effort of Mr. Martinez and the artists he represented. PHASE
2, MICO, COCO 144, PISTOL, FLINT 707, BAMA, SNAKE, and STICH have been
represented by Martinez.
A 1973 article in
New York
magazine
by Richard Goldstein entitled "The Graffiti Hit Parade" was also early public
recognition of the artistic potential of subway artists.
Around 1974 writers like TRACY 168, CLIFF 159, BLADE ONE created works with
scenery, illustrations and cartoon characters surrounding the masterpieces.
This formed the basis for the mural whole car. Earlier ground breaking whole
cars were produced by writers like AJ 161 and SILVER TIPS.
THE PEAK 75-77
For the most part innovation in writing hit a plateau after 1974. All the
standards had been set and a new school was about to reap the benefits of
artistic foundations established by prior generations and a city in the midst
of a fiscal crisis. New York City was broke and therefore the transit system
was poorly maintained. This led to the heaviest bombing in history.
At this time bombing and style began to further distinguish themselves. Whole
cars became a standard practice rather than an event, and the definitive form
of bombing became the throw up. The throw up is a piecing style derived from
the bubble letter. Th e throw up is hastily
rendered piece consisting of a simple outline and is barely filled in. Mostly
two letter throw up names began appearing all over the system particularly on
the INDs and BMTs.
Crews like POG, 3yb, BYB TC, TOP, made major contributions. Throw up kings
included TEE, IZ, DY 167, PI, IN, LE, TO, OI, FI aka
VINNY, TI 149, CY, PEO. Writers became very
competetive. Races broke out to see who could do
the most throw ups. Throw ups peaked from '75 thru '77 as did whole cars.
Writers like BUTCH, CASE, KINDO, BLADE, COMET, ALE 1, DOO2, JOHN 150, LEE,
MONO, SLAVE, SLUG, DOC 109 CAINE ONE plastered the
IRTs with magnificent whole cars, following in the
foot steps of giants like TRACY and CLIFF.
STYLE REVIVAL 1978-1981
A
new wave of creativity bloomed in late 1977 with crews like TDS, TMT, UA,
MAFIA, TS5, CIA, RTW, TMB, TFP, TC5 and TF5. Style wars were once again
peaking. It was also the last wave of bombing before the Transit Authority
made the elimination of writing a priority. On Broadway, CHAIN 3, KOOL 131,
PADRE, NOC 167 and PART 1 were expanding upon styles established by writers
like PHASE 2, RIFF 140 and PEL. CHAIN later went to the 2 and 5 lines with the
TMT crew. In style war tradition TMT's works were
countered by CIA. DONDI came out with POSE against
CHAIN's DOSE.
CASE 2, KEL 139, MARE, COMET, REPEL, COS 207, DURO, MIN, SHY 147, KADE 198,
FED 2, REVOLT, RASTA, ZEPHYR, BOOTS 119, KIT 17, CRASH and DAZE were also
active writers of the time. LEE, CAZ 2, IZ, SLAVE, REE, DONDI, BLADE and COMET
became very competitive in the whole car arena. SEEN, MAD, PJ and DUST
dominated the 6 line with elaborate whole cars. MITCH 77, BAN 2, BOO 2, PBODY,
MAX 183, and KID 56 ruled the 4 line. FUZZ ONE was a major presence on all 7
IRTs. CIA, TB and TKA ensured that the
BMTs were not deprived of style.
In 1980 The real buff started up again pieces ran
for shorter periods. Train yard fence repair was becoming more consistent.
Writers slowly started to quit and consider other creative options. Many
writers became distracted with thoughts about careers beyond painting subway
cars. The established art world was once again becoming receptive to writing.
There hadn't been much positive attention since the Razor Gallery in the early
'70s. In 1979 LEE QUINONES and FAB 5 FREDDIE had an opening in Rome with the
art dealer Claudio Bruni. Then in 1980 numerous
writers flocked to places like ESSES studio, Stephan Eins'
Fashion Moda and Patti Astor's Fun Gallery to
expand their horizons. These and subsequent galleries would prove to be an
important factors in expanding writing overseas. European art dealers became
aware of the movement and were very receptive to the new art form. Shows
featuring paintings by DONDI, LEE, ZEPHYR, LADY PINK, DAZE, FUTURA 2000 and
others exposed the world to the once secret world of New York's youth.
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST 1982-1985
During the early to mid 1980s the writing culture deteriorated dramatically
due to several factors. Some related directly to the graffiti culture itself
and others to the greater society in general. The crack cocaine epidemic was
taking its toll on the inner city. Due to the drug trade powerful firearms
were readily available. The climate on the street became increasingly tense.
Laws restricting the sale of paint to minors and requiring merchants to place
spray paint in locked cages made shoplifting more difficult. Legislation was
in the works to make penalties for graffiti more severe.
The major change was the increase in the Metropolitan Transit Authority's
anti-graffiti budget. Yards and layups were more
closely guarded. Many favored painting areas became almost inaccessible. New
more sophisticated fences were erected and were quickly repaired when damaged.
Graffiti removal was stronger and more consistent than ever, making the life
span of many paintings months if not days. This frustrated many writers
causing them to quit.
Many others were not so easily discouraged, yet they were still affected. They
perceived the new circumstances as a challenge, determined not to be defeated
by the MTA. Due to the lack or resources they became extremely territorial and
aggressive, claiming ownership to yards and layups.
Claiming territory was nothing new in writing, but the difference at this time
was that threats were enforced. If a writer went to layup
unarmed he could almost be guaranteed to be beaten and robbed of his painting
supplies.
At this point physical strength and unity as in street gangs became a major
part of the writing experience. The One Tunnel and the Ghost yard were the
back drops many for legendary conflicts. In addition to the pressure from the
MTA, cross out wars among writers broke out. The most
famous war being CAP MPC vs the world. High
profile writers during these years were: SKEME, DEZ, TRAP, DELTA, SHARP, SEEN
TC5, SHY 147, BOE, WEST, KAZE, SPADE 127, SAK, VULCAN, SHAME, BIO, MIN, DURO,
KEL, T KID, MACK, NICER, BRIM, BG 183, KENN, CEM, FLIGHT, AIRBORN, RIZE, JON
156, KYLE 156.
THE DIE HARDS 1985-1989
On certain subway lines graffiti removal significantly decreased because the
cars servicing those lines were headed for the scrap yards. This provided a
last shot for writers.
The last big surge on the 2 and 5 lines came from writers like WANE, WEN, DERO,
WIPS, TKID, SENTO, CAVS, CLARK and M KAY who hit the white 5s with burners.
These burners many times were blemished by marker tags that soaked through the
paint. A trend had developed that was a definite step back for writing. Due to
a lack of paint and courage to stay in a lay up for prolonged periods of time,
many writers were tagging with markers on the outside of subway cars. These
tags were generally poor artistic efforts. The days when writers took pride in
their hand style (signature) were long gone. If it wasn't for
the afore mentioned writers and a few others, the
artform in New York City could have officially
been deemed dead.
By mid '86 the MTA was gaining the upper hand. Many writers quit and the
violence subsided. Most lines were completely free of writing. The Ds, Bs,
LLs, Js, Ms were among the last of the lines with
running pieces. MAGOO, DOC TC5, DONDI, TRAK, DOME and DC were all highly
visible writers.
Security was high and the Transit Police's new vandal squad was in full force.
What was left was a handful of diehards. GHOST, SENTO, CAVS, KET, JA, VEN,
REAS, SANE, SMITH were prominent figures and would keep transit writing alive.
MOVEMENTS OF HIP HOP CULTURE
by Online Website anf edited by @149st Illegal dX
THE
CLEAN TRAIN MOVEMENT 1989- present
On May 12, 1989 the MTA declared a victory over graffiti. The MTA set in
effect a policy of removing all marked subway cars from service. The objective
being no graffiti will run. This was the birth of what is known as the Clean
Train movement. There are many writers who believe subway painting is the
defining act in being a writer. Walls, freights, scraps, and canvas are for
fake writers. These writers refuse to give up the battle against the MTA. Even
though works do not run or only run for one trip many people still write.
Short list of clean train writers: COPE2, SENTO TFP, POEM, YES2
FREIGHTS-The National Movement*
Hip Hop exploded in popularity the early '80s. Music videos featuring various
aspects of NYC street culture proved very appealing. Overnight every American
teenager wanted to be a New York City B Boy. MCs, breakers and writers were
springing up all over the place. Outside of New York City there aren't many
major urban transportation systems, but writers wanted to paint steel and have
their name move. With accessibility and minimal security freight trains became
a natural target. Currently writers from all over the United States and Canada
bomb freight trains. The geographic roots of the freight movement are
difficult to pin point but is widely thought of as a west coast phenomenon.
Active NYC based freight writers are CAVS, SEIN 5, SENTO, CAVS, CASE2, ZEPHYR
and MONE
*Term coined by ZEPHYR
THE GLOBAL MOVEMENT
During the early '80s American writers were touring European art galleries and
Hip Hop was gaining international popularity. European youth fell in love with
New York City street culture. Henry Chalfant and
Martha Cooper's book Subway Art and the films Style Wars by Tony
Silver and Henry Chalfant and Wild Style by
Charlie Ahern became the foundation for European ambition. The NYC culture was
being mimicked and expanded upon. Henry Chalfant
and James Prigoff's book Spray Can Art
documented early movements across the globe. The book proved to be an
additional catalyst for the expansion of aerosol art world-wide.
By the late '80s the European movement was long established and was in full
force. The second generation Europeans were forging
friendships with their American idols. The Europeans thirsted to paint in the
birthplace of the art. The Americans hosted "Pilgrimages to Mecca". Many
European writers bomb New York so effectively, that people believe they are
from New York.
Many New York writers also went to Europe. Some European
were so willing to cater to American writers that they would provide
airfare, accommodations, and paint. The bragging rights for painting with an
American were priceless. For some Americans going to hit trains in Italy or
Germany has become just like a trip form Brooklyn to the Bronx.
SCRAPS
In the late 1980s the MTA began a massive retirement of its flat cars from all
three divisions. These cars were sent to scrap yards in Brooklyn. Despite the
fact that these trains were headed for destruction ,
they attracted many writers. Some hit the scraps because of their passion for
steel, others painted just to get a photograph of their name on a subway car,
or to relive memories. Painting these cars posed no threat to the MTA, but the
Transit Police's Vandal Squad eventually haunted them anyhow in hopes of
catching someone on their most wanted list. The Vandal Squad new that some of
the same writers hitting the scraps also painted clean trains. Never the
less writers are still attracted to the scraps.
HIGHWAYS
With increased pressure from the MTA bombing trains became more difficult.
Writers discovered alternatives routes to fame. Though highways lacked the
motility of trains they had the advantage of being exposed to hundreds of
automobiles every day. From the beginning highway writing has consisted
primarily of tags and black and silver throw ups or straight letters. OE and
P13 started hitting NYC highways methodically early on. Other highway kings
were COPE 2, PJ, TRAK, MED and FAYDE.
THE NEW YORK STREET MOVEMENT
Along with the new school, many old school writers have
come out of retirement to do works on walls. Crews like RTW, TDS, TFP and TMB
are all doing extensive productions. All five boroughs are active, but the
Bronx is once again taking the lead via the detailed murals of crews like, FX,
KD and TAT.
Rooftops have also become an attractive target. Particularly on buildings that
are visable from elevated subway lines. NATO is a
frequent site in Queens as is COPE 2 in The Bronx.
PRINT
For years all documentation of writing was done by outside sources. Then in
the 1980s PHASE 2 added another accomplishment to his list of firsts. He
published the first zine on writing called
International Graffiti Times. Since then with an increased interest in
writing in general and the advent of desktop publishing there are dozens upon
dozens of publications and the numbers grow daily.
One of the most positive things about these zines
is that for the most part they are edited by writers themselves. Many writers
criticize these publications saying that they are illegitimate vehicles to
fame, stating " Real Writers bomb trains: not magazines". With or with out
critics these zines have become a part of the
culture providing another communication venue for a community who has always
struggled to communicate.
VIDEO
In the late 1980s NYC writer SAN 2 aka Carl Weston
began production on the ground breaking series
VideoGraf. It was the first organized video documentation of
writing by writers. Shortly after many similar series were
produced by others around the world.
CYBER SPACE
Established in 1994 and credited as being the first organized web site focused
on the documentation of Writing is Art Crimes. A few short years later there
are hundreds of Writing web sites all over the
world. These sites range from kids at home who have never been near a train
and enjoy the safety of the internet to hard core European bombers to
multimedia and graphic design firms established by writers to sites utilizing
web technology as an art form.
The web
is being utilized in a similar fashion in which the subway system was.
People communicating across great boundaries.
Bombing Cyberspace can not ever be expected to replace getting your hands
dirty, but it has definitely become a facet of the writing culture.
With less of a start up cost than offset printing and computer prices going
down the web will become the most accessible means of communication for the
economic group that created the art form called writing.