When some asshole tells you what to do and yells at you or some shit, I go out and BOMB THE FUCK out of my section of "turf"... throwie after throwie over and over and the occasional piece and tags EVERYWHERE. It's kinda the same with working out... all my anger (or happiness) goes into it and it relives all that stress and negativity... THAT is what keeps me going
i keep coming back to this thread cuz there are a million things that have kept me in graff over the past 10 years (christ, has it been that long? my style's barely improved) the four elements of hip-hop went out in the 80's, as far as pop-rap goes. when i write graffiti, i feel like i'm giving something back. the b-boys are gone, damned to a sub-sub-culture of true heads. when rap music began, the focus was on the DJ and then the EMCEE grabbed the mic (due respect). turn-tablism took the same route as the b-boys so we're now left with mc's and play-to-pay "artists" who design album covers and do Nike ads. when i write graffiti, i feel like i'm hip-hop. i'm keeping something alive that died 20 years ago and was born 30+ years ago. im part of a culture behind a ski-mask. i write solo. my closest friends are MC's and even a few DJs struggling to keep turn-tables relevant, but they don't know i write. it's something i cant escape; that irresistible urge to just scrawl a name on EVERYTHING you see and on top of it feel like yer a part of a community?! of other people that feel the same way as you without any gain other than anonymous fame? THAT's what keeps me into graffiti. that's what's kept my handstyle ugly and my throwies beautiful. that's what's kept JAM-MASTER JAY in my heart and BTK/TSF on my cap-finger. graffiti is a contribution to an art-form that, unlike the other elements of hip-hop, operates and depends on sheer anonymity. my place in hip-hop is as a graffiti writer and im happy and blessed to have the support of the other three surviving elements, whether they realize it or not /calming down from the post-paint adrenaline rush. thanks, bs
Whats keeps me in Graffiti, is seeing my progression and how I have developed my letter structure. Used to think arrows and bits were the shit and the only cool part of graffiti, through the years, I've slowly started to dislike arrows and bit. Now I never do them, cuz personally I think it destroys the piece. Anyways Im in graffiti because I like seeing how I have progressed and its inspiring enough for me to keep going and spiral out.
just because it always interested me and i thought it was sick. so i just keep doing because its rad, and it keeps me busy and entertained
Graffiti gives me self satisfaction. It's the only hobby I feel is worth my time, there is risk and reward in it.