Since graffiti as a spatial practice and urban art movement pre-dates hip hop by over 10 years (having begun in Philadelphia with the writer Cornbread in the late 1960s) it is spurious at best to link graffiti and hip hop as mutually constitutive. Furthermore, many of the most prolific graffiti writers have been inspired by punk, heavy metal, classic oldies, and funk in addition to hip hop. Since graffiti is a spatial practice produced on both private and public spaces, "graffiti style" lettering and characters in sanctioned spaces such as galleries or places of capitalist consumption on canvas, t-shirts, or any other packaged and confined objects merely shares in and emulates stereotypical graffiti imagery, but is not itself graffiti. Graffiti cannot accurately be attributed to any one group or style of practitioner other than those who adhere to the aesthetic norms and mores of the graffiti community at large.
by Stefano Bloch February 16, 2008
Art. Misinterpreted by government and mainstream as "destroying" property. Graffiti is only art when it is not offensive or crude like suburban graffiti that simply has curse words and crude drawings of male and female genitalia. Graffiti is done by paint, ink, scratching glass, etc...
by nikkan_hanil November 20, 2003
The use of spray paint, markers, etc. to draw (or "tag" if you're using spray paint) on public or private property. Considered to be a form of vandalism, but a form of "art" to those who partake in it.
by El dorito November 25, 2009
my anti-drug. The action of applying a paint or ink onto a wall in the form of artwork. A highly illegal practice that must be done in a swift and covert manner.
Most kids spend there Friday and Saturday nights smoking weed or getting drunk. I prefer exploring the town with my best buddy doing graffiti.
by GILFstar December 7, 2005
an underground comunity. graff artists spend lots of time and money buying markers paint spray paint. they have notbooks thats they pratice in called blackbooks. they also make there own markers or mops. some will stay up walking around citys from dusk till dawn. dont think it pisses them off when u remove or 'buff' there tags or throwups, thats recycles the walls for them. its been going on sence cave men so get over it, it wont stop. its and addicting rush. thats graffiti.
by madeulook April 25, 2006
The visual personifacation of hip-hop. despite what most of the ill-informed probably middle-aged suburban white people think, graffiti is only limited to stickers (postals), tags (done with pilots, flowpen, krink, homemade markers, etc.), throw ups (aslo called throwies, and done in paint. they are usually just stylized bubble letters of the writters name with 3d or drop shadow), pieces (short for masterpieces, and also known as burners, these range from relativly simple, to intricate and complex designs, a style known as wildstyle. these pieces take hours to do and are considered the highest level of graffiti), and finaly charachters (cartoonish representations of the writters alter ego). Graffiti should not be confused with vandalism, which is instead crude marking or destruction, the aim of which is to cause damage to property, regardless of aethetic appeal. graffiti is just the opposite. IF GRAFFITI WASNT ART, THEN WHY WOULD WRITTERS SPEND HOURS AND HOURS SKETCHING AND PRACTICING IN SKETCHBOOKS? also, there are things that are considered off limits and non ethical, and are not to be touched. some of these things include
residential property (unless its the house of a writter that you know personally and have beef with)
churches or places of worship
cemeteries
cars (unless obviously abandoned)
These are only the basics and different writters may restrict themselves from other things.
Graffiti is 90% of the time NOT GANG RELATED. gangs, however, are not to be confused with crews. crews are a group of writters. thats it. theres no drugs or crime (othere than graffiti) involved with the crew. crews usually have initiations like tagging a police car, or getting up in an open space etc. crew names are usually three letter abbreviations like DFM, or PCK etc.
Again, the motivation for graffiti IS NEVER VANDALISM. if that is the motive, then it simply isnt graffiti. motivation varies from writter to writter, but is usually
respect as a writter
fame
to see his own work
This is achieved by getting up. getting up is the act of getting your work up around the city. if you get up enough, your considered to be "all city", but this hardly happens. also, your art and style speaks for your reputation. for example, if your handstyle is wack, or your throwies drip (unintentionaly), or you go over better writters for no reason (no beef with them) then you may be considered toy. toy stands for Trouble On Your System, and is the lowest form of graffiti writter.
Graffiti doesnt have messages, unless its some kind of side quote next to a piece. messages of anarchy and rebellion are considered vandalism.
Stay up y'all.
Suke-one
residential property (unless its the house of a writter that you know personally and have beef with)
churches or places of worship
cemeteries
cars (unless obviously abandoned)
These are only the basics and different writters may restrict themselves from other things.
Graffiti is 90% of the time NOT GANG RELATED. gangs, however, are not to be confused with crews. crews are a group of writters. thats it. theres no drugs or crime (othere than graffiti) involved with the crew. crews usually have initiations like tagging a police car, or getting up in an open space etc. crew names are usually three letter abbreviations like DFM, or PCK etc.
Again, the motivation for graffiti IS NEVER VANDALISM. if that is the motive, then it simply isnt graffiti. motivation varies from writter to writter, but is usually
respect as a writter
fame
to see his own work
This is achieved by getting up. getting up is the act of getting your work up around the city. if you get up enough, your considered to be "all city", but this hardly happens. also, your art and style speaks for your reputation. for example, if your handstyle is wack, or your throwies drip (unintentionaly), or you go over better writters for no reason (no beef with them) then you may be considered toy. toy stands for Trouble On Your System, and is the lowest form of graffiti writter.
Graffiti doesnt have messages, unless its some kind of side quote next to a piece. messages of anarchy and rebellion are considered vandalism.
Stay up y'all.
Suke-one
Graffiti:
(names are fictional urbandictionary editors!)
alex: hey joey, i drew a penis on this tools mailbox it waas sweet!
joey: cool alex! i wrote anarchy on my neighbors audi!
writter: stupid toys.
(names are fictional urbandictionary editors!)
alex: hey joey, i drew a penis on this tools mailbox it waas sweet!
joey: cool alex! i wrote anarchy on my neighbors audi!
writter: stupid toys.
by Suke-one June 19, 2007