nyc graffiti Archives - New Hip Hop News

Joey Slae’s Graff Exhibition @ NYC’s Madame X Feat. DJ Lazy K

January 19, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Last night at the swanky Madame X Lounge in Lower Manhattan, a group of graffiti legends and up and comers gathered under the club’s red light and celebrated Joey’s Slae exclusive graffiti exhibition. The show featured some of New York’s most recognized style masters from the Rotten Apple “Golden Era”, some of whom are still relevant and active on the city’s graff landscape today.

Artists such as NEST 156, DOMS KOC, VEDO, VEEFER AND others displayed their timeless pieces while displays of some artists such as P13, CAP, DAZE and other 80s icons were exhibited for the wonder and enjoyment of the attendees.

There was also a music component to the show, featuring “The Mixtape Queen” DJ Lazy K on the 1s and 2s while DJ Curt Crazy warmed up the crowd early in the evening. Emcees also hit the second floor stage of the venue, including slangspitters such as Nino Brigante, the Black Rose Familia, Lawrence Miles, Alexis the Violinist and others.

PHOTOS: Amosael Cordero

The post Joey Slae’s Graff Exhibition @ NYC’s Madame X Feat. DJ Lazy K first appeared on The Source.

The post Joey Slae’s Graff Exhibition @ NYC’s Madame X Feat. DJ Lazy K appeared first on The Source.

Happy 55th Birthday To Graffiti Living Legend COPE2 KD!

December 20, 2023 by newhiphopnews

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One of the most infamous graffiti artists of the 20th century is celebrating his 55th born day today, and he goes by the name of COPE2, founder of the world-famous KINGS DESTROY crew.

Born Fernando Carlo on this date in 1968 in the Bronx, New York, COPE2 began his illustrious graff career in 1985, during the height of the crack era in the Kingsbridge section of his home borough. He picked up his throw up from graffiti bad guy CAP ONE MPC and the rest is history.

COPE’s work can now be found internationally in art galleries for tens of thousands of dollars, but with the game deeply embedded in his heart, you can still find some of his work somewhere in the Rotten Apple rockin’ on the walls.

Happy born day to COPE from the entire Mind Squad!

The post Happy 55th Birthday To Graffiti Living Legend COPE2 KD! first appeared on The Source.

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Happy Born Day To Late Graff Legend KASE 2 “The King Of Style”

December 12, 2023 by newhiphopnews

On this date in 1958, internationally renowned graffiti legend Jeff Brown, better known as KASE 2(or CASE 2) was born in Harlem, New York. KASE 2 is one of the pioneers of the art form known as graffiti that was birthed and popularized in the streets of the South Bronx.

The self proclaimed “King of Style” began his bombing career in the early 70s, having completed his first handball court piece in 1973. Even though KASE only had one arm due to a subway accident when he was only 10, the southpaw still managed to complete over 100 pieces on the NYC subway system before 1980. He’s also appeared in the 1982 graff culture flick Style Wars alongside graff king DEZ, who is also known today as DJ Kay Slay.

KASE passed away on August 15, 2011 from complications due to lung cancer, but his work and artistic influence lives on in today’s graff artists who will forever recognize KASE as a true legend of the game.

The post Happy Born Day To Late Graff Legend KASE 2 “The King Of Style” first appeared on The Source.

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The Source Magazine Remembers Graffiti Legend PHASE 2 Four Years After His Passing

December 12, 2023 by newhiphopnews

On this date in 2019, the graffiti world took a great loss with the passing of graff pioneer Lenny Wood aka True Mathematics Allah aka PHASE 2. For many who live the culture of graffiti, PHASE 2 is considered one of the originators of the modern version of this art form, which was born in the slums of NYC and Philly in the late 60s.

Born Michael Marrow on August 2, 1955, the BX native is widely recognized for inventing the “bubble” style of letter writing and was also a known DJ, made flyers and was a member of the B-Boy crew Electrified Movement. As the spray painting society took off during the late 1970s, Marrow engaged himself in spreading the developing Hip Hop scene from the Bronx to Manhattan.

Hip Hop pioneer Debbie D tweeted about PHASE’s passing back in 2019, saying,

“In the 70s, he and Buddy Esquire were the ‘go to’ flyer makers. If you couldn’t get one, you got the other! Two of the best flyer makers to ever do it!!! Rest those hands, my brother!”

PHASE 2 passed away in NYC in at the age of 64 from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, which is most commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

PHASE 2 still continues to influence the ever evolving world of graffiti and will be eternally honored as one of graffiti’s trailblazers.

The post The Source Magazine Remembers Graffiti Legend PHASE 2 Four Years After His Passing first appeared on The Source.

The post The Source Magazine Remembers Graffiti Legend PHASE 2 Four Years After His Passing appeared first on The Source.

NYC Graffiti Pioneer TRACY 168 Passes Away At 65

October 19, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Hip Hop has taken more than a few losses and the graffiti world has not been exempt as one of its giants from the first generation of graffiti, TRACY 168, reportedly past away last month at his home in the Bronx. He was 65 years old.

Born Michael Tracy, He wrote his first tag on an NYC MTA bus in 1969 and never stopped. His graffiti art is recognized as the original “Wild Style” and was a mentor to famous late NYC graff artist turned contemporary art icon Keith Haring. TRACY wrote with some of graff’s most revered writers such as CLIFF, LSD, P NUT SKEME and others. He was an honorary member of legendary South Bronx gang The Black Spades and later formed his own crew known as The Wanted.

TRACY 168 will be sorely missed by the graff community, but his work and art will live on forever.

The post NYC Graffiti Pioneer TRACY 168 Passes Away At 65 first appeared on The Source.

The post NYC Graffiti Pioneer TRACY 168 Passes Away At 65 appeared first on The Source.

Art Official Feature: DONDI CIA

October 11, 2023 by newhiphopnews

As Hip Hop celebrates its 50th anniversary, all four of the culture’s pillars have celebrated their contributions, but graffiti has received the least fanfare, even though graffiti art is older than all of the other aspects of Hip Hop. Some graffiti purists disregard graff as a part of Hip Hop culture, but more of an art form and no graff artists or enthusiasts can speak about the history of graffiti without mentioning DONDI CIA.

DONDI, whose given name is Donald White, began his interest in graffiti in the mid 70s, joining the TOP(The Odd Partners) crew in 1977, which included artists such as DURO and TOP founder JAMES TOP. DONDI eventually formed his own crew, CIA(Crazy Inside Artists). For the next two decades, DONDI was recognized as one of the most prolific style creators in the art form and even was gifted the moniker “Stylemaster General” by his contemporaries.

DONDI appeared in the Hip Hop educational documentary Style Wars, created by Tony Silver and filmmaker Henry Chalfant. DONDI was also the first graff artist to host an international one-man show in the Netherlands and Germany, with other European museums displaying his art in graffiti exhibitions. DONDI worked with the Fun Gallery and together with artists of the like of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Lee Quinones, Keith Haring, ERO (Dominique Philbert), Rammellzee, Fab 5 Freddy, Futura 2000, Toxic, Zephyr, rbinging art from the streets to art galleries.

DONDI died in October 1998 from complications from AIDS, but his legacy continues with family members and graffiti writers that continue to push his influence in the street art form forward.

The post Art Official Feature: DONDI CIA first appeared on The Source.

The post Art Official Feature: DONDI CIA appeared first on The Source.

Grand Opening Of Museum Of Graffiti’s Latest Exhibition “All Black Everything” Slated For June 2

May 18, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Museum of Graffiti, the world’s first Museum dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of graffiti art, is announcing today the opening of the first exclusively African American graffiti exhibition. Opening on June 2nd, 2023, the exhibition entitled “All Black Everything,” celebrates the contribution and art of multi-generational graffiti artists from the African diaspora. To celebrate the opening, the Museum will host a panel discussion with artists featured in the exhibit including graffiti pioneer Richard “Bama” Admiral. The discussion will be the first of many “Fighting Spirit Stories” told throughout the summer as part of Modelo’s Summer Culture Series at Museum of Graffiti.

Guests can expect to see the work of famed African American artists Bama, Blade, Daze, Delta2, Dondi White, Esteme, Ewok, Kool Koor, Noc167, Quik (Lin Felton), Skeme, Sneke, VFR, and Wane One alongside vintage sketchbooks and ephemera showcasing the early artistry of the influential and elusive Web One. Original graffiti paintings on canvas and works on paper from the past 40 years will also be available for purchase within the exhibit.

“In the 1970s, the Bronx was burning due to economic turmoil and crime. It is no wonder that the imaginations of the African American artists living in these neighborhoods propelled them beyond their surroundings into a world of fantasy and hope. This is what you will see in the paintings by Kool Koor, BAMA, and Delta2,” said Allison Freidin, co-Founder, Museum of Graffiti.

Modelo’s Summer Culture Series will include special museum programming and classes on the first Friday of each month, beginning June 2nd, and will touch on all generations of black and brown graffiti artists. Opening night admission will be limited to guests 21+ for the first look at the exhibit with complimentary beverages courtesy of Modelo.

“Many people around the world are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop by placing an exclusive emphasis on the music. However, hip hop is a movement with great cultural contributors across many creative disciplines, including graffiti. From Bama in the North Bronx who participated in the first graffiti exhibition in 1973 to Harlem’s cultural icon Skeme to Wane One who for the past 30 years has been traveling around the world teaching his unique lettering style to disciples around the globe. There is no better time to celebrate their genius than now,” said Alan Ket, curator and co-Founder of the Museum of Graffiti.

Ongoing support for the museum’s Hip Hop programming is provided by IMLS.

The post Grand Opening Of Museum Of Graffiti’s Latest Exhibition “All Black Everything” Slated For June 2 appeared first on The Source.

[RECAP] STEM YNN and NICEO CM Invade Scrapyard NYC Over The Weekend For The “Real Graff vs. Anti-Graffiti” Show

April 25, 2023 by newhiphopnews

This past weekend, NYC graffiti enthusiasts as well as those lucky enough to be in town for the weekend had the opportunity to meet and greet two of the Rotten Apple’s most prolific writers; NICEO CM and STEM YNN.

Both artists were on hand in Lower Manhattan’s graffiti haven Scrapyard NYC, where they signed copies of books, prints, canvasses and everything else with their name on it for those fortunate enough to get their hands on some of their limited pieces. The exhibit/signing, which was dubbed the “Real Graff vs. Anti-Graffiti” show, drew new fans and faithful supporters of the dynamic duo, who hail from the Upper West Side of Manhattan and the Flatbush section of Brooklyn respectively.

The show was scheduled to only take place on Saturday, but with such a large turnout until closing, STEM and NICEO came out for an encore appearance on Sunday for those who didn’t catch them on the 22nd.

STEM YNN(Your Neighborhood’s Next) and NICEO CM(Criminal Minded) have been killing the Tri-State and beyond for the past five years with their whole car, freight train productions that seem to be rolling out daily. STEM, who has perfected the art of caricature along with NICEO and his underground-to-commercial letter formation have created an unprecedented team that has brought pride back to NYC graff.

The post [RECAP] STEM YNN and NICEO CM Invade Scrapyard NYC Over The Weekend For The “Real Graff vs. Anti-Graffiti” Show appeared first on The Source.

Happy 80th Birthday To NYC Graffiti Documentarian Martha Cooper!

March 14, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Born on this date in 1942 in Baltimore, Maryland, famed photojournalist Martha Cooper took her photography skills as a staff photog for The New York Post and became one of the most celebrated documentarians of Hip Hop’s most unrecognized subculture.

Cooper began her career as a photographer working as an intern for National Geographic in the 60s, which parlayed her into position as a staff photographer for The Post in the 1970s. One day on her way home from work at The Post, she began taking pics of the children in her neighborhood. This is when she met HE3, who explained to Cooper the importance and artistic aspect of graffiti. Cooper instantly became intrigued by graffiti and by 1984, put together a book of photographs illustrating the graffiti subculture called Subway Art, which is now recognized as the bible of graffiti and street art.

Copper later put out another book in 2004 entitled Hip Hop Files: Photographs 1979-1984 From Here To Fame and later had a documentary produced about her life called Martha: A Picture Story in 2019.

Happy 80th birthday to Martha and salute to her for all of her groundbreaking accomplishments that help to spread the culture of graffiti around the world.

The post Happy 80th Birthday To NYC Graffiti Documentarian Martha Cooper! appeared first on The Source.

Happy 54th Birthday To Graffiti Living Legend COPE2 KD!

December 20, 2022 by newhiphopnews

One of the most infamous graffiti artists of the 20th century is celebrating his 53rd born day today, and he goes by the name of COPE2, founder of the world-famous KINGS DESTROY crew.

Happy born day to COPE from the entire Mind Squad!

The post Happy 54th Birthday To Graffiti Living Legend COPE2 KD! appeared first on The Source.