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Happy 50th Birthday, Graffiti!


Taggin Ass City




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Monday, November 6, 2017

To the victor goes the spoils.......

                       Duck TRK

  Graff is funny, and films about graff are funnier. The moment one begins to document it's "history" he embarks on a road littered with embellishments (or outright lies) and ego. Which is why Culture Livingston's "Tagging Ass City" is a welcome piece of cinema, surprisingly clear and well presented. Opening with an action sequence featuring Rame KMD in Philadelphia's Broad Street Subway tunnels, the film carefully begins to craft it's case for Philadelphia as the home of graffiti (certainly to the chagrin of New Yorkers). Yet this isn't a claim made without research, and New York's contribution for the birthplace of hip hop is stated with no question.

  Mr. Livingston carefully narrates of (and openly wonders about), the impact of Chicago gang hands. As if the idea of Chicago being the inspiration for the East Coast is quite reasonable. After dangling this prospect before the viewers in enters Darryl McCray.

  Darryl McCray aka "Cornbread" the World's First Graffiti Writer. You'll find a few people to dispute this, but not many. And even if someone else did precede Cornbread​, his narrative is way more compelling. What red blooded American man can't relate to a love smitten boy writing his name on a wall to get the attention of a woman? Sentiments like that are literally what films are made of, and Mr. McCray knows and sells the commodity which is "Cornbread". And a very legitimate and valid point is made in his interview. Cornbread was the first writer to write his name on a wall throughout a major metropolitan city, completely separate from the gang culture that permeated the era. He IS the Godfather of Graffiti and the modern graffiti writers.

   The film then segues into the history of Philadelphia graff crews, Delta Phi Soul, KCD, SAM1 and ICP (which holds the distinction of being the oldest active graff crew in the world).

  Also mentioned is Notorious Bik (NB) and his popularizing, if not creating the wicked.

  Next up is Task "The Amazing Scribble King" from Philadelphia's storied HCS crew. Task speaks of his experience in the game, and tricks he used to stand out in a graffiti soaked city during the 70's.

  JK of ICP also speaks of his experience, while Mr. Livingston fills in the blanks from a historical aspect.

  Which finally leads up to the unexpected star of the show DUCK TRK. Interviewing Duck on film doesn't really do justice to Duck. To Philadelphia, Duck is much more than an interview in a film. Duck, maybe more than anyone epitomizes Philadelphia graff. For at least four decades Duck wrote on walls... EVERYWHERE. All tags too, no fills or pieces. The man became a Philly institution from solely tagging his name. In his interview Duck doesn't speak as eloquently as Task or JK about the mechanics and history of graff. Nor does he proclaim any titles or credit himself with anything like Cornbread. Duck doesn't need to be either of those things. Duck just writes, he was the oldest, on going graff artist. Simple in his speech, simple in his approach to graff. Write on everything.

   "Tagging Ass City" is worth the pickup for a fair and balanced look at the history of Philadelphia graff. Culture Livingston's ​film is an enlightening historical documentation. Give it a try.

Go the STORE page on this site or go here to purchase.

Dedicated to the memory of Duck TRK.... rest well.......KING.


Thursday, November 2, 2017

Happy 50th Birthday Graffiti!

In 1967 a kid from North Philly went out and started writing on walls so that he could get at a girl. Like most of what guys do, right? If it weren't for women, most guys would shower maybe once or twice a week. Lol (not me, of course...) But it was this simple act of tryin to get at the fairer sex that  launched a cultural phenomenon.

That was 50 years ago this year! Happy Birthday Graffiti! CORNBREAD, the kid from Brewerytown, North Philly, that started it all, started writing on walls in September of 1967. Altho he officially started taggin in 1965 in reform school, we will take it from the time he started rockin in the plain view of the general public. (this discussed in our movie, "Taggin Ass city", now available in the store, or here.) So, Happy Birthday graffiti!

In the past 50 years graffiti has progressed from what gang members used to use to mark territory to a full fledged art form. It amazes me that the movement du jour started out as some strait gangster shit. It's usually how it happens tho; the common man sparks an idea, someone sees it and finds value. For the kid in the street its a way to get fame. For others, its a full on career. That value is found in the people who use it.

Graffiti for some has been the first major achievements in life. That first taste of  public acclaim has inspired some to move forward in other areas. I think that's a part of its allure. It's the first reality show. People watch in real time the exploits of graffiti writers and the places they've traveled in a bid to stay watched. In many ways, graffiti artist greet people on their journey and become a part of their adventures as they arrive at certain places, see a familiar name and say, "Dam, what the hell is he doing way out here???''. The mystery identity helps to fuel the curiosity that keeps people watching. They become known, all while employing creativity, while being a bit of an outlaw while, ironically, remaining unknown to the people that watch. They know the name tho. They all know the name.

Conversely, graffiti has also been a practice that has served as a major point of disappointment for some. When they get to these celebrated heights, they are now feeling a pressure to live up to the hype. You're a star now, so u gotta look like one. And that translates to the pressure of having things and looking fresh without fail. In Philly, it's almost expected that the top Graff writers are also get money boys. And in a lot of cases it's true. And those that can't rise to the occasion are left retreating into the anonymous world of drug abuse. It happens to the drug dealers too. Drug abuse is the perfect escape from the pressures of life, because, after all, it's not your fault you fell off. You were addicted to drugs. It's happened to a lot of the top players in the game. You come across them and sometimes they are embarrassed to tell u who they are because they see who you are and feel like that they should be better off in the game. Or sometimes it's the obvious disappointment in your eyes, when meeting your childhood hero, the guy you patterned this pursuit after, is a guy who wears the same drawls for a week, shoots heroin and maybe does somethin strange for some change. The disappointment they see in your eyes when you meet helps to push them further into retreat.

Regardless of what goes on in the swamps, the reception halls tell a different story of people finding fame and fortune in the world of high art, earning magnificent fortunes from an art form they found in the gutter. For those that used it to improve their condition, I salute you. I salute all poor people who have used this culture to change their lot in life. What better use for culture can there be? The beautiful thing is that graffiti STILL has the same utility deep down in the slums, in the underbelly of the city's subways systems and train yards, as it does in MOCA or the various art galleries across the world that embrace it. It still holds the same basic premise; you must be excellent to excel at it. You must be persistent to be recognized. It is the only pillar of hip hop that still requires individual excellence in order to be celebrated.

Happy Birthday graffiti. Thank you for all you've given to me and to my homeboys both dead and alive, those fallen soldiers in the war against their current circumstance, those who set out to make the world recognize them. Thank you for providing a vehicle for the road to success. You are truly a crime of passion.

New graff Documentary: TAGGIN ASS CITY

We here at bboycult are proud to to announce the completion of our first full length documentary, ''Taggin Ass City, The History of Philadelphia Graffiti Tag Styles". The history of the tag styles in Philly are really a history of graffiti itself in its first iteration, before it was exported to New York and enjoyed it's next phase of development.

The film was written by your boy, me, Culture, mainly in an attempt to set the historical record strait. It seems that there is or has been some reticence to accept or give Philadelphia the recognition it deserves in the development of the culture of hip hop. Ironically it's usually from the people outside the culture. The last time I was in New York, the homie Tramp Daly took me to a panel discussion where I was the only Philly writer up there. Grandmaster Caz was also on the panel, one of my favorite MCs of all time. The NY dudes showed mad love and gave CORNBREAD his just due with no hesitation. It took me by surprise, because growing up with a dad that used to live in Brooklyn and the Bronx, sayin stuff like 'graffiti started in Philly' could get ur ass whooped. Or laughed at and clowned. So fellas from the panel, excuse me on that day if I seemed a bit on the defensive. You guys showed me nothing but love. I appreciate it.

On the other hand, when I attended a screening of Style Wars at Drexel University, I got up during the Q&A and asked Henry Chalfant if a retraction was in order. He asked, "Why?'' I said, ''In the film u state graffiti started with a kid named TAKI in 1971 when I'm fact it started with a kid named CORNBREAD from North Philly in 1967.'' The crowd erupted. "YEAH!!!" So Chalfant says ''No''. He says if that's the story, then I need to tell it myself. So I ask him, "Well, what about the historical record? Isn't the reason for documenting the culture is so that we can commit it to history responsibly?" Same answer. I was stunned. The wild thing is that NY graff legend BLADE was there with him. He was sitting next to Chalfant. All while I was speaking, he was nodding 'YES ' the entire time. And anybody who has ever heard BLADE talk about graffiti, you know he's a real historian. He's a real writer. And he goes waaay back in the history of graff. And he didn't hesitate a one bit giving credit where it was due. Like a real writer would. I respect him forever for that.

So I took Chalfant's suggestion. I made a film discussing just that, because it was obvious he had no intent on correcting the film. It's a steady stream of income for him, and has been since 1982. Regardless, the story of graffiti's origin isn't nearly as interesting as the story around how it all developed afterward. What it develops into is also very interesting because here you have a completely different graffiti writing tradition that is fiercely guarded and protected, that is unlike any other form of writing in the world. In Philadelphia, we even write like the gang war boys of the 50s and 60s, a style of writing that existed before CORNBREAD started venturing into the city. Our community of writers are devoted to the preservation of these traditions and history. We are the only place on the planet that still expresses graffiti styles from the 50s to now. The story is worth committing to the historical record. So I did.

The film discusses all of these things, plus more, set to a soundtrack designed to take you back to those times. I'd love for you to check it out and give me your honest feedback. Cause I'm certain if you're reading this, You care about this culture. No pun intended....

Enjoy this excerpt. To purchase the film, just go to the 'store' tab on this website, or go here.

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