rest in paint

Louie 167 (also known as Big Lou) was a legendary New York City graffiti writer and foundational leader of the Bronx-based Hard Rocs (HR) crew. The Bronx Roots: Active from the golden eras of the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, Louie 167 cemented a powerful presence across the streets and walls of the Bronx Block Letters: He was widely known for a signature, ground-breaking block-letter hand style and throw-ups that decorated New York City infrastructure. As a key general and leader within the HR crew, he helped anchor the group's deep impact on New York's graffiti subculture, earning profound citywide respect. His distinct lettering and historical contributions were documented in classic underground zines and magazines, including Crazy Kings Magazine and Liquidteks.

Joey TDS was more than just a graffiti artist - he was a visionary, a rebel, and a creative force who brought vibrancy and beauty to the city's streets and subways. For decades, his iconic artwork and tags have inspired generations of artists, activists, and community members. As a community organizer of the legendary Graffiti Hall of Fame he was the vanguard for NYC artist to practice their craft in a safe space within the confines of Jackie Robinson Educational Complex providing a platform for thousands of artist the opportunity to showcase their talents over decades on the famed walls of 106th & Park Ave

A legendary Bronx style writer and bomber who started painting trains and walls in the early 1970s. Fuzz One is a name that carries cultural weight across generations of graffiti writers, particularly those who study the roots of New York style and train-based expression. His contributions laid a blueprint for the ethos and technique that shaped Street Pop Art & Graffiti Artwork into a respected and resilient genre. Writers today still cite his influence, whether in the flow of a tag, the layout of a piece, or the philosophy of getting up with purpose and history behind the stroke. His name remains active in conversations about graffiti’s origin because it represents an unfiltered version of the form—raw, loud, self-taught, and driven by the need to be seen. Fuzz One was not just a writer from the past; he was a storyteller of graffiti’s present, a was a living link between the aerosol art's beginnings in New York style and the global movement it helped ignite.

Flite TDS was a legendary New York City style writer and core member of the influential graffiti crew TDS (The Death Squad), renowned for his unique lettering, dynamic characters, and deep dedication to the culture. As part of TDS—a crew heavily associated with the iconic New York City subway lines (such as the Broadway No. 1 line)—Flite helped shape the golden era of NYC graffiti. He was celebrated not only for his style writing and vibrant burner pieces but also for his distinct character work. He was a prominent "King of the I.R.T. Number 1 Broadway Local" and took over heavily from the Fast Breaking Art (FBA) era into The Death Squad (TDS) crew. Fellow writers widely remembered him as a humble, smiling, and deeply dedicated figure in the paint community. High-profile tributes have honored his legacy at landmarks like the Graffiti Hall of Fame.

FX Crew creator and co-founder Per One, was born and raised in the Soundview area of the South Bronx. Per One, or better known around the neighborhood as Big Al, started his graffiti career in 1979, amongst other graffiti heavyweights and New York graff legends. Staying true to the game, Per went "all city" twice, with his infamous "RE" throwup that was short for "Respect Earned". Responsible for some of the most eye popping and innovative burners and productions the world has ever seen, setting the bar high, and leaving some of your favorite crews in the dust! FX crew is ranked as one of the top graffiti crews in the world.

Legendary New York City graffiti writer and Bboy style pioneer. He was deeply embedded in early NYC hip-hop and graffiti culture, writing with iconic crews including TC5 (The Cool 5), Stars Inc., CIA, and LOC.He is famously remembered for his early graphic work and vintage flyers, including designing posters for the legendary downtown nightclub The Roxy.

A pioneering NYC graffiti legend widely celebrated as a master and innovator of Wildstyle lettering. Tracy 168 founded the Wild Style crew and came to be known as one of the most influential graffiti and street artists of his era as variations of wildstyle writing spread around the world. He is acknowledged to have been a seminal figure in the development of street art. Books about 1970s graffiti feature his car-long paintings with their characteristic kinetic script embellished with flames, arrows as well as cartoon characters and the "Tracy face," a grinning shaggy-haired visage in wrap-around shades.

Founder of the now-famous YKK Crew, KEZ 5 was a prolific All City NYC Bomber ran with the infamous XTC crew. A true bomber who owned the streets, his name got up everywhere throughout the 5 boroughs and often with other well known crew mates like JA, Ket and Veefer. Kez had been writing since the mid 1980’s when the Subway Train Era was alive, and once that movement came to an end with painted cars no longer leaving the station, then resorted to strictly street bombing for decades after. He was influential on the careers of graff artists like SKUF, JA, NAISHA, DESA, and many others.

A pioneering New York City graffiti artist who helped shape the early transit art movement in the 1970s. Raised in the Bronx, he became an influential figure on the IRT subway lines, founder of the infamous Out To Bomb (OTB) crew. Nic was known for his distinct lettering style and later for creating platforms that brought street art into the public eye.

Straightman aka Lava 1 & 2 Black Spades Harlem 33rd Division Supreme Commander & Graffiti Pioneer Manhattan, N.Y. 1970’s Our Sincere Condolences To The Black Spades, His Family, & Friends

Started in 1970 in Harlem on 153rd street and 8th Avenue. He was one of the original 3 Yard Boys and one of the founding members of Master Works Productions. He has coloborated and painted with almost every top aerosol artist in New York City. From the seventies to the nineties he has been involved in the graff movement and has done 40 shows in the U.S. and Europe. He has been documented in the first graff book ever, The Faith of Graffiti by Norman Mailer, back in 1974 and Getting Up 1984 by Craig Castleman. His clothing has been featured in Fresh the book of Hip Hop by Susan Finkler. STAN's work has been displayed at The Tunnel, Baktuns and other venues through out New York City.

A Bronx-raised aerosol art innovator Phase 2 first used an early version of the "bubble letter" or "softie", a style of writing which would become extremely influential and is considered a "giant leap" in the art form style and he is also credited with having pioneered the use of arrows in graffiti writing around this same time. His designs of early hip-hop flyers established a connection of graffiti as a pillar to emerging culture of Hip Hop.

Zexor was a legendary second-generation graffiti writer from Bushwick, Brooklyn, he was the son of Asp, a legendary New York and Buffalo graffiti writer who founded the WTO (We Takin' Over) crew. known for his fast speed-tagging and iconic throwies. The Bushwick "War of the Walls": Zexor gained widespread notoriety for targeting and painting over commercial street art and murals in Bushwick, which he viewed as symbols of gentrification displacing longtime neighborhood residents.

Highly respected for his style, he started his career in 1985 and painted with some of the best writers (and crews) in the game MTA, XTC, RIS, AOK, BS, MSK, SMART & YKK crews. He also painted subway cars during the clean train movement, a time period in the 1990s when many writers continued to hit trains regardless of the MTA’s strict buff policy.

A highly celebrated writer known for massive block-letter rollers and tags seen across New York City and nationwide. a legendary, highly prolific American graffiti artist known for his bold, large-scale lettering and relentless "all-city" presence across NYC & the United States

One of the influential pioneers of the 1970s subway-era graffiti movement, remembered for his iconic tag and Voice of the Ghetto moniker.

He painted his first handball court in 1973 and by 1976 had painted over fifty major pieces on subway trains in New York City. In the 1980s he popularized his "computer rock" style, a form of wildstyle where letters are broken into boxes and scrambled. He was one of the most famous members of TFP Crew (The Fantastic Partners) along with Butch2. He also wrote with TDS (The Death Squad).

An iconic visual artist and writer known for his "Gothic Futurism" philosophy and influence on early hip-hop. complex artistic philosophy viewing the alphabet and language as a battlefield. He traced ornate medieval monk lettering to modern graffiti "wildstyle," arguing that letters needed armor and mathematical defense against state and linguistic control. He emerged from the 1970s and 1980s New York graffiti scene, famously appearing in the classic hip-hop film Wild Style (1982). His 1983 experimental track "Beat Bop," produced by and featuring cover art from Jean-Michel Basquiat, remains a legendary and highly collectible milestone bridging early hip-hop and avant-garde sound. Sculpture and Alter Egos: He moved past subway graffiti to build elaborate, heavy wearable armor and sculptures of characters like the "Garbage Gods"

one of the true style masters of the original New York graffiti scene, often considered as one of the most influential graffiti writers in his era Dondi developed his unique and bold way of writing in the 1970’s, which saw him using the tags NACO and DONDI. 1977 saw him join the TOP crew (The Odd Partners) before starting his own crew in 1978, CIA (Crazy Inside Artists)

One half of the legendary Sane Smith writing duo, known for high-risk large-scale graffiti in New York City.

An artist whose early New York subway work became inseparable from the visual culture surrounding downtown art and graffiti.

Rose to prominence after the SAMO graffiti project before becoming one of the most influential painters of his generation.

A New York artist whose death in 1983 became a major case in discussions of police brutality and institutional racism.