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THE OLD SCHOOL ISSUE

In my opinion, far too many people put in respectful stock in "Old School" people that want to be respected ONLY because they are old school.

Now I DO respect ACTIVE old schoolers that are still piecing today, or those that aid and help other graffiti artists get walls and painting opportunities.

These people deserve your respect, no matter when they started graffiti.

However, I also respect old school that actually did something and made a mark on their city's history, during the time of their past graffiti careers.

However, I have little respect for those that were "just there": In other words, it's like respecting an old man, because he witnessed war in his country VS an old man that was actually FIGTING in it!

Here in Chicago, way too many people "exaggerate" their old school status.

But I'm NOT going to do that.

I was 12 years old when I started graffiti, along with breakdancing.

That was in 1982.

Although a year earlier, I was drawing bubble letters and "Lightning" letters on my schoolbooks and lockers; these were NOT from "Hip Hop" graffiti, but rather from awesome Rock N Roll album covers like YES, PINK FLOYD, and REO SPEEDWAGON.

So no, I was NOT doing graffiti in 1981.

Graffiti's early wave in Chicago, comes mostly from the Northside's family connection to Puerto Ricans - meaning New York had a massive Puerto Rican urban population at that time, and it was visiting people from Chicago that brought back graffiti AND Hip Hop from New York, when most of Chicago had never heard of it.

Places like Pilsen, Back of the Yards, and Little Village came AFTER - this is due to Mexicans being rare in New York at the time, meaning they did not benefit from relatives who clearly brought Hip Hop to Chicago in its early inception.

Albeit, whether some guys exaggerate it, or not: I still believe by large part, old schoolers truly help the new generation, not only for building the foundation for graffiti, but by contributing to the culture in many ways, some ways being far more effective than when they were active writers themselves.

This is a reflection of what happens when graffiti writers grow into adults, then use their means as an adult to help others in the culture via their garnered experience.

So, the next time you see an old schooler that says he got in the Graff-culture a tad bit earlier than you think - WHO CARES, as long as you respect him for what he did when was doing it, and for what activism he is doing now.

THAT'S WHAT REALLY COUNTS.

And still, there really are some writers out there that in FACT did start just as early as they said they did.

I know for a fact that when I was 12 years old, I seen Fess, or Frazzari, as he was known, with a "Colito's' jacket.

The Colitos were a club dancing group, as is, club dancers pre-dated Breakdancers, so Fess, as a Colito, was doing graffiti even BEFORE Breakdancing came to Chicago.

At that time, it was early 1982, but he could have easily been doing graffiti for a year BEFORE at least.

Case in point, it doesn't matter EXACTLY when he started, but what he did in those early years, and how he supports it NOW.

Fess as Frazzari, had a multitude on illegal viaducts done, as well as rooftops, with his iconic "spaghetti" letters and fleshed out Vaughn Bode characters.

He was easily one of the most influential graffiti writers coming from Chicago's Golden Years.

And that's just it - he made his mark in our history and for him and MANY other oldschool, I think that they PROVED that they deserve respect.

-- Warlock Dark Riddle

Description

THE OLD SCHOOL ISSUE

In my opinion, far too many people put in respectful stock in "Old School" people that want to be respected ONLY because they are old school.

Now I DO respect ACTIVE old schoolers that are still piecing today, or those that aid and help other graffiti artists get walls and painting opportunities.

These people deserve your respect, no matter when they started graffiti.

However, I also respect old school that actually did something and made a mark on their city's history, during the time of their past graffiti careers.

However, I have little respect for those that were "just there": In other words, it's like respecting an old man, because he witnessed war in his country VS an old man that was actually FIGTING in it!

Here in Chicago, way too many people "exaggerate" their old school status.

But I'm NOT going to do that.

I was 12 years old when I started graffiti, along with breakdancing.

That was in 1982.

Although a year earlier, I was drawing bubble letters and "Lightning" letters on my schoolbooks and lockers; these were NOT from "Hip Hop" graffiti, but rather from awesome Rock N Roll album covers like YES, PINK FLOYD, and REO SPEEDWAGON.

So no, I was NOT doing graffiti in 1981.

Graffiti's early wave in Chicago, comes mostly from the Northside's family connection to Puerto Ricans - meaning New York had a massive Puerto Rican urban population at that time, and it was visiting people from Chicago that brought back graffiti AND Hip Hop from New York, when most of Chicago had never heard of it.

Places like Pilsen, Back of the Yards, and Little Village came AFTER - this is due to Mexicans being rare in New York at the time, meaning they did not benefit from relatives who clearly brought Hip Hop to Chicago in its early inception.

Albeit, whether some guys exaggerate it, or not: I still believe by large part, old schoolers truly help the new generation, not only for building the foundation for graffiti, but by contributing to the culture in many ways, some ways being far more effective than when they were active writers themselves.

This is a reflection of what happens when graffiti writers grow into adults, then use their means as an adult to help others in the culture via their garnered experience.

So, the next time you see an old schooler that says he got in the Graff-culture a tad bit earlier than you think - WHO CARES, as long as you respect him for what he did when was doing it, and for what activism he is doing now.

THAT'S WHAT REALLY COUNTS.

And still, there really are some writers out there that in FACT did start just as early as they said they did.

I know for a fact that when I was 12 years old, I seen Fess, or Frazzari, as he was known, with a "Colito's' jacket.

The Colitos were a club dancing group, as is, club dancers pre-dated Breakdancers, so Fess, as a Colito, was doing graffiti even BEFORE Breakdancing came to Chicago.

At that time, it was early 1982, but he could have easily been doing graffiti for a year BEFORE at least.

Case in point, it doesn't matter EXACTLY when he started, but what he did in those early years, and how he supports it NOW.

Fess as Frazzari, had a multitude on illegal viaducts done, as well as rooftops, with his iconic "spaghetti" letters and fleshed out Vaughn Bode characters.

He was easily one of the most influential graffiti writers coming from Chicago's Golden Years.

And that's just it - he made his mark in our history and for him and MANY other oldschool, I think that they PROVED that they deserve respect.

-- Warlock Dark Riddle