Jay-Z had it right when he said loiterers should be arrested. It's all about keepin it movin. So what I got from his song "On to the Next One" was basically a message about evolution. Without it, we are dead. So it's time to switch it up a lil bit and drop some next ish because I don't wanna go to jail for loitering. If people checking your shit out and they think it's somebody elses shit or it's getting all confused with like seven other writer's shit, then you are stale or bitin or just not trying to really flip it hard enough.

That's why the originators had so many different styles. They took pride in breaking new ground, using different shapes and forms in their letters to make them look unique and special. Where is that spirit today? It seems like a lot of people today are getting away with loitering and even trespassing. I could understand being influenced by people you admire, but damn, hijacking their shit is not flattering, it's lazy and disingenuous.

What's the problem biters? Too afraid of being criticized on your own merit? Ego too fragile? Graffiti is not for the meek or fragile. You gotta be willing to share what you got and take a shot to the jaw if your shit ain't straight. That's how we grow, toughen up and evolve into something we can be proud of. It's called payin dues. Can you do that?

Modern graffiti is a tree, with roots that are represented by the diverse influences on our pioneers. Vaughn Bode, Ralph Bakshi, Heavy Metal illustrators, 60's poster art and classic comic books are among the many different roots that gave us the building blocks of style that became prominent in the 70's and 80's New York burners. The trunk is where all those roots meet up to form the body of graffiti pioneers that have been featured in movies, documentaries and early books about graffiti. Not all of them got their shine, but their dedication and contributions are indelible. The branches are crews and individuals whose style came later on as a result of many years of perfecting that which their predecessors had previously laid out. Those crews are prominent today and certain writers from those crews have influenced many. And that leaves us with the twigs and leaves. The twigs are all the writers who helped raise small schools of writers in their regions. Their influence is limited but important nonetheless. The leaves are the many millions of graffiti artists who are just starting out, and eagerly digesting the new media and technology that allows them to go from doing a poorly- drawn tag to a massive 3-d wildstyle in only a matter of months. To them, I say well-done, but have you done your homework, children? Here is your chance to learn the visual and literal history of graffiti, this wonderful gift to the art world, and grow from being just a leaf, to becoming a twig, to growing into a nice, strong branch, and eventually joining the trunk of style pioneers whose hard work and persistence form a strong, and rigid foundation that so many more leaves can grow from.

Look, graffiti is take and give. Yes, I said it backwards on purpose. Because as a beginner you should take all you can, but as you learn the essence of graff, you need to branch out and experiment a little and start to give to the next generation. Nobody who has made a remarkable influence on you were style loiterers. They all have that in common. So lay out your future considering the past. Your history will serve as a testament to your growth and evolution. And nobody can take that away from you.

Peace.

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