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History lesson: Color names in tags

Far before MTN, Ironlak, Belton, etc. and all these other brands that make spray paint specifically for graffiti art existed, these were the tools of the trade. Back when you didn't order shit online. Back before graff became damn near legal like it feels now. Back when it was still a secret amongst the underground. Back when you made your own tips, or boosted them from other products, and altered them to fit. Back when graffiti was an apprenticeship-based craft. When you had to be let into this culture by another established practitioner of the craft. And if you were a toy and you weren't part of the true street culture and had some real street cred, you'd catch a beat down instantly, and get ridiculed out of the game and labeled a toy if you were soft. Back when the internet didn't exist, and you learned about other dope writers and crews and different letter styles outside of your area by traveling, or by hearing a report back from your homies who traveled and brought the news back to your hood. Graff magazines were a luxury and one of the most valued possessions of a writer, shared amongst each other. Back when real writers from different cities sent packages of hard copy flicks to each other through the mail, and shared the flicks with their homies in their area. This is how we evolved the culture before the internet existed. Much love to the heads that laid the foundations before me, and to all the homies that I came up with. To the new generation: You got some big shoes to fill. Do your homework and learn your history of OG's from all over. A lot of people made a lot of sacrifices before you in order to evolve this culture to get it to the point it's at now. Learn your history, pay your dues, then keep the torch going and hand it down to the next generation. Keep it true.

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Uploaded on July 13, 2013
Taken on July 13, 2013