It's Called Art!!

So I'm walkin to the corner store the other morning before work right? And I see a piece of the building on the corner sectioned off by Police Tape. I didn't think much of it but as I got closer I saw a van that read 'Graffiti Free NYC' along the side of it in orange letters... Now seeing this alone offended me, but as I passed the van I saw a young man with some sort of pressurized Water Gun machine pointed at the front wall of the building. He was taking off the Graffiti that had been placed there with ease. It was as effortless as puttin the spray paint on the wall in the first place. Now call me what you want but this further offended me lol.

I was a bit offended because although I've never done graff I've always been into and have known a few people who do it. Given; in its origins back in the 80's Graff had rules and regulations to follow, and buildings along with Trees and the ground were places that got very little if any respect if you tagged (Graffitied) them. But the reason I took offense to this was not because he was simply erasing what seemed to have taken the artist a while to put up, but because of what him and the company he works for represents. 

They represent "The Man"! Lol they represent the erasing of an era and generation of young people in hopes to make it out to seem as if they never existed. I'm well aware that this sounds a bit over dramatic but you have to understand, regardless of how I appear, how I speak and or how I think; I am from the Hood, and although I've tried to separate myself from the negative aspects of it I still appreciate and love all the good things that come from it. I.E. The sense of community (kids growing up together), the sense of Pride ("Reppin your hood, and appreciating the things life has taught you through the concrete and bricks) and so on and so forth. So Graffiti to me is no different than Block Parties, Hip-Hop and Corner stores. Its where I was born and raised. I'm not sayin I want it to go back to the days when the train was covered in spray paint but Graffiti although many may not want to admit it, IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE ART!! No its not a Picasso, but art is not judged by how many stokes you can put on a blank canvas but rather how an artist (of any form) can give you a piece of his or hers imagination in concrete form wether it be words put along side a musical melody, or a drawing on what would have otherwise just been another blank piece of paper, a waste of a tree. With that said I give you some pics I took shortly after my witnessing of murder. Murder of art that is. 

^^ Not the same guy i saw but this is what it was ^^

SHAME!

(This pic was not taken by me)

^^ I feel neither one of these Men needs Introduction ^^

If You don't know either one then.....

^^ I've been seeing This mans work for as long as I have had vision ^^

Cope if you reading this MAJOR shout outs to you man. I'm a big fan!

^^ Another Popular name around my Way ^^

                   Shout Outs to Ryno

^^ Oh yeah! the Ladies get their Hands Dirty too ^^

                                   Miss 17

^^ My homie get it in too (I'm proud to say I actually know this Artist) ^^

          I see you Baby Girl (Picture her own)

^^ This was just cool to me ^^

^^ Gotta love pieces of Girls ^^

***ALL PICTURES WERE TAKEN BY ME UNLESS OTHERWISE MENTIONED***

Stay Up Folks and please continue to Stay tuned!