“THE ORIGINAL 106 and Park” GRAFFITI HALL OF FAME Spanish Harlem
NYC 2003
2003 marked the 24th year of the annual Graffiti Hall Of Fame. Twenty four years ago, Sting Ray invited some of New York city’s prominent subway graffiti writers down to paint at the school yard of junior public school 116. Located at 106 and park in Spanish Harlem, he wanted to showcase the talents of the youth and give back with art to the community. DEZ, CHAIN3, DUE2, VULCAN, DUESE, PART TDS, DAZE, SKEME, NOC, KASE 2, BUTCH and KIPPY were called out thus beginning a tradition that would cause the rest of the world to follow suit and start their own hall of fame in their home towns. Every year the event is always a mystery and kept hush hush about who will paint but as soon as the snow melts in NYC the build up begins about when it will happen and what will happen. This year for the second year in a row it was held at the end of June. Three years ago there was incident that would make the event become more secretive but Joey Santiago aka Joey TDS is trying to change that along with the myths of graffiti that are over shadowed by the fact that hip hop has been labeled violent and ignorant. During those three days one thing that stood out for me was all the myths and misconceptions, insecurities and old beefs would be squashed and harmony would propel 2003 into a whole new realm of graffiti survival.
The message this year was a positive one cause “this is a school yard 364 days of the year, this is where kids hang out, kids at recess and through their classrooms have to look at it” Joey Santiago replies about why certain themes were chosen and reworked all weekend. This is Joey’s official second year putting it all together although he has been involved since the beginning days. The overall themes seemed to be retro with funky characters, symbols and colorful designs, subway trains and with old school heavy hitters like Chain 3, DEZ , Revolt and Hurst, KEL and Mare 139, Demer, Stan 153, Juice 100, psycho, Phade, Quik, PUB 131, Crime 79, kaves.
The Old schoolers came out of the wood work to display that they still got it going on as chain three puts it “ still the man” and and many many others like Ink 176, Fargo, the original EL Kay Stay high 149 showed up to appreciate the dues they paid to even have the graffiti hall of fame and the designer paint that was present in large amounts this year. Thanks to Montana colors from San Francisco for supporting all the writers with enough paint to cause no color wars as well Altoids for sponsoring Belton Molotov for the female wall that TOO FLY, FEVER, MUCK, QA and ACET all painted giving the hall of fame a strong dose of female burning.
This year was a new chapter for female writers and NYC graffiti history. In the past females have painted at the event with other members from their crews but this would be the first year that an all female wall would be primed and painted, granting a secure wall females in the future can expect to collaborate on. Lady Pink and MUCK put the line up of talented ladies together but pink declined to paint this year wanting to support to new generation of females.
The DJ’s played good soulful hip hop entertaining the audience of graff heads, their friends, TV hosts and their camera crews, magazine editors, magazine wanna be’s and tourists Camera’s were snapping all the action up and there was a lot of action to catch. The media highlight was NYC public access show CHillin Chillin. The guy was there all weekend following everybody who knows what he caught on tape.
Cope, Muse, flite, tkid, Dez,, , were on the main wall with a theme of body soul mind with a tye dye background, COD crew wall was hot all the pieces were fresh and funky. TCfive crew wall had great pieces with characters painted by Virus cod crew and the talented CYCLE, whose characters with DOC’s tcf piece were definitely another highlight, his background of bodega’s with miniature throw up’s were amusing and captured the essence of NYC streets also a funny take on the whole doctor and nurse senerio, Playing with other TCfive members names. Look where the doctor is about to poke his needle and the nurse is exactly how every nurse should be sassy and sexy. Tats crew had their usual wall that faces Park Ave and 106. This year they played with the Theme of the original graffiti hall of fame, subway yards piled up with old trains, industrial looking pieces, with Nicer using sign language as a fill. The Tats definitely proved that they can be innovative and sentimental. Everybody seemed to be stressing the fact that the trains are clean and how it is easy to forget that graffiti started on the trains and was even running on train lines 24 years ago.
When I called JOEY TDS up to see how the hype about the event had cleared three weeks later. He was surprised and extremely happy about the all the hype the event received this year especially as he puts it “the hype the female wall has received” and the over all respect all the writers at the event and in NYC that are givin it up to the females for representing hardcore. I asked him about what made this year different. His reply was simple “ There has been a lot of attention, a lot of positive comments about the artwork this year”. People are always coming here to check out what is painted fresh each year. It is known and respected because it was the first, the original graffiti Hall of Fame in the world. A lot of photos are taken down here all year but this year people are really happy about the whole outcome of the event so there has been a lot of activity, lots of videos, movies and positive feedback from the community and each year it is going to keep on getting better and better”. Next year is the 25th anniversary of this legendary weekend and who knows who will show up.
