The reason I am so intent on linking hip-hop to graffiti is because of the influence this cultural shift had on my life. As a young teenager, I was overwhelmed by the vitality and intensity of hip-hop. I could sense that it was a social upheaval connected to art...kind of like jazz music in it's hey-day. I knew that it was not a flash in the pan (as many claimed it was) and that it would change the world. And it did.
The fact that many of The Elements have become legitimized gives you some perspective on the strength of the culture itself. Although graffiti was an entity unto itself before being co-opted by hip-hop, it did receive notoriety like never before once it became an Element. You can hear the music in other artists compositions, on every radio station and in the commercials.The fashion is making its way back into the lexicon. If you want a DJ to entertain at your event, you'd better expect him to show up with two turntables and a microphone. All of the tenets of the hip-hop have made it into the modern era and graffiti is a foundational part of that.
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