Musings on hip hop, style, and keeping it light
Graffiti ≠ Art — It’s Funk
Graffiti and art aren’t the same thing. They live in completely different worlds.
Graffiti isn’t trying to be beautiful—it’s trying to be dope. It’s funk. It’s vandalism mixed with fashion. It’s raw expression.
Even full-colour burners aren’t aiming for “beauty.” They’re not meant to please the eye in that traditional sense. They’re meant to hit. To say something through style, flavour, presence. Graffiti, at its core, is about being fresh. That’s the standard.
It’s not a nice picture to look at—it’s an attitude. A feeling. Something that makes your jaw drop because of how it was done, not just how it looks.
Some writers miss this. They try to be creative and pretty. Their stuff starts leaning into art—not funk. Then there’s conceptual graffiti art with lighting techniques and pieces that mimic objects, like Ceser. It’s not about the letterform anymore. It’s about realism and the concept—making the letters look like a bus or a bag of lollies. It’s clever, sure. But to me, it’s lame.
But then there’s Ces. He does concept stuff too—but on paper. His graff stays pure. Letters, funk, flavour. Always style. That’s the difference.
There’s nothing wrong with having range. But if you’re doing graffiti—respect the form.
Hip hop in general is distinct from traditional art. Breakdancing isn’t about beauty. Scratching and MCing aren’t about pleasing the ear. It’s about expression. Funk is a feeling like no other. When you catch it, it’s not relaxing. It’s something that makes you feel elite for being there.
Watching Style Wars gets you in the world of it. It’s aggressive. That’s why there’s crime around it. It feeds the rebellious spirit and a lawlessness. A god complex. A feeling of anything is possible—and a fearlessness.
There’s a confidence that comes with graffiti and hip hop. Some might call it arrogance. It’s competitive—rap battles, breaking comps, capping other writers. There’s nothing innocent about hip hop.
And that’s why the early days were the best. Because they were innocent. They didn’t have the heavy significance we see today that starts beefs and drama. They were united. They were young, and it was edgy—but not “I’ll stab you” edgy. It was “I’ll beat you on the dance floor” edgy. And so it was sweet.
Graffiti started with Cornbread writing his name for a girl. That’s real. That’s sweet. Not spray painting for approval from other guys, which honestly starts to feel a bit gay.
Same with the first rap tracks—Rapper’s Delight was about food, fun, parties. Even LL Cool J could spit a love song one day and battle bars the next. There was range, and there was playfulness.
We’ve drifted into a seriousness that is stupid. People are literally crying over their little tags being dissed. What happened to having actual wars? Style Wars was just a title for a film. Not a literal call to arms for writers.. Most writers (and most of society in general) have adopted the stance of “you’re an enemy until proven otherwise”. What if we flipped that?
The way back—or rather, the way forward—is to be chill and just have fun when doing graffiti. If you’re not having fun, you’re literally like a toddler who can’t share his toys. Graffiti is like a sport and too many players are insecure, super sensitive and seething with anger about stuff. It’s time to make graffiti fun again. Be a good sport in general. It’s more fun!
Hip hop and graffiti aren’t serious things. They’re leisure.
Keep it light, yo.
Further Reflections on Keeping It Light
Many folks are unable to keep it light because they view life through a sad lens. They experienced trauma or they have a chip on their shoulder from living in the material world. Life in material consciousness sucks and it can harden us. The result is many turn to addictive behaviours to escape. What we’re really running from is uncomfortable emotions - mainly fear and resentment. I learned this in a 12 step program. These two things have destroyed graffiti as a culture. They have destroyed life itself for countless people.
So how do folks heal?
Three things helped me the most: Krishna consciousness, physical exercise and Landmarks programmes.
How to be light when I’ve always been heavy?
Graffiti and hip hop are all about raw expression, not perfection. But how do we keep it light, without getting bogged down by competition or expectations? Śāstra gives us the answer.
In Bhagavad-gītā 2.47, Krishna says:
“Your right is to perform your duty only, but never to its fruit.”
For graffiti, this means creating for the love, not for fame or validation. When we paint or write just for the sake of expression, without stressing about the outcome, it stays light. The heaviness comes when we focus too much on recognition. Krishna’s teaching is clear—do your work, but let go of attachment to the result.
In Gītā 6.5, Krishna says:
“A man must elevate himself with the help of his mind, and not degrade himself.”
If we let go of judgment and let the mind flow freely, graffiti becomes pure self-expression, not a performance. It’s fun, not a burden. It’s not about what others think—it’s about being true to the moment and your own creative flow.
And then there’s Gītā 4.22:
“One who is unaffected by pain and pleasure, and who does not covet the fruits of his labor, is not bound by karma.”
This is the heart of keeping it light. We do graffiti for the love of it, not for applause. Just like Krishna says, don’t be attached to the fruits—do it because it feels good, not because you want something out of it.
So, how do we keep graffiti and hip hop light?
1. Create for Expression, Not Recognition: Focus on the process, not the outcome.
2. Let Go of Perfection: Just flow with it—spontaneity is key.
3. Detach from Results: Do it for the love, not the likes.
4. Embrace Play: Keep it fun, light, and playful—just like in the early days of hip hop.
By following these simple principles, we keep it real and light. Graffiti and hip hop were never meant to be heavy—they were meant to be fun and freeing. Keep it light, keep it raw, and keep it real.