The 25 Best Songs About Graffiti

Graffiti has always had a strange relationship with hip-hop. The accepted theory is that graffiti art was created spontaneously with hip-hop’s other elements, sometime in the early 1970s. The truth is that graffiti or public name writing as I refer to it, is more like the adopted sibling of hip-hop, brought into the family, and has a history that stretches back more than a hundred years prior to the rise of hip-hop music.

Most graffiti writers in the early-1970s were more likely to be jamming out to Led Zeppelin in the yards than be at Sedgwick and Cedar, but as hip-hop grew to prominence during the late-1970s, it drew graffiti writers closer to the music and dance that was coming to define New York street culture. By the early-1980s, it was inspiring hybrid artists that merged graffiti writing and rapping and gave a voice to the long anonymous graffiti writer.

While it is widely known that many prominent hip-hoppers got their hands dirty putting in work on the streets and trains. Most did not reference their connection to writing in much detail besides the occasional “I used to tag my name up” line you got in various songs. However some emcees took the opposite route and put it on the line representing how they felt about graffiti writing in song, these songs laid the foundation for the sub-genre of Graff/Rap.

Graff/Rap is different from other sub-genres of hip-hop because of its longevity in the culture. Unlike other sub-genres like Crunk or Horrorcore, its relevance is not confined to a local or a trend. The records that make up this genre span the history of hip-hop’s recorded music and come from artists around the world.

With that in mind, not all of the songs on this list are Graff/Rap. However, most are.

Check out the 25 Best Songs About Graffiti.

RELATED: The 25 Best Songs About Death

Grafforiginees

Mark B Presents TASK FORCE - New Mic Order | K’Boro Records (1999)

Task Force dropped this Graff/Rap gem on their 1999 debut album over a Mark B track with scratches by Mr. Thing of the Scratch Perverts. Brothers Chester P and Farma G take listeners on a ride through Highbury, London’s graffiti underground.

Click Clack Spay

whutduzFMstand4 (2006)

This Deacon the Villain produced track has Pack taking the listener on a step-by-step breakdown on a typical bombing mission. Featured in Marc Ecko's Getting Up video game, and has an exclusive introduction by NYC graffiti legend Chino BYI.

Graff Life

Unspoken (2006)

Literates members Vyz, A.N.T.I., and J-Rez rep So Cal lovely in this melodic tale of West Coast graffiti exploits, complete with a Robert Duvall and Sean Penn sample from the movie, Colors.

Walk With Lee

Songs In A Sallow Mans Key (2012)

SMK provides the cuts for the hook on this Speaks produced rider that has Lee running through the streets and train lines of Chocolate City, “taggin’ up your building side”. Lee breaks down how he sees it for the writers in his city, and how he first got down with Sek of H.O.A. crew.

<a href="http://thelab2.bandcamp.com/track/walk-with-lee" target="_blank">Walk With Lee by Lee</a>

Spray Can Stories

Wax Cabinet | Davis VS Goliath Records (1996)

The Troopers came on the scene in the late 1990s with this Graff/Rap classic that paints the picture of crew loyalty and a mission gone awry.

Got The Fever

Self Induced Illness (2010)

Lo Lifer, Meyhem Lauren rips through this Icerocks produced track. Reflecting his days gone past of bombing the Big Apple. The video features live bombing footage from some of NYC’s most notorious contemporary writers.

Graff Art Crime

Drops Of Ink | Obese Records (2011)

Melbourne, Australia native Diktion reminisces on his switch from graffiti to emceeing over this DJ Rellik produced track.

Aerosoul

The Return of the DJ Vol. II \ BOMB Hip-Hop Records (2003)

Tommy Tee mixes a spectacular collage of vocal samples from STYLE WARS and WILD STYLE over bass heavy boom bap beats with a stunning display of turntablism.

Beautiful Crime

Hard 2 Burn #2 Soundtrack (2003)

From the Hard To Burn 2 sound track. This DJ Melrok epic has Bukue pulling a four-color joint in thirty minutes, and shouting out MTN paints as his tool of choice. He also takes some time to speak on the ethical issue of writing on churches, small businesses and private homes. Let that man speak.

Graffiti

Far to the left of Graff/Rap sub-genre there is the sub-genre of Graff /Teen Pop which is dominated by The Blackout Band. No, this is not Jo Jo Simmons, its just a little something I like to listen to whenever the Graff life bullshit gets to much, it reminds me that “its just paint, tough guy”. You are very welcome.

Graffiti

Graffiti

(2010)

Bogotá, Columbia natives Ruzto, Takuma, and Saks deliver a powerhouse track representing South American graffiti writers and letting the world know how it goes down in Columbia.

Painting

When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold | Rhyme Sayers (2008)

On this introspective Pink Floyd inspired Ant track, Slug deals with the inner turmoil of an alcoholic writer, an issue that is ever present in the culture.

Writers

It's About That Time (2010)

This Tommy Illfinger produced reggae driven banger set it off for the writers in Brisbane with veteran Aussi Graff/Rappers Yuin and Rainman repping for the down under bombers.

Ambush The Night

Davis VS Goliath Records (1999)

The Troop goes in on Graff’s critics while questioning the issue of illegality and public perception of the culture.

Tales From the Rails

1992

Brooklyn is in the house on this 1992 classic. Brothers, MC Kaves and ADM along with Scotty Edge drop Graff knowledge over this funky track that contains a dope sample from the super rare movie, King Of The Line. "A white boy, a white boy writer... You must be a toy... Where you from? Flatbush? Yonkers?" "I ain't no toy, I'm the king of the line is what I yam..."

Classic.

On The Go

Freestyle (1992)

Long before they rocked Late Night, the Roots crew held it down on the Philly streets with the triple OG Espo while he was dropping a burner. Check out this live freestyle / paint session for, On The Go / Repeat Offender Hip Hop Graffiti Video Magazine.

Beat Street

Sugar Hill Records (1984)

Grandmaster Melle Mel penned and recorded this ode to the fictitious fallen graffiti writer Ramo for the finale of Beat Street. Although not a serious graffiti writer himself, he poetically illustrated the real life conditions that inspired a generation of writers to take their craft to the next level. Rrrraaaahhhh.

These Walls Don't Lie

Davis VS Goliath Records (2006)

Swedish based Loop Trooper, Promoe, hit solo with this feel good song plus a dope video, with Fresh Prince-esque graffiti animation and a flash mob of dancing spray cans that gets you in the mood to burn.

Lune TNS

Sound Bombing Vol. 1 | Rawkus (1997)

Big Juss and the Co-Flow boys dropped this 3rd rail ode to NYC masters, kicking the whole joint off with a shout out to Graff/Rap style master Phase 2.

Spray Paint The Walls

Damaged (1981)

When Washington, DC based rocker Henry Rollins pulled up stakes to join a singer less Black Flag nobody knew what to expect. Here is 33 seconds of awesome courtesy of Mr. Rollins and the Black Flag gang from their debut studio album Damaged.

The Escapades Of Futura 2000

Charly Record LTD. (1983)

Back when Hip-Hop was emerging in lower-Manhattan’s art district, it shared a short-lived stage with Punk Rock. This collaboration between graffiti’s forward thinker Futura 2000 and Mick Jones of the Clash has Futura telling how it is for writers in NYC during the early-1980s, while Mick provides some live riffs. An early rap/rock fusion that influenced the sampling of rock records in hip-hop.

Beat Bop

Tartown Records (1983)

Although the lyrics don’t state it, this record is all about graffiti beef. The record was a culminating product of a disagreement between Graff/Rap grand wizard of weird, Rammelzee, and pop art darling Jean Michel Basquiat. It began when the reputed graffiti artist Rammelzee, accused Basqiat of being a fraud. After the two had words (Basquiat claimed he could burn Rammelzee on a wall or a song). They decided to squash it by collaborating on the creation of Beat Bop. Rammelzee provided the words over a K-Rob produced track while the artist formally know as Samo was regulated to doing the cover art when K-Rob and Rammelzee rejected his lyrics for the song. Initially issued as a 500 copy test press, the original vinyl 12” is considered to be the Holy Grail for DJs and crate diggers.

Out For The Fame

KRSONE | JIVE (1995)

KRS produced the beat and the rhymes for this 1995 classic. The hyped intro has Kris asking Fat Joe for a fat cap in the train yard. When the beat drops KRS brings to light the desire and plight of graffiti culture as he expands on its origin and importance.

Wrong Side of the Tracks

Between a Rock and a Hard Place | Big Beat (1994)

NJ-natives El The Sensei, Tame One along with DJ Kaos kill this T-Ray produced track that introduced them to the world in 1994. This video gave outsiders a grimy look at the graffiti world and had motion animation of graffiti burners by fellow FC crewmembers West and Brue. Both Tame and El get major props for multiple hip-hop quotables in this genre-defining Graff/Rap joint.

Shoot The Pump

Zoo York Records (1981)

Early-1970s graffiti don, ALI (founding member of the Soul Artists and UND crews) was the mind behind this early Graff/Rap classic, in which J Walter (Ali) gave step-by-step instructions on how to open a fire hydrant and shoot the pump by using a hollowed spray can to direct the water. In the second verse of the song J Walter breaks down what it is all about on the Graff tip, before the cops show up and mistake his shouting “shoot the pump” for a crime in progress. They pull their guns on J Walter and shoot. But thankfully J Walter was rocking the vest and lives on to spray another day.

T.R.O.Y. - Marc André Edmonds B.K.A. ALI