Image via Complex Original
Written and compiled by Thibault Choay repping Classic Paris and Topsafe London.
Far from distributing crowns around and instituting any kind of hierarchy, this list is focused on those who really stood out in the crowd in the three decade long graffiti craze we've been experiencing in Paris. And, since the scene today draws its culture from the heavy bombing inherited from the '90s, we privilege the biggest vandals who wrote this history.
In alphabetical order then, here are the 25 greatest Paris graffiti writers.
André
Let's start with a smile. Long before André became a sort of international knight and fashion trendy personality, he was and still is a writer. He was never a true king, but did enough to be forever remembered. He was also at the origin of what then became this street art craze by dropping tons of Mr. A, his moniker. Plus, he always had a skill with playing with his fame and built himself a rockstar aura by assuming and writing his real name. Unbeatable.
Azyle
When you ask any true vandal who he respects the most, Azyle's always on the Top 3. A mysterious, lonely vandal, he dedicated his life to the Paris subways and ran the system as if it was his studio. In two decades of practice, his masterpieces became these impressive accumulations of drippy tags where the train itself was intricately part of the work. He recently pushed it a bit too far and was caught in effect. Authorities didn't seem to appreciate his definition of art, who cares, we do.
Bando
One of the architects, he brought graffiti from New York. Great timeless style. The Pope of the writing in its purest form: tags plus silver and black fill ins.
Blek Le Rat
There was a time before NY style graffiti ,when another kind of punk spray can artists had it. Blek Le Rat was one of those and one we could call King before the definition of it. In the '80s his stenciled rats were simply all city and opened the way to the modern writers.
Boxer
He said himself, "I didn't wrote more than another one, I just always took the most noticeable spot, wherever I ended up". In addition to his military strategy, he also had a slick handstyle. Legend never dies. RIP.
Cli
Checking the pictures chosen to illustrate it, one might think this is an error. No, Cli simply deserves to be here. His style is sure super toyish and he's a brand new on the scene. BUT, in only a few years he just popped everywhere. Hitting highly visible spots that no one would ever think of, like small bridge ledges, or lines of tags where everybody's piecing. And not only is he all city already, but he also got noticed all country and in numerous places around Europe!
Click
In the history of the all city strict bomber Kings, Click is generally regarded as the first. Then came Colorz and O'Clock after. He rocked a true '90s style allied to an ubiquitous presence. Strong. Not to mention his CAS crew was one of the most powerful at the time.
Colorz
He was one of the first writer from the next generation to get noticed after the old school. Even if he was affiliated to one of the most notorious crew (VEP), he was more regarded as a one man army. All city writer, a super fresh hand style that has been heavily bitten since then. A true dope bomber.
Dion & Smat
Two of the infamous and purely Parisian crew CMP. Each had a separate career, Smat had more skills at piecing and Dion is still smashing the streets these days. But, the time they walked as a duet in the very late '90'/early 2000 was crazy. Together they literally killed the streets north to south, east to west with tons of oversized fat cap tags. And, it was at such a heavy dose you just couldn't not see them.
Disney
One of the first writer to take the game to the next level. In the early '90s, Disney just kept bombing relentlessly and had no equals for more than a decade. Train lines, streets, subways, trains, he did everything everywhere before everybody. Plus he was one of the first one to experience jail time for writing, not the most glorious chapter to his career but it surely marked an era. The only thing that keeps Disney from the general memory, he used too much names: Sney, Nutch, Snedi, Seym, Eny, Pseye…
Dom
First under the name of Dom in the early/mid '90s, this writer gained mad respect by dropping super clean fill ins all around the city & suburbs with a whole lot of tags to make sure his name would be forever printed in everyone's mind. Then with Apel and a simplified style he did it again later that decade to now. Along with his HG and SDA crews he's highly regarded as a true King for his prolific production as well as his longevity.
Frez
A true complete writer and leader of the infamous TVA crew (The Vaginal Art) - one of the wildest and feared in the mid 90's. Frez was good with writing fresh tags, leaving catchy throwies in the streets, hitting subways with crazy colorful panels and also mastered big colorful pieces. He played the game so right and was so skilled he just embodied what Paris style was for a good while.
Fuzi
The inventor of the ignorant style that has since became a trend worldwide. Fuzi has been doing this ever since the early '90s and stuck to his line. First laughed at, of course, he turned his difference into a rage and did more than everybody, became as tough as his style was and together with his partners from UV/TPK, he ran his kingdom with a strong hand.
GT Crew
Speaking of the whole GT's instead of just a writer is not a wicked way to slip more names than the limit. Between the late '90s / early 2000 this crew was regarded as the main reference in writing. With the likes of Satur, Pro, Sari, Soda, Goze, Wek, Lue, Druide these guys made the buzz in town. With a high dose of throw ups and tags in the streets, they also mastered big walls with their unique galactic style and ended up squatting all the graff zines. They definitely had their momentum and seeing how they were bitten, their impact can't be denied
Horphée
The new kid on the block got his lesson and killed it. He studied the art on the side and when he felt ready he simply dedicated his life to it, mastered a brand new style that has now inspired many worldwide. Plus, he's doing more than anybody now and reaches spots no one would ever think of before. Fresh as shit.
Jonone
He is our local NY graffiti legend. In addition to finding a second breath in town, he also recruited new players for his 156, turning his crew into a kind of graffiti dream team. He also bombed enough to be forever respected, dropping his unique throw ups on tons of shutters all city after he painted a few fill ins. He then opened the door to an art career for a lot of other writers.
Keag
If the game is about getting up, being original, constant, cocky, dedicate and standing for yourself, then Keag is definitely a true writer. With a style he's the only one to master, he's been killing the streets, subway tunnels and trains for almost two decades. Plus he always had this weird habit of saying more than just his name, as if graffiti was for him a physical need he could die from, very impressive.
Mode2
Another classic writer from the old school. Even if he has always been considered a character drawer, Mode2 was also a true writer and bomber. Coming from London, the period he stayed in Paris was mad productive: tags, subways, silver fill ins, big walls. This guy was everywhere and at a high level. He then turned international fine artist with the career we all know and never gave up his name.
Nasty & Slice
Two other writers that have to be taken as a duet. Historically they were among the firsts to drop pieces on subway cars. And they did it a lot and good. In addition to another solid outdoor production, these two cats did crazy colorful panels that will remain forever classics.
O'Clock
This guy alone single handledly did the work of a full crew. He's now embed in Paris graffiti history and went far beyond the graffiti circle. He got mad biff, went through, stood still, alone against many. Plus, he was a true innovator, always pushing his style, never doing twice the same and was a complete writer on top of that: tags, throw ups, pieces, trains, subways, shutters, trucks, other cities, countries. Even my Mom knows his name, I'm sure you do too.
Rap
For more than two decades, Rap ran the game. Before this name and having this super raw style, he first went by several others like Vans, Vesho, Vog, Club... Mid '90s he made the switch to this child like aesthetic when co-creating the UV (Ultra Violent) with the likes of Fuzi, Sit, Salo and later Trane. For years he was the train and subway master. Doing tons of them, and spreading a myth of fear and violence around him and his partners. A true King.
Trane
There was definitely a before and an after Trane in Paris. Not saying he's a fucking Jesus of any sort, but this cat did more than anyone or any crew in the all history of the town to date. Before people used to hit a spot at a time, caught tags here and there, even if strategical but no one had his impact. When he showed up coming from his South with his machine gun behavior he just killed it and for a long time. Older writer first looked down at him thinking he was not enough stylish, sophisticated, skilled or whatever… But he didn't care, he kept going, reached the most feared crews (UV / TPK) and overpassed everybody. Going over retired writers, dropping fill ins after fill ins, tags by tons, smashing trains, subways and everything all city, country, continent.
By the way, how was that character in that weird graff video game that was released a few years ago named? You got it…
Var85
Var is a young gun who found a good way to rapidly gain recognition by updating the rooftop game. So far there were only silver fill ins and tags flirting with the sky, but he brought the bend over roll-ons that were not too widespread here. And all of a sudden, massive block letters showed up all around Paris fixing his name in everybody's retina like Boom!
Weane
As far as we can dig, Weane always had this super slick and ultra readable style that inspires immediate respect. With his crew 3DT and for over two decades now, he has been a constant and solid writer hitting every possible surfaces this town has to offer with tags and pieces.
Zevs
A true vandal who never stopped experiencing. After heavily bombing all city in the early/mid '90s, he initiated a brand new way of writing logos instead of names and became one of the chief leader of the Euro street art movement. Turned artist now, his work is still heavily marked by vandalism.