Melrose Graffiti | Artbound | KCET

Melrose Avenue has served as a center for local graffiti artists, including MEAR ONE, AXIS, DYTCH, and LYNK, since the 1980s.
Read more about Melrose Graffiti at bit.ly/3aVLAzr
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#Artbound #art #culture #LosAngeles #Melrose #graffiti #local #artist

[@zerofckz6158]

That record store was “BEAT NON STOP” ...RIP 🙏🏼

[@gospelofgrace1]

As a former writer from the outlying areas of Los Angeles I think it’s funny how there’s not one mention of O.G. Hex Hector Rios and the Hip Hop Shop... Hex and his shop were the reasons me and a lot of writers I knew wanted to go to melrose... He brought global attention to that place, his portrait work was ahead of the time his classic B-boy characters made you feel like they were right out of a scene from BeatStreat. Not to mention his Fatcap brand and B-boy battles at Fairfax the guy was a pioneer... the disrespect 🤦🏽‍♂️

[@omek9244]

AWAservices real talk hex is the king of LA !

[@valenciavalencia8858]

Word up HEX ONE , CHAKA L.A LEGEND'S

[@kevinkelley4376]

Hex vs. Slick battle was infamous LA graffiti history at it's finest..🌴❤

[@tect777]

Yea Hex and Slick battle, Hip Hop Shop, CONART

[@spunkhead]

I'm 38 years old and was born in LA but moved to Downey a suburb about 15 minutes from LA....but my dad owned apartments in LA and always loved going with him in the early 90s just to see the new writers...HEX was up everywhere...pioneer of writers....for sure....

[@philtmonx1446]

RIP SK8 crazy see.. he sold me my first ultra wide out front hex's hip-hop shop.. great days and memories

[@gee_code]

Rest In Peace OG SK8

[@owefay1]

I remember traveling from Vegas just to hang out on Melrose to take pictures all day. I have many photos from a 5 year span. 1995 and on. Much respect!

[@itneverrainsfunk4808]

Man we would drive from riverside to touch base on Melrose in 93....15 yr old kid just in awe...props to all the bombers and hex for always welcoming us to the hip hop shop.....

[@domp7729]

I remember the days I used to ditch from Hollywood high and take the bus to Melrose Ave to buy some fresh adidas from Sportie LA....... Had to look fly for Purple Shield parties! Thank you Lewis and Felix for those great times.....wish I had a time machine😓

[@hebrewloc9416]

Wooh, talk about back in the day, i kinda knew Mear from just passing by him, and mutual writers we knew, Sk8 One, man i miss him, if i remember correctly, it was a train accident, or a shoe accident, depends on whose telling, i still have a couple poleroids of the Mural he had just finished doing on the boxcar right there at i believe Sepulveda Blvd. And the Van Nuys/Chandler railroad tracks that go over the road or the road dips under, all i know its that switching yard were he died, i meet him through Blosom and Sleeze. i was a C.B.S. crew member, started out in CYS in 1990 or 91, moved to CBS in 92, and like alot of writers i was in more then one crew, so i was CBS Cali Bomb Squad or Can't Be Stopped, ATC Addicted To Crime, VK Valley Kings (818K) & GK Graffiti Kings. Went to School at Hollywood High, Jr High was Bancroft, i knew a bunch of Fairfax High writers, i lived in North Hollywood, thats why i was in both City Crews and Valley Crews, had beef with some dudes but since i knew most of ATR our crews never beefed. Most if my valley homies thought it was nice sshh that i was in those crews, infact CYS put me in after i helped crew throw up battle against UFK and when they found out that Drag from MWA tried to stab me in the probation offices lobby trying to punk me for being from ATC, a guy i kinda knew from school was there, next day i found out he was from CYS & CBS and invited me to the gathering that day. Memories, anyways much love to all my CBS Family from "Core" - One - CBSKings- ATCKills - VK - GK, oh and i see you, Mr "Unit" -One- from UTI, doing it big on the R* games GTA V i remember the first time i meet you at Amilea Airheart park in NoHo at like 2am, you "Oiler" man yall taught me so well thats why i was able to be a proud member of CBS and a Freeway Assassin straight mobbin Freeway overhead signs. I was even shown on fox news crossing out OFA on a freeway overhead sign. I still draw and write and practice and mini mural sketch books, but i stopped mobbin up walls doing pieces and throw-ups etc. But after the late 80's early 90's style wars, i got styles for days, and im teaching my kids how to flow like me, there barely getting good at bubble throw ups, so it will be awhile before i attempt to teach them Wildstyle. Lol

[@highcaliberexclusive9890]

Real tagger

[@Da818-SP]

VK is a hood now..

[@spunkhead]

much respect bro...

[@hebrewloc9416]

@@Da818-SP yeah that's what my homie told me, out In West SF Valley I believe. Same thing happened to ATC right before I moved, after beefing with MWA, UFK & NBT(ead becoming & now is TroubleGang part of Neighborhood Crips), ATC started strapping up, hanging and partying with 18th St., Alky Boyz, Winos, and Temple for eses and 43rd GC, 48th CG, FSGC & FudgeTown and in the SFV they teamed with Tiara St. & NHLs. Tag bangers. I never saw myself as a Tagger, I was better then just tags and quick throw-ups, I was and always will be a Graffiti Artist

[@DANIEL_eltravieso]

Those were the good ol' days(1986-89 Fairfax H.S.). How time flies, great memories and people.

[@faraondiaz2009]

DANIEL ALEXANDER that we’re I grew up, Saint Andrews boys,

[@youski9379]

Would ditch middle school and jump on buses from Paramount to Melrose (‘92-‘94). 🤯🤯🤯

[@kaezup5973]

Rest In Paint SK8!!!

[@SurgeCess]

word up, and Rob One as well. R.I.P.

[@DiverseLA]

Cool video & tribute. I discovered the Melrose alleys around 1998 - maybe ‘97... and used to walk the alleys on both sides of Melrose between La Brea & Fairfax, between 98-2000. The work back there was amazing. I remember VOX CBS had those alleys on lock with his unique pieces. From what I’m told SK8 CBS started the tradition of painting the alleys back in the 80’s.

[@kevinkelley4376]

Vox had the dope style.. Cool dude in person, too. Melrose always felt different once he moved away..

[@bennyperez6231]

you guys are awesome! I remember going to Melrose in the 90's seeing you guys up everywhere 👍

[@freethinkingamerican80]

What a killer short. I remember going down to Melrose from the IE in the mid 90s specifically around the year 97. Saw alot of this graff and was blown away. One Sat night a buddy and I went to a few illegal raves and they were broken up. It was super late but I wanted to get some graff mags, believe they were called 12oz Prophet, amazing work in there. I wanted to get a few mags and some stuff like caps, etc. Waited till the stores finally opened and it seemed like such a long time. Missed work the next day and everything, my parents were so pissed lolol. Good times!

[@larryshannon5035]

The 🔑 key to Life. Doing What you Love. Thank you for sharing. Skies the limit wit an Aresol can. 🎨🎨

[@onetwo6675]

AWESOME BOUGHT BACK MEMORIES... JUST AS COOL AS THE OUTRO

[@ronxxf]

Summer of 84 we went from playing GI Joe to thinking we were B-Boys from the Bronx after watching Breakin and Beat Street. Started stealing small cans and snickers from Save On, spray painted our cardboard which quickly led to hitting up at the park. By 88 I was into punk and went to Melrose to buy records and band shirts but the loved for graf never left. Unfortunately, I never got very good at it. A dude at school had Mear's black book full of mushroom graffiti and other crazy sh!t. Side note, before Hex's shop it was occupied by a junkie punk couples record store, heroin addiction and running a business don't go together.

[@CarlosHernandez-lo5ux]

Beautiful art ...

[@AL-wn8di]

We would drive from North OC to check out hex's hip-hop shop back in the early 90s and walk the alleys ....those were the days . I'm surprised they didn't mention him or the shop.

[@darreneffle4891]

I went to Fairfax high 29 yrs ago. I lived at museum terrace . hung out at canters in the 8os .what i time to be alive.i miss those times.up and down melrose got my first piercings at gauntlet on Santa Monica.

[@tblack9711]

I remember the majority of these pieces from thei old days. I would walk from Fairfax to La Brea just to check out the walls and rooftops of Melrose. Shout out to Mear, CBS, WCA.

[@chriscsawloksawyer4418]

Growing up in the Harbor Area of Carson,i would drive my vdub all around those daze lookn for fresh graffiti, Melrose wuz one of the places 2 head to,among the belmont tunnel,LA river BED, Venice beach, Levitz warehouse wall,amongst many,much love & respect 2 da CBS crew! Good story,CSAWONE....90745

[@matthewbrown6628]

Definitely some of the best from the west. These are some of the pioneers of west coast graffiti.

[@perigosu8449]

Went to Fairfax... met some of the best writers back in the day. Tried to fuck with it myself for a while... but then life took a different turn. So many memories tho. I miss the good ole ghetto days.

[@obeyr8232]

These team, guys r really cool,talented. they respect their locality n preserve their hardworking arts. I loved this spirit.. Best part is they were replacing the low grade graffiti vandals with highly artistic ones.. It's their love n respect to their area n graffiti.. True artist spirit.. Keep up guys.. Good luck 👍

[@cali_cal]

Melrose was the only place where I could buy some baggy fresh jive pants back in the dayz

[@PlatForumRadio]

Shout out to MEAR ONE!! Met him about 3 weeks ago and he was just as cool! DRISK ONE SO FTL CMA

[@demontongue9893]

I see a 7seas piece, that has to be one of the most creative names ive ever seen

[@sirpoppinchuck]

My dudes i was there when they first started rockin them pieces! I got the pics alright to tha homies great artist they are!!!!!

[@deepmodelowrider2935]

Awesome video !

[@verkone4598]

NOTORIOUS KINGS

[@isisantos3636]

I was a student at Bancroft JH, back in those days. Graffiti is da only reason I would go down there to Melrose. It's good to see the pic of OG Skate 1~ R.I.P. I remember the mural of him too. If I'm not mistaken there was a piece on Hollywood Blvd. Dedicated to 'Sk8 one' also.I remember Mear he still looks the same just older. CEPT, MECK, TRIAX, ANNEX, MAD1,JACK FROST, SHICAGO, SER, WISK, PRICE from OTR, ZODIAC, Nuff respect to CBS Crew these are just a few of the names I remember. I started writing back in the day but then started gangbangn. I'm still an artist tho. Thanks for the video.

[@feiwong4310]

Dope video

[@kyledrywallpuncherpro135]

Damn! Steve Buschemi had a graff career?!

[@aquaticamigo6439]

Dope

[@SCUBONZIES]

good artists .

[@MagicSwordFilms]

This caught on so much to the point that nowadays some of these walls have like corporate owned spaces that are always cycling in and out. What was once cool murals are now dumb fucking instagram hotspots like those pink wings off of Genesee and on the same block that huge wall is always changing its mural from one ad campaign to the next. Its practically a billboard, but it used to be a mural!

[@joerizzojoerizzo5582]

- On Point!. Krash1CBS..The good ole dayz...

[@mesiaone7775]

dope yo...

[@riccosuave4506]

classics

[@paulboy741]

Hella Tight!!! 👌👌👌

[@sirpoppinchuck]

Interesting they didn't mention Hex because he was the first in the 90s to do store fronts. Also no mention of "West Coast Artist" that actually went to Fairfax high 84-87 n sparked the west side for Graff then. KSN,KGB,WCA they actually had the first Graff mural for the Newspaper stand I seen 1986. Me n my homeboy "Paris" used to go n tag up Melrose back then. I got the pics!

[@mfburns7909]

I know this is old but shout out Setting The Pace and Can't Be Stopped. Hex should've been mentioned.

[@saymstuff]

🤘🏻!

[@talkingface5475]

I roamed those alleys for years 90s 00s .

[@RLJ_]

Why

[@marloncontreras3539]

The place was home for me and my art school from walk down from bancroft jr high through al the nasty dangerous smelly gang infested mazes and short cuts that got you down to fairfax and melrose it was a daily adventure.i grew up here and remember scrapping with gang members rival crews and the cop trying to harass us everyday Hollywood back in the days was a war zone an adventure not ever regreeting a thing a era that will never be duplicated .we survived a crazy town that was down sett for any thing or person .we are the remaining few CBS MTA JOR JS. TRUE CHAMPIONS THAT LIVED LIFE TO THE FULLEST.

[@Jesse_Carreon]

9:24 i met the guy who did the prints on that piece and he kicked me down a few. Got one framed up in my smog shop and another in my house

[@CoachellaValleyCopWatch]

Respect the fuck outta you brothers

[@famlife4383]

sick One Love

[@romanangel3563]

CBS! True pioneers

[@RyanKeane9]

What’s the tune at the end please?

[@pablouresty2981]

That song at the end???

[@fridge4200]

nice

[@CnoteLuciano]

I'm from WebCrew and my big homies are from lapdk ash9ner and reign my boy marse is from msk WebCrew shout out all the writers

[@ChrisGtek]

You heard of GODSklan

[@mu6rt6noch6]

Crazy same stuff is going down in Denver . I mean a fucking graffiti mural tour !! Godamn gentrification

[@onetwo6675]

@ Melrose Graffiti... MUSIC IN THE BACKGROUND @ 1:05 PLEASE?

[@flip1sba]

Unfortunately, Melrose today is not as fascinating as it was back in the 90s / early 2000s. Ok I'm not from LA but I frequently visit the city and I always visit Melrose when I'm there. Back in the days, there were some great record stores especially for hip-hop. Fatbeats was there, alot of hip-hop related clothing stores were there such as Workmens Outlet. Graffiti shops were there as well and so are some great comic book store such as Golden Apple. Ok Golden Apple is still in The Melrose area but no longer in the "vibrant area" between Fairfax and La Brea. At least Pink's is still in the area. Even if they are not as busy as it used to be I still like their hotdogs!

[@kevinkelley4376]

Workmens was the spot!!

[@p.m4874]

Mear and Saber 💯👍

[@heyitschinoable]

Wait, no interview from Atlas CBS?

[@Hezekiah1]

Best window scribes on the whole block…was a little later then the hey day though. 04-05 atlas really started to destroy

[@smeutr1]

I remember graffers had to get permission from them to do a piece in that area first, then the store owners lol

[@souldiesundaes1530]

Chaka, Oiler, Dcline…I can go on and on…

[@michaelstrong4823]

Damn Rakaa. Your boy Ev claims Venice and AWR (he’s really from SM and was in NBC). How are you going to say Dilapadated Poo poos started on Melrose?

[@YouCanChangeYourWorldToday]

Fame and money sure do change people lol perspective is everything Smdh

[@abw7019]

But these guys are legends

[@junkograff5062]

I’m only 13 but me and axis have the same story. I’m skating at the moment Tryna get sponsored

[@chrisswift9197]

I use to love mobbing in Hollywood back in the 80's... POISE BACK STREET KINGS

[@whata.bastard2146]

Bsk i rember you guys were batleing bak back in the days i rember seen you cats up the fools from Tac foe old-school crews.

[@cems5212]

wow I wish I could walk down the street and see graff art this cool everyday :D I appreciate these guys and their talent so much!!! i practice everyday almost all day at school and learn a lot about graffiti from watching vids just like this. i hope i can be where you guys are someday :) ill be posting some of my pieces on my channel hopefully soon so plz check it out

[@juan-ksporty7348]

I knew hex great street artist

[@mmmm7433]

Does anyone know who painted Skates pic on the wall on 6th in Venice? Blew me away to see that.

[@SheilaOrtiz-pw4pj]

A special S/O to my homie “ L Y N k “ CBS !

[@sergioravelo1501]

FIZM ONE OG 29Crew

[@YouCanChangeYourWorldToday]

Used to see your bombs on the rooftops across the Slauson blue line metro station as a 13-14 year old kid, right before I started getting into graffiti myself. ✌️

[@guillermolopez9848]

Shout out to workmans depot

[@ac8D3]

Guillermo Lopez not outlet?

[@ten4k964]

Workmans *outlet

[@guillermolopez9848]

It's original name was the workmans depot. Back in the day's guy's.

[@cromsamsom]

0 - 1 gallery damn!

[@MACCMALONE]

Chaka,Sleez,Choice,Poison...l.o.d....o.t.r

[@xOGxSE7ENx]

Chaka and Sleez were some heavy hitters...those are the ones that got me into Graff, back in 84. Chaka mobbed all of Cali, from the bottom of the state, to the top...and a bit of Oregon too

[@Hezekiah1]

95-01 was the prime

[@liveit2272]

The * Hard * Core

[@omgeeeez666]

i hate that i was born in the era of graffitis stagnant moment

[@respeckseasoning3756]

In Texas STK bangs on cbs..a few gotten killed ...and in LA they both crews are cool..go figure

[@emaricarter4885]

City Bomb Squad

[@rangr9069]

“There’s actually diamonds in this coal”

[@thetruthcastle6748]

*the awr and msk's put in real work and got up.

[@elsparky3574]

Yeah right my boi you probably don't even paint

[@mcnoface8000]

Lod

[@darreneffle4891]

Ps taking the bus to the beach with ghost from UTI ment from inf daze fro. Tfc.

[@emmanueljames8404]

@ 00:56 "PASTIME"

[@longbeachhippy694]

I'm 47 and still living the erea. Only thing that sucks about this erea, blacks coming to the erea robbing and killing for the wealth! 😢

[@faraiza86]

MET DTW......90'S.....LA

[@juan-ksporty7348]

Sketch one

[@mmmm7433]

We used to hang out on Beverly and Fairfax in the alley behind the gas station, anyone who was there as well can you send me an email?

[@darreneffle4891]

Just saw your post.i went to Fairfax in 86-89.lived over on Wilshire and curson.across from the museum at the terrace condos.what a time and place to be.

[@mmmm7433]

@@darreneffle4891 it was a much happier time than now, I miss it. Not much to be happy about now.

[@RS70_UGHC]

!

[@GarySmith-ph2qy]

West la 18 hood

[@franciscoorozco3493]

TWC TWC TWC TWC

[@meowcat1977]

Tko

[@wolfpack8275]

Legal walls for days

[@couchpoet1]

Couple people butt hurt in the comment section. #toughguys.

[@deepsouth3592]

These guys were legal graffiti writers. These rich kids get no respect in the graffiti game.

[@NahkriinKonahriikLXXVI]

Deep South 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@22K562]

Low key true

[@emmanueljames1845]

"SAND ONE" art @ 3:17!!

[@KevinRodriguez-vp1qu]

You mean THand One

[@jessclokes]

@@KevinRodriguez-vp1qu 😂

[@douglassalguero2556]

CBS CREW

[@sergioravelo1501]

FIZM ONE 29cReW OcHo 1 shouts out to my bro Big SISK one ol skool UNCREW GAW BLA TD12 AWR Bruin 1 chico1

[@jaemulah7935]

Still not rough an rugged enough . That time is up .

[@giovannigomez6770]

7 SEAS

[@crazyphone100]

NYC Subways period.... 1976 train yards walls are soft Brooklyn USA#1

[@s0m4r_kr4rf7]

Subway tags are toy in ny

[@levileausa9541]

Dude couldn’t read the name so he made some stuff up lol

[@thekrylondononer]

NR