Style Wars, 1983 (Classic Hip Hop Documentary) | Black/Current

Style Wars is an American 1983 documentary film on hip hop culture, directed by Tony Silver and produced in collaboration with Henry Chalfant. The story explores graffiti, b-boying and rapping.
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From: Style Wars (1983)
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[@mylesmcquad1763]

Protect this upload.

[@DreamDosage]

Word!

[@Stoney-Jacksman]

Irs not like its some deeply underground doc. Most heads know and been knowing. Its a classic for a reason. Its available everywhere.

[@obihayve2304]

Download it so you have it in your collection

[@beebop9712]

Str8

[@beebop9712]

Keep it free and easy so us new jacks can cop this shit

[@calebscalzo]

Best documentary of all time in my opinion If you are going to be a part of hip-hop culture in any form or facet, you NEED to watch this documentary, and that’s not just my 2 cents, that’s facts

[@boilerroombob]

Amen

[@obihayve2304]

No, there's one with a breaker opening a newspaper at the end of his freeze... Like "oh, stocks are up" I can't remember what that was from but it dealt with the early hip-hop years in England/over seas There was this dope rapper with the raccoon hat

[@benitolazio8193]

Ok whigga

[@kd3446]

Graphite was going up before hip hop & the May be connected now but not in the past earl days…

[@DaveNiceNYC]

Being born and bred in uptown Manhattan (Rock Steady Park is directly behind my building), this documentary confused many people (mostly people that aren't from NYC), into thinking graffiti and hip hop went hand in hand. When the trains were already covered in paint and ink, the term hip hop wasn't even thought of or it had too small of an audience for it to be noticed. It was mostly rock, a little Motown and funk. The only disco they really had was groups like The Bee Gees and the closet thing to breaking was the dance called The Hustle. You can see it in the movie Saturday Night Fever. The trains were bombed with graffiti. But, hip hop wasn't even coined yet, prior to Saturday Night Fever, most people listened to rock....if you're a true New Yorker...you'd know the main radio station was 77 WABC on AM radio and you know they didn't play hip hop, it was mostly rock and the trains were Bombed! Take it to the bank. Still, a nice documentary, it just confused some people is all. Peace!

[@shogott]

Seeing this documentary in the summer between 6th and 7th grade fuckin changed my life forever. From here to fame!

[@davem4423]

Great to watch this 40 years later & at the age of 50 i'm in awe of these guys , just expressing themselves in an era that opressed & crushed anyone 'outside the norm' . If this stuff was in a gallery in london it would be praised & sell for mega money

[@benitolazio8193]

"....an era that opressed & crushed anyone 'outside the norm' " Garbage.

[@heffo96]

It actually is! Beyond the Streets Exhibition is in the Saatchi Gallery in London this month, Seen himself was there along with a bunch of other writers. Check it out before its gone!

[@davem4423]

Fantastic! Thanks for the update, much appreciated

[@patkelly8309]

Koch was like, " You can't execute Graffiti Writer's...... sadly "

[@juicepackrevenge]

Case2 was wayyyyyy ahead of everyone in his time. Butch was heat too. Goddamn man.

[@clever3383]

The style of letters are wild!

[@Babyboo186]

28:50 - KASE referencing Frank Frazetta, these guys were so in tune with the art

[@BOMBER_GBF_DBL_SUK_FBI]

Changed my life over night …

[@patkelly8309]

I really wish I could have experienced NYC in the early 80s. Different world.

[@JoePlatt1]

And the 90s too

[@adamsal9969]

Still one of the best made documentary. The different perspectives presented. Trying to objectively establish what graff is. What it means to people from completely different walks of life. It portrays a very interesting moment in time in the best way possible. So many interesting and exceptional individuals. Such influence all over the world. The soundtrack is great too! Let's just celebrate the 40th anniversary of the film. A thousand words still have some hoodies left :)

[@MattFaris]

An absolute classic that's revisited every few months. What a time that must have been to be part of the scene!

[@DaveNiceNYC]

@DaveNiceNYC Being born and bred in uptown Manhattan (Rock Steady Park is directly behind my building), this documentary confused many people (mostly people that aren't from NYC), into thinking graffiti and hip hop went hand in hand. When the trains were already covered in paint and ink, the term hip hop wasn't even thought of or it had too small of an audience for it to be noticed. It was mostly rock, a little Motown and funk. The only disco they really had was groups like The Bee Gees and the closet thing to breaking was the dance called The Hustle. You can see it in the movie Saturday Night Fever. The trains were bombed with graffiti. But, hip hop wasn't even coined yet, prior to Saturday Night Fever, most people listened to rock....if you're a true New Yorker...you'd know the main radio station was 77 WABC on AM radio and you know they didn't play hip hop, it was mostly rock and the trains were Bombed! Take it to the bank. Still, a nice documentary, it just confused some people is all. Peace!

[@jeromeharris2218]

I grew up 233rd & white Plains rd... ( I remember Cap... and I remember the crew called " Sin - Sin " > two deaf twin Puerto Rican brothers) # I was born 1973

[@RAME716]

AMAZING DEZ WAS KAY SLAY RIP 🙏

[@jmel1328]

5:06 Infamous convo in the Intro to "Respiration" BlackStar. One of the best hip-hop songs ever.

[@sybergaus]

Escuchala la Musica respirando

[@unkop4847]

This video is the reason I love hip hop . I miss this era

[@user-rt7dv6rt6g]

Somehow I got a hold of a copy of this at school and immediately started writing on everything!

[@sonsofthetribe]

Wild Style, Style Wars, Beat Street the Hip hop Trinity.

[@jessebullock4757]

this shit never ages

[@nobody-in5yp]

Seen it a 100times.over the yrs but man the Video is untouchable. No other graff vid/movie got the sauce like that.

[@antonymeneghini2276]

Thx for uploading this masterpiece! I still have the OG book!

[@SHARPEYE1]

Damnnnnnnnn

[@rickphilly1975]

This is my childhood. So. Anycoties. We ran those tunnels rooftops and trains yards. Been watching this doc since the 1980s

[@ICHBINIMUN]

this thing changed my life💯

[@gaffle7646]

33:54… that uprock was iLL! 🔥 54:22… dope footwork!

[@RayLopez-jv7nn]

Art galleries on wheels for everyone to see

[@JJX-pp8zh]

LOTTA WORK IS IN STILL GALLERIES ALSO•••• RECOGNIZED THNX 2: FAB5 BASQUIAT(RIP) JAYZ || ODD THAT ITS VERY LIL FOCUS ON ART STUDENTS WHO BOMB ON THE REG

[@abrahammitchell5599]

I had this on VCR tape back in the day😊

[@BRILL-vb1jy]

"and he wrote 'WAR' next to Fat Albert" ... "Oh shit" ... "You can't never make up for that. That's never forgive action."

[@bubz3t136]

Fun fact: MIN's father was a chemist in Manhattan, and one of his regular customers was...Lucille Ball.

[@hawkrolla]

SPIT!! 😂

[@clever3383]

@@bubz3t136 The comediam? I from Brasil and don´t know much about this...

[@JJX-pp8zh]

​@@hawkrollaCAP. ZORO. SPIT. RUIN REAL ART

[@thaizzz]

6min in and wow. The cinematography is amazing. This looks more like a feature film than a documentary (Helps that this is obviously film). Also, there's this game that came out recently and it's precisely about going "all city". I didn't know that was an actual thing they did until now. Good to know.

[@JJX-pp8zh]

WILD STYLE UNHINGED

[@deliamore9276]

I watched this documentary in hs when one of my most beloved teachers gave me the dvd to use it as evidence for a written piece I had to write for English 12 and it was basically like a “choose your own topic” kind of paper so I chose to talk about the 80s and now I do graff bombing 😭

[@jamalydude]

Hip hop and graffiti are mutually exclusive. The whole graffiti is one of the elements of hip hop argument is bunk. Graf came first. Graf intertwined due to its urban nature with hip hop but they are mutually exclusive. Don’t get it twisted

[@charliethomson8819]

Absolutely timeless, great quality. I had to pick this up on blu Ray when it was released. When visiting new York now is there anywhere on this documentary that you can visit that would still be there. Stations, yards etc ?

[@bonemarrow250]

Wow - that’s pure hip hop culture right here, the essence of it… such a shame what it has become, just money and bitches.

[@janconner2087]

Hip Hop is always culture. Rap Music is always business. Just understand the difference and all will be well

[@JJX-pp8zh]

​@@janconner2087YA DIG?? UNDERGROUND V MAINSTREAM

[@georgedmitrievich2660]

From here to fame!

[@mikevega07]

Cap is the original spit from beat street

[@kincamell2]

Stellar

[@Eddy_Clarice_WayOfTheComb]

Word!

[@daveysoart6318]

“I don’t even like that. People like that, they deserve to get everything crossed out. Forever.” 😂

[@mikevega07]

Man I missed them days

[@braksuper]

Muy buena!

[@xxxxxxx4878]

👉B.X...p.3LEE.🍻. really great DOC.. old school banger 💪💣🚀

[@kincamell]

"What'd you do last night?" "We did, umm, two whole cars It was me, Dez, and Mean Three, right? And on the first car, in small letters, it said 'All you see is' And then, you know, big, big, you know, some block silver letters That said 'crime in the city', right?" "It just took up the whole car?" "Yeah, yeah, it was a whole car and sh!t..." Escúchela, la ciudad respirando Escúchela, la ciudad respirando Escúchela, la ciudad respirando Escúchela... "The new moon rode high in the crown of the metropolis Shinin', like "Who on top of this?" People was tusslin', arguin' and bustlin' Gangstas of Gotham hardcore hustlin'"

[@MarvinMonroe]

We gotta start rockin some straight letters

[@cspro3music]

This is my LIFE !!!!!!!

[@this.e36]

Same

[@jeromeharris2218]

I used a " pilot " marker... my tag name was " Memo "... # fun in the bronx

[@Underhills]

Looks like the Spit character in BeatStreet (1984) was inspired by Cap in this doc.

[@illbeback7313]

Dopee

[@Izannaziza]

The good ole days.

[@wssj2480]

I got 3 kids under 5 years old and they watch style wars not coco melon 😎

[@alejandroperezcostas5331]

Great dad

[@terrialfair4829]

Lol

[@ForeverTRUE2011]

Whatever pepper pig

[@MrEnvy562]

Lol skemes mom is so funny bro

[@deliamore9276]

Right she was sick of his bullshit LMAO

[@MrEnvy562]

@@deliamore9276 😁😁

[@hawkrolla]

Very well spoken young fellow.

[@mikevega07]

U don't doodle when your on the the phone 😂

[@MarvinMonroe]

​@@mikevega07 yes you do doodle LMAO I've always loved that "do doodle"

[@finnmcginn9931]

New York was such a dump back then, visiting it as a kid I was in awe of it.

[@obihayve2304]

I hear samples used by Mellow man Ace, funkdoobiest, mc lyte, glasser, ME, De La Soul

[@paulshaw2013]

00:06:49 King Tito's Gloves by Deadly Avenger uses that scene to great effect.

[@pekay6351]

That shit is dope

[@maskedavenger2621]

This is the Bible right here.

[@thehunterofdeath2180]

The bible of hip hop rap 👍😎

[@SaneAndAble]

It must be SEEN to be believed

[@user-mc6tr1vp2v]

This is real hip-hop. More about graffiti and dancing and style, and racially mixed. This is how it all began: just kids in the Bronx, kids in Brooklyn.

[@graffiti_sport_club]

WHAT WHAT I LOVE GRAFFITI !!! THANK YO

[@pjay6746]

32:47 Richard "Crazy Legs" Colón. He retired last year.

[@memesy8254]

46:34 the bench

[@tristanarcelona]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@Quiter19]

TK Kirkland was in this!!! Awesome! $!

[@daniesza]

Cornbread 1960 the bomb tho…..

[@sycadelic666]

Yaooo. A dude who used to run the railways was named: Dick Ravage Fuck that’s a wild name 😂 1:00:11

[@10z20]

lmfao best part 52:58 his mom bantering

[@firstofsly]

At least they were outside 🤷🏾‍♂️🤘🏾

[@mikevega07]

The kid from 25:10 reminds me of boondocks 😂

[@tarronspencer5483]

Back then graffiti was male dominated, now its mostly women bombing trains, its right off the charts, big shout to Lady Pink ❤

[@JJX-pp8zh]

NOT IN PHILLY,,, MOSTLY MEN BOMBING BUT ALSO LOTTA ART STUDENTS LIVING XDOUBLE XLIVES

[@vicdamone4084]

35:13 He said it was The Son of Sam with 44..😂NY Bars

[@slyedominic]

RIP KAY SLAY

[@OneHundredPercent-100]

_Good Shit._ 👍🏻👍🏻

[@maxferver4902]

What song are they listening to at 8:28?

[@Feringasaur]

Ever find jt

[@SHARPEYE1]

The train was the ultimate satisfaction as soon as they locked them down graffiti died

[@tarronspencer5483]

Should make a movie on Skeme ✊💯

[@user-jw3hq4jl1v]

Skeleton dropping jewels!!!

[@nathegotule284]

Stylewarzzz,year3000!!!! Bak2da,,future... Yeahaaaa Yeahaaa,,Yeahaaa,,,,, In,graff we trust!!!! In,graff we bomb!!!! 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑

[@stevennarvaez9920]

It's more than paint..

[@skil2134]

Who this after getting up?

[@mikevega07]

Ads didn't work 😂

[@ericc.1570]

He's on that Tranq

[@snaleman6999]

More of a Graff doc No?

[@styloop]

holy book of East Germany Hip hop Scene

[@Accuratetranslationservices]

I really appreciate Cap. The guy who just goes over everyone else's graffiti. He's got a real punk rock attitude. He is like a force of nature, a chaotic force that just rips across everyone's art. I love it. I don't do graffiti myself. I do think it looks cool though. But it also seems to have an overabundance of rules and etiquettes and BS... The supreme irony is all these guys standing around saying how dare someone deface what I did... lol... bro, you are defacing property. It is fair game to be defaced itself. They are all scheming and trying to come up with plans to end it just like the cops are for them. Cap is the true legend

[@JJX-pp8zh]

ZORO. CAP. SPIT. ALL UNTALENTED RUINING THE WORK OF TALENTED ARTISTS,,,

[@Accuratetranslationservices]

@@JJX-pp8zh I guess that's subjective whether he is skilled or not but I like that he is against the pretentiousness of "How dare anyone paint over my art" while doing illegal graffiti in the first place. It is fair game to go over anyone in graffiti with anything

[@jeromeharris2218]

Graffiti was the sign to the world that the rapture is now here ! Rap-ture = rap culture... ( Hip Hop / Rap ... has taken over the entire globe )... # respectfully... # I am the culture

[@jamalydude]

You’re sped my man

[@nastynockinsonofficial9023]

Its crazy how hard skemes mom tried to make him sound stupid. Dudes speaking straight forward. Not using much lingo or secret words. Just facts about his passion. And apparently he sounds dumb 😂😅

[@beatsbyjiro8291]

"He wrote war next to Fat Albert"

[@doctorcloverr]

24:53 I know this is in a song but I can’t put my finger on what song it is

[@pvj2234]

Trouble funk - pump me up Cash money had a great cut up of this song - scratching to the funk

[@doctorcloverr]

Ok

[@doctorcloverr]

It is in Graffiti on a high school wall by People under the stairs

[@pvj2234]

@@doctorcloverr too funny! I never caught it. I know the group, haven’t heard them in a minute, so I went back “get loose, get loose” Haha! Good catch! Edit: that’s Kase’s voice, we lived in the same building for a little bit.

[@xxfranknittyxx2270]

why rocksteady never have any brothas in they crew?

[@KeyDyer]

They get crossed out FOREVAAAA

[@teradon8u]

Cap!!! The original tag-banger!!

[@skyjuiceification]

He rounded out pretty well in later years. just an ole jolly dude who is repentant of his toy past. that was his way of gaining entry into the street culture of the time. we drank and talked for hours.

[@jessemontano762]

Hardcore new York

[@YAH_ONLY]

Ai can’t do this

[@TheKwezz]

Who's the "kid" at 23:25

[@darthvader7702]

MinOne

[@user-jw3hq4jl1v]

18:30 mark… homie was hatin loo

[@burnerlearner5664]

67........ used to dream graffiti.......

[@nstavr1]

DONDI style master RIP

[@Dasbullboll]

The woman at 37:17 I wonder what she is up to nowadays, if shes still alive

[@axMf3qTI]

I have the DVD but no DVD player....

[@fredy_8a68]

I have an extra one in the garage

[@DaveNiceNYC]

Who still uses DVD? LOL

[@bertamartin2683]

@@DaveNiceNYC that’s not the point boy

[@fasterdays]

Graffiti is not a hip hop element, graffiti is it's own thing and has not depended on a music style to thrive. Associate graffiti with hip hop is nonsense.

[@DaveNiceNYC]

100% correct!

[@DaveNiceNYC]

Being born and bred in uptown Manhattan (Rock Steady Park is directly behind my building), this documentary confused many people (mostly people that aren't from NYC), into thinking graffiti and hip hop went hand in hand. When the trains were already covered in paint and ink, the term hip hop wasn't even thought of or it had too small of an audience for it to be noticed. It was mostly rock, a little Motown and funk. The only disco they really had was groups like The Bee Gees and the closet thing to breaking was the dance called The Hustle. You can see it in the movie Saturday Night Fever. The trains were bombed with graffiti. But, hip hop wasn't even coined yet, prior to Saturday Night Fever, most people listened to rock....if you're a true New Yorker...you'd know the main radio station was 77 WABC on AM radio and you know they didn't play hip hop, it was mostly rock and the trains were Bombed! Take it to the bank. Still, a nice documentary, it just confused some people is all. Peace!

[@LURADZ]

6:48

[@WowMarioz]

50:15 fucking wild

[@GRINDETHIKSMIXTAPESHOW]

in 2023 I wish I can pay 75 cents to get on the train lol

[@rainbowgaming8441]

the teen at 605 running time he is now on drugs he can be seen in the other doc called dark days

[@blazayblazay8888]

A YOUNG EDDIE MURPHY COULD’VE PLAYED KASE

[@JJX-pp8zh]

SMART MOVE 2 CALL A TIE BTWN BREAKN CREWZ,,, ROCK STEADY WAS NOT GON LV PEACEFULLY