"Honoring the Legends of Hip Hop"

Statement by Visual Element

"We are honoring the dead leaders of Hip Hop; those who through beats, spray and movements inspire us to work hard to advance our people and beautify our world. We are fusing Hip Hop culture with the traditions of Dia de los Muertos. Much like Day of the Dead is a cultural tradition that encompasses the creation of an altar, the evoking of the spirit ­ hip hop is our cultural tradition and has shaped our identity. Graffiti is a tradition that has been passed on to us. We seek to reaffirm our cultural roots by combining two sacred traditions and we pay tribute to those who defined hip hop. The creation of a graffiti "piece" is a ritual that incorporates style, color, and movement."

"As an Oakland-based graffiti crew, Visual Element promotes the culture of street-based art by producing murals that address the conditions of young people growing up in Oakland. In the tradition of the old-school original graffiti writers, we paint our reality on the walls placing ourselves in the historical legacy of Hip Hop culture, a culture that has transcended global borders and promotes style and individual creativity. We honor the pioneers of Hip Hop by documenting their history on these walls. We call on our ancestors, the pioneers of hip hop through the ŗnich,˛ also known as the sacred box . In the first box we celebrate the life of Dondi; a master train painter know for painting entire subway cars with style. It should be mentioned that he painted cars without being able to view the entire piece at once because the trains were parked so close together. He raised the standard of being a graffiti king. In the second box we honor Dream TDK; Alamedašs own master graffiti stylist, known worldwide as a king among kings who represented the true soul of Hip Hop and the hustle on the streets. He was included in the Hip Hop Hall of Fame and put Oakland on the map in the world of graffiti. He was also a founding member of our organization, the EastSide Arts Alliance. In the third box we honor Jam Master Jay; a member of Run DMC and one of the early stars in rap. He brought funk and style to the game, and helped make rap a worldwide phenomenon. In the fourth box we celebrate Eazy E; straight out of Compton and one of the originators of ŗGangsta˛ rap, he brought ghetto life to televisionšs forefront, revealing Americašs reality. He died of aids. Our largest box addresses the cooptation and commercialization of hip hop by corporate giants, which erase our memory and steal our culture in the name of profit. Let us remember that these pioneers always kept it real, and they are a testament that flowers DO bloom through the cracks of the sidewalk."