Style Wars (1983)

Synopsis: Filmed in New York in 1982, when hip hop was still in its infancy, STYLE WARS documents a number of young graffiti artists who were transforming the city with their unique art. These artists... Filmed in New York in 1982, when hip hop was still in its infancy, STYLE WARS documents a number of young graffiti artists who were transforming the city with their unique art. These artists created a new visual language that was borne out of the hip hop subculture and, using the city's dilapidated subway system as a canvas, let the rest of New York know about it. Unfortunately, graffiti meant vandalism to Mayor Ed Koch, the NYPD, and the MTA, all of whom did their best to oppose the burgeoning movement. STYLE WARS has become a cultural emblem and ranks among the best hip hop films ever made. Embraced by the culture it depicts as well as by mainstream America, STYLE WARS was one of the first shots fired in the hip hop revolution that took the country by storm. [More]

Director: Tony Silver

Director: Tony Silver
Producer: Henry Chalfant