futura2000 on nyc’s fashions night out

NYC is weary and weird place, and to the weary and the weird– it’s the only place to survive. I only “kind of” mean literally breathe  because it can smell kinda gross sometimes. What I really mean is, it’s only NYC, the city itself, who knows who you truly are. NYC allows you to express, go nuts, cry, piss and dance wherever you please. That [tired] sentiment of “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere!” makes me furious because, no shit. You can make it anywhere else obviously, because other cities are easy. If you can make it in NYC, you belong here.

It’s that sense of belonging, entitlement and absolute need for expression that created NYC graffiti. It’s bold to say “I was born to write this” and it’s even bolder to leave your name around, just so people say it out loud. Basquait had this town buzzing about SAMO so hard, Andy Warhol picked him up so he could make some $$$$ acclaim and fame, And he was STILL on on some FKYOU! Keith Haring smacked so many people in the face with paint, it’s my mother’s art conversation anytime anyone talks about art (my mother does give too-hoots about art and is also from Tennessee). Futura 2000 felt so much of a way about his art and to break from the GRAFF box, he created a new style of graffiti, because he loved what he was doing. And that love makes other people love it, and then it’ a hit.

Futura 2000 has shown with Haring and Warhol, and was CREW with all the heads including Basquait. His extreme #STYLE transcended into him creating album artwork for punk bands like The Clash in the 80s and the peak of his “trying new stuff out”. And let’s all remember– The Clash in the 80’s tho. When they did that “hip-hop kinda” thing. The Clash looked to unconventional, genre-bending artists in whatever field, to help them push the genre-bending unconventional thing they were doing. But it kinda worked.

Futura is respected (hence the MASS of people) and still rocking braids. During his showing last night, the debate was “damn, what’s up with the 80’s music?”. My argument was OF COURSE! Although the pieces were new, It would have been weird is the sentiment was changed. You can’t play Of Montreal for a dude who probably told Andy Warhol to shutup once or twice. It’s a feeling, and making it feel right. Futura made a name (graff literally) for himself in NYC, and he’s still out in these STREETS for Fashion’s Night Out. WORD to old NYC, doing something weird when even the weird kids call you weird, and dressing up because it’s Thursday.  

(below: this is as close as I got to futura. Maybe he’s camera shy or maybe he’s BUSY BEING A LEGEND)

does your city make YOU feel a certain kind of way? hit us in the comments and on twitter @afropunk