What a lot of people may not know about graffiti is that, before a lot of those murals that go up on handball courts, sides of buildings, and used to grace every subway line in NYC, is that those very ideas are born in a “black book”. It is every graffiti writer’s blue print before going out on an ultimate “bomb” as it were. Skill and style are built up in these books. Lettering and character designs are perfected in these books. Also, like the other aspects of hip-hop, battling goes on in these books. Long ago writers would gather at a secret train stop that was no longer used on the D line just to trade ideas, look at dope tags, and of course, battle. Now in the digital age battling goes on in most graffiti forums. The “Black Book” is the foundation for any good graffiti writer. Another thing people may not know is that this is where some of their best works live and often times may never be seen by the public. “Give ‘em love in the streets but save your best for the book”, is what Seer, an old writer friend, used to always say.

Please enjoy some of the revealed secrets from some dope writer’s black books posted below.