Battle 4 the City: Graffiti's Finest
Written by Nicole Misfitx
Photos by Battle4theCity & Nicole Misfitx
“Graffiti is like a weed it grows in the cracks of society” – TEEL ONE
A unique aspect of graffiti not present in other art forms is its competitive edge. Graffiti writers are like athletes, crews are their teams, and battles are like championships. “A crew is similar to a sports team in that both rely on collaboration and teamwork to achieve a common goal. Just like athletes must work together to execute plays and strategies…Each member contributes their unique skills and ideas…This shared effort fosters a sense of camaraderie and unity, much like the bond formed among teammates in sports,” said the Battle 4 the City team.
Battle 4 the City [B4TC] has been a championship-level battle in Chicago for years, providing a battleground of buffed walls for the top graffiti crews and writers to create the most skillful, creative production in a time-constrained battle for a cash prize. “This competition pays homage to the trailblazers, godfathers, and legends who have paved the way for current and future generations of graffiti artists and muralists,” said B4TC. They intended to create a “platform for artists to showcase their skills, honor the roots of their craft, and contribute to its ongoing evolution.” As well as create “a key event that intertwines art, music, and community engagement.”
“Whenever people want to be the best of the best, competition is important to get there. Graffiti, just like sports, takes practice and hard work to really be at the top of the game,” said C3PO.
Battle 4 the City [B4TC] began as a battle between top Chicago Graffiti writers individually for a cash prize “… the format was primarily individual competitions, featuring around 8 to 10 artists competing at a time,” said B4TC.
Project Logan in Logan Square was the canvas for the early battles, spearheaded by legendary graffiti writer Flash from ABC [Artistic Bombing Crew], one of the first crews in Chicago. The original Project Logan, where the event took place, was sadly demolished in previous years. Flash revitalized Project Logan and had a huge paint event this summer. Flash stated, “Project Logan and the 606 are designed for graffiti artists to push themselves. We are proud to have done The Ramezzell Battle Racers and Battle 4 the City. We need more artist interaction for it to grow.”
After the first year, the battle was opened up to any writer who would be in town during the event. The challenge was heightened in the fourth year with a transition to a crew battle at the 49th and Western wall in Back of the Yards. “As the event evolved, we recognized the opportunity to enhance participation by transitioning to crew battles. This shift allowed more artists to join in, fostering a greater sense of community and collaboration within the graffiti scene,” said the B4TC team.
This year’s fifth installment of the battle took place August 25 at another classic graffiti and street art spot, the walls below the 606 trail in Humboldt Park; home to a wide range of graffiti, street art, and murals through the years.
The battle featured 12 crews competing for their highest prize yet of $10,000 in cash and $2,000 in paint from Kobra Paint. The 12 crews participating this year were XMEN, AIR, COH, MUL, WASP, EDSK, WAR, ITS, CAB, GAK, NBC (Los Angeles, California), and BAC (Inland Empire, California). On top of heavy hitter crews, the judges for the competition were living legends in the Graffiti scene, Take2, Due102, Casper, Zore64, and TKid170, a pioneer of the NYC subway graffiti movement in the 70s and 80s. The judges created burners on a wall of their own. There was also an exhibition battle between YOKI and NORE.
“It has impacted our city to the point everyone in the scene is familiar with the event, and has competed at least once. If not, we’re getting to you. We believe we are achieving our goals of getting artists to produce on a high level,” said B4TC. Their mission is to continue to reach as many artists and creative talent as possible and keep heightening the stakes each year. “I would look to places like Berlin, which has a thriving street art scene characterized by its political messaging and diverse artistic expressions…Another exciting option would be inviting writers from São Paulo, Brazil, where the graffiti scene is not only colorful but also deeply connected to social issues and community engagement. Each of these locations offers distinctive styles and cultural influences that would elevate the battle and create a dynamic exchange of ideas among artists,” said B4TC.
BATTLE 4 THE CITY 2024
1st Place: NBC (Los Angeles, California) 👑
2nd Place: BAC (Inland Empire, California)
3rd Place: Tie between GAK and XMEN
Finished Crew Photos
Battle 4 the City 2024 was sponsored by Momentum Art Tech, BTEC, Task2, Kobra Paint, Red’s, Indirap, Bushman, RX Water, Clark Street Sports, Montana Cans, Brown Wall Project, Wild Style Signs, IMG. The vendors included Windy City Burger Social Club, Quirky Kitch, Everybody Eats, Avāl’s Kitchen, El Coqui, S.H.E. Gallery, Tkid, Kuaze Art, ILLform, Tsel, House of Neon Brains, Elevated Barbershop, Fess graphics, Bagizzles, and Wreckzilla. Live music acts included A.M. Early Morning, Pugslee Atomz, and Qwel & Maker.
Nicole Misfitx is a writer and photographer passionate about documenting art, graffiti, and street art in Chicago. Her love of writing led her to receive a degree in Creative Writing and Journalism from schooling at Columbia College Chicago and SNHU. She then combined her love of documenting art, photography, and writing to showcase various art, artists, and important social topics. Her drive for writing is to give exposure to lesser-known artists and the overall street art and graffiti scene in Chicago. In addition, she enjoys nature, travel, movies, all things spooky, and fashion.