Educational Media Reviews Online

Over the last 25 years, the Bronx, NY, based Tats Cru has work diligently and passionately to raise awareness and appreciation of graffiti. No longer just meaningless tagging, scribbling or vandalism, graffiti is in high demand and is an integral part of the hip hop culture. The feature length documentary Tats Cru: The Mural Kings, follows the crew of graffiti artists (know as the Cru) as they participate in the annual Graffiti Hall of Fame, in Harlem, NY. An enormously popular and revered event, the Hall of Fame is known internationally and features the very best in graffiti art.

For the most part the documentary captures the Cru’s actual work on the Hall of Fame mural, which is truly fascinating to watch. These men deftly wield spray paint cans as if they were merely writing with a pen or pencil. The documentary also features a good deal of interviews with the Cru and other members of the community, which detail the rise of the cru from subway painting to establishing their own company and becoming a sought after commodity for memorials and hip hop marketing campaigns. While some, including the police, may still view graffiti as vandalism, Tats Cru exemplifies how much talent and artistry are involved in this process. The documentary is very well done, includes appropriate music, and the video and sound editing are of excellent quality. The only disclaimer that can be included in this review is that there is a fair amount of profanity in the documentary. The profanity is not really gratuitous given the context of the film, but it may be inappropriate for younger viewers. Otherwise, Tats Cru: The Mural Kings is highly recommended and is best suited for school and possibly academic libraries, and can be used to support curriculum in the areas of art, Latino (or ethnic) studies, or popular culture / social studies.