Before street art was in galleries and hip-hop was a global force, respect in New York had to be earned—not given. Michael “Kaves” McLeer came up in the raw streets of Brooklyn, where your skills as a graffiti writer or breakdancer determined whether you belonged. From tagging trains to rocking stages with Lordz of Brooklyn, Kaves carved out his legacy the only way that mattered—by proving himself.
In this video, Kaves takes us back to the era when the city was a battleground of creativity, where the best artists weren’t just making art—they were surviving it. He breaks down what it meant to grow up on the wrong side of the tracks in Bay Ridge, why graffiti was more than just writing on walls, and how the streets of NYC shaped him into the multi-faceted artist he is today.
Watch as he shares untold stories of old New York, the unwritten rules of respect, and the power of self-expression in a city that made you fight for your place.
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