ICONS: A Conversation with Legendary Graffiti Artists Prime and Man One

Jose “Prime” Reza is a founding father of Los Angeles’ famed, stylized graffiti lettering. He created the artwork for Close to the Edge: The Birth of Hip-Hop Architecture, the dynamic exhibition co-presented by Helms Bakery District, SoCal NOMA and A+D Museum about the elements of hip-hop – emceeing, b-boying, and graffiti – and their influence on design and architecture.

On Friday, September 15, Prime will sit down with celebrated muralist Man One, in a conversation moderated by Scott “Sourdough” Power, creator and publisher of indie arts media website NotRealArt.com. Prime and Man One will talk about the birth of graffiti in LA and the influence of East Coast hip-hop; and they will share stories about wild childhoods painting the walls of LA, to what it means to be established artists navigating a world in which street art is a commodity.

Photo Courtesy of Helms Bakery District