My birthday always reminds me of 1996. It is one of my favorite years. I was a teenager on the verge of
independence. I would express myself
without holding back.
That year I received the greatest gift of all. A map that would lay out my future.
I was under the wing of Mane whom I had adopted as my big
brother. He was teaching me how to master
and extract my artist abilities.
Mane is one of the greatest graffiti writers I know. Years later when he died I was crushed to see
that our city, Chicago showed him no respect.
There weren’t tags of his name all over the city like you saw when other
graff writers died.
Mane was a travel painter.
He traveled to different cities to paint. He also hosted graffiti writers from
different cities or countries, when they came here to paint.
Mane also painted thousands of freight trains. Talk about a way for your art to travel. On top of that he published a graffiti magazine
and exchanged graff pictures with graff writers from around the world.
On my birthday I always reflect upon what my life has taught
me. I also like to thank those who have
made a significant impact on me. Here is
my homage to my big bro Mane, his life lives through his artwork.
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MANESTAR
What calls you to the streets
and makes your heart beat
faster than a train passing by
while you wait ready
to tag, bomb, spray
spraypaint
walls, rooftops, stickers, freights, tunnels, floors,
windows, doors
rails, bridges, billboards, highways
etch sketch drop flow
visit me again we’ll paint the sky
road trip fr8 painting CinCity
Shore Devo Bize Happy Bday Mama Free
Drane BSA
FS TFD
Everyone Loves Da Art wildstyled
CTA Mega Mall Walls greeting to you
trying to meet all the female writers
you put me on first graffmag
Repping for Da Ladies
checking them girlies frontin’
only down for groupieing
I rocked the town hardcore 90s
rats in tunnels ran from me
all-nighter blackbook sessions wrecking
Wake me up I’m done studying
Take me there:
Minneapolis : Randolph
Cleveland : Tripping
Dallas : White Street
Toronto, St. Louis, Oklahoma , Detroit , Indianapolis
Boston, Tennessee, Puerto Rico, Miami
MANESTAR chillin rocking it Coast to Coast
San Diego, San Francisco Coronado Bay Bridge
Los Angeles Skyline at Dusk
Oakland Bay Bridge from Treasure Island
Big Apple Rock Steady Crew anniversary
Travel Painting Lord
Master freeing Congress
dismissing my case
missing one bday but you got me on the next
I’m keeping it right
I’m keeping it write
While you were
playing cupid daylight
wallpainting without permission
off Montrose cemetery
clever racking profiling
color schemes
designing mapped layouts
transiting your art
Chicago’s Crazy Artists
Blue line meetings freeze forward
He took life with stride
stenciled outlines
fat caps, snowballs, thins
our words exchanged
pencil-marked fingerprints
sparks of paint specs
sharpies magnums SG7s
meanstreaks griffin scents
aromas drove us
ominous disasters
I dualcrated stepped fr8 heights
you topped off my work
fenced fingerblood stained
I climbed
to get away
PR, French, European, National, Local writers
getting me home
saved
big brother, my big brotha
watching over me
Manestar glistening
By: Elda Alanis
