In the late 1970s, New York City was bankrupt, dirty and dangerous. Born on these grimy streets, graffiti rapidly made its mark. Here, twelve legendary graffiti writers – the original subway artists whose creative genius fuelled the earliest flowering of the movement – give first-person accounts of their experiences. Individually interviewed for this book by Sacha Jenkins, they reveal an authentic, unparalleled insight into the golden age of graffiti. Illustrated with Henry Chalfant’s original photographs, this book captures all the raw, explosive creativity of that era.