Uh, Mr. Policeman, Its Clear You've Got the Wrong Man

Recently, a photo of a graffiti tagger tagging a cop car started making national news.  It was big news because a teen named Luis Rodriguez reportedly outed himself by liking an action photo of himself on Facebook.

The story is this--After the Huntington Beach Riots, the Huntington Beach Police Department posted some photos of the alleged culprits on their own Facebook page.  Then, a friend of Luis Rodriguez tagged him and liked the photo.  Luis Rodriguez was subsequently arrested by the HBPD.

The mainstream media is reporting the story as an example of how foolish supposed criminals can be with social media.  True.

However, the thing is, it is obvious that the police arrested the wrong dude.  The guy tagging the cars is clearly a different guy that is shown in the other photos.  The guy tagging the cars is wearing a red hat with a white emblem over the back side of the cap--the pictures of Luis Rodriguez show him wearing a different red hat with no white emblem.  Furthermore, the dude tagging the cars has a clear 5 o'clock shadow where his facial hair stretches down from his sideburns.  The clean shaven Luis Rodriguez does not have any hair stubble growth on his face.  Perhaps Luis got into other mischief during the Huntington Beach Riots, but if the police are saying that they caught the dude who tagged the cop cars, well, then you've definitely caught the wrong dude.

On a different but related note, even though M&F has reportedly warned the street art community about the dangers and perils of loose behavior on social media, it hasn't seemed to discourage most folks from being completely open about 'vandalism'.  But this story should serve as a stark reminder.  Listen, M&F isn't telling you to do anything illegal, but, if you're going to be doing something that might be, be smart.  Don't incriminate yourself over social media.  And remember this street artists--Facebook is not a 'safe zone'!  The Huntington Beach Police Department has a page for God's sake!

Stay up, and stay smart!

(Check out the pics below to see how it is clear that Luiz Rodriguez is not the cop car tagger!)

Jaber - Forget Internet Fame

Forget about internet fame.  Forget about all the dudes who do 5 pieces of art and then blast it on Tumblr like they have a name.  Jaber has been earning a name on the streets for longer than some artists have been alive--and he is still one of the most active names in the game.  Few can compare to the ups that Jaber has got and how is is killing it worldwide.

Not only does Jaber get up everywhere, but he is also pioneering new techniques.  Sure, plenty of dudes have used customized paint sprayers, but have you ever seen one that is so clean with such a fat cap?  Its like hand tag blown up 1000 times.  The method is Jaber's secret recipe.  Shots captured from Downtown Los Angeles.

Dig it.  No one has earned it more . . . Stay Up!

To Live, Die and Go All-City in LA

Blind and Back UAO RK get up everywhere in Los Angeles.  Seriously, take a walk around your block--wherever you live in LA, and you will probably see a sticker or a tag from these uber-prolific graffiti writers.

Blinder and Back One have definitely gone All City, and this sticker gives a shout out to LA.  Its a good motto--To live, die, and get up everywhere in LA~

This sticker was spotted deep in Porn Valley, past the 118.

This might be an old slap tag because the red is completely faded off the postal sticker and the crews that Blinder reps are ILG and UOR, which he doesn't put up as much anymore.

Sidewalk Tagging

FREE SMEAR!

In a direct response to the article in the LA Times, the LAPD raided Smear's house and later re-arrested him on the charge of violating probation by having 'vandalism tools'.

This harassment is unfortunate and ridiculous. We can vouch first hand that Smear is not tagging, and these 'vandalism tools' are simply the paint and brushes of an artist.