Coke La Rock is Still Here: Thrive’s Love Letter to Hip Hop
On the final day of Hip Hop’s 50th Anniversary Year, we offer our love letter to hip hop: “Coke La Rock is Still Here.” Video by Eric Mason. Filmed at…
read moreTats Cru’s hip hop pedigree runs deep. Known as “The Mural Kings,” their members grew up in Bronx River Houses and the South Bronx, home of the Universal Zulu Nation. They refined their skills painting at block parties and on subways in the 1980s.
Friends from high school, BG183, Bio, and Nicer evolved their art into a business as young adults. They took commissions from local merchants, painted memorial walls, and helped friends like Fat Joe, Big Pun, J Lo, Nas, and many others sell albums with street art. In the mid 1990s, Coca Cola hired them. Sony and other global brands followed. They’ve earned induction in the pantheon of Hip Hop greats.
A lot of people call themselves kings and queens. For some, it’s aspirational or a power grab. For Tats Cru, they’re battle tested and continue to reign more than four decades into iconic careers. Thank you for your support of the movement to “Bring Art Back” to all students and public schools in New York City and beyond.