TAKI 183: The NYC Subway Writer Who Helped Make Graffiti Go All-City
What is TAKI 183 known for?
TAKI 183 is known as one of the earliest graffiti artists to achieve citywide recognition in New York. In the early 1970s, his name appeared across subway trains, stations, and streets, helping establish the NYC subway as the most important canvas for early train taggers.
Who was TAKI 183?
TAKI 183, born Demetrius, was a teenager from Washington Heights in Manhattan. Like many early writers, his name combined a nickname and a street number.
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TAKI = nickname
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183 = 183rd Street
After seeing another tag, “Julio 204,” he began writing his own name across the city. His job as a messenger allowed him to travel widely, spreading his tag throughout multiple boroughs.
Why TAKI 183 matters in graffiti history
TAKI 183 helped define one of the core ideas of early graffiti: being seen everywhere.
At a time when most graffiti was local, his widespread tagging made it possible for a writer to become known across the entire city. In 1971, a New York Times article about him brought unprecedented attention to graffiti, introducing the culture of train taggers and subway writing to a much wider audience.
TAKI 183 and the NYC subway
The rise of TAKI 183 coincided with the moment the NYC subway system became the most powerful medium for graffiti. A tag on a train could travel across boroughs, reaching thousands of people in a single day.
This transformed graffiti from:
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Local street marking
→ Into a citywide visual competition
Legacy
Although TAKI 183 eventually stopped writing, his impact remained. He helped establish:
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The idea of “all-city” fame
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The subway as graffiti’s central stage
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The foundation for future generations of graffiti artists
FAQ
Was TAKI 183 the first graffiti artist?
No, but he was one of the first to become widely known and to achieve all-city recognition.
Why is TAKI 183 important to train taggers?
Because he showed that graffiti could spread across the entire NYC subway system, not just one neighborhood.
