????

Can someone please explain this madness to me. Spotted at Milwaukee/Sacramento.

SOLE (RIP)

This is old news to anyone in the Chicago graffiti scene. SOLE died while running from the cops while painting on the South side. He was at an abandoned building and he jumped in the river to escape. He drowned in that river. I got to thinking on him when I saw another RIP mural. I didn't even know who the mural was for. DARE ONE. And I'll never know him. It made me sad.






I started thinking about SOLE. I'm not gonna tell you he was an awesome guy, I didn't know him. There are plenty of people out there that will attest to the fact he was a great guy. I only knew his work. I used to see SOLE everywhere on the Northside when I lived in Rogers Park. He was one of the most Up writers around. Up means you have graffiti on display in the city. He was in UAC crew which also was Up all over the city. A crew is a group of graffiti writers working together for a common goal.
Usually involving graffiti.
His style was simple and
straight forward. He had a
well balanced tag and didn't
elaborate with flourish or
style. His tags were like
working class tags. He had a
city job, I think. He lived in the burbs and came and
did graffiti in the city.
I imagine him on a metra train with other commuters. Business men with briefcases and laptops. SOLE sitting there with a jansport backpack filled with spray paint and markers. Putting in his time at the office.
Some people will say he died a stupid death doing a
stupid thing. Man, arguing about the legitimacy of
graffiti is like arguing about the sun coming up. It is
illegal and none of us give a fucking fuck. He was painting an abandoned factory. He had done his share
of property damage. He also did his share of jail and
fines. He was no stranger to the criminal court system. Thats a big part of the graff game. If you don't have the stones to get arrested or get your ass beatdown and robbed
Then STEP THE FUCK off.
There is alot of risk involved in doing graffiti. Some pay the price. Its awful he jumped in that river. Its terrible he died. I didnt know him. I knew of him. I saw his work daily. I knew people that partied with him and they told me such funny stories about SOLE. I wish I could of met him. I wish he was still tagging train stops and random bus seats. RIP SOLE.
The news story on him. ( http://archive.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/03/authorities-attempt-to-rescue-man-in-chicago-river.html )
A poem written about him that almost made me cry
( http://kcovaleverydaypeople.blogspot.com/2010/03/falling-up-call-to-arms-rip-sole-uac.html )