The biggest difference between East Coast and West Coast graffiti is where each one grew up. East Coast graffiti was born on New York City subway trains, where writers raced to get their names seen across five boroughs, which pushed them toward huge, colorful, interlocking letters. West Coast graffiti grew out of Los Angeles neighborhood lettering and a strong mural tradition, so it tends toward sharp, carefully drawn script and big painted walls that tell a story. Both styles feed the street art you see today, and both look incredible on canvas.
East Coast Graffiti: Born on the New York Subway
Modern graffiti writing took off in New York in the late 1960s and 1970s. Teenagers wrote their tags on subway cars because a train carried your name through the whole city every day. As more writers joined in, a simple tag wasn’t enough to stand out, so the letters grew. Writers developed puffy bubble letters, then “wildstyle,” where letters twist, overlap and sprout arrows until only other writers can read them. Full “whole car” pieces covered entire train cars in color.
When the city cleaned up the subway in the 1980s, the culture moved to walls, rooftops and legendary spots like 5 Pointz in Long Island City, Queens, a warehouse where writers from around the world painted for years. We wrote about it in 5 Pointz, the graffiti mecca of NYC.
East Coast style is also tied tightly to hip hop, which started in the Bronx in the 1970s. Graffiti, DJing, MCing and breakdancing grew up together, which is why New York rap legends and spray paint feel like a natural match on canvas.
What East Coast style looks like
- Big, bold, colorful letters built to be read from a moving train
- Bubble letters, wildstyle, arrows, drips and 3D shadows
- Busy, layered backgrounds packed with tags and throw-ups
- Subway signs, brick walls and city grit as the setting
West Coast Graffiti: Cholo Lettering and Giant Murals
Los Angeles has its own graffiti roots that go back decades before the New York subway era. Mexican American neighborhoods developed “cholo” writing: crisp, angular letters inspired by Old English and blackletter type, usually painted in a single color with a steady hand. These “placas” marked neighborhood pride, and the lettering style is still one of the most recognizable looks in street art. Artists like Chaz Bojórquez later carried it from the street into galleries.
LA is also a city of murals. The Chicano mural movement of the 1970s filled walls with large painted scenes about history, family and community, including the half-mile-long Great Wall of Los Angeles. That storytelling tradition is a big reason why West Coast walls often feel like paintings rather than letters.
What West Coast style looks like
- Sharp, elegant script and Old English-style lettering
- Cleaner lines and more open space around the subject
- Large portrait murals and story-driven scenes
- Sunshine colors: golds, purples, sky blues and sunset oranges
Where the Two Coasts Meet: Hip Hop and Sports Murals
In the 1990s the coasts were famous rivals in rap, but in art the styles have borrowed from each other for years. Today you’ll find wildstyle letters in LA and portrait murals all over New York. The clearest example is the sports mural. After Kobe Bryant’s death in 2020, murals honoring him appeared across Los Angeles and around the world, and painted tributes to athletes have become one of the hottest trends in street art since.
How to Bring Each Coast to Your Walls
Whether you rep New York or LA, here are canvas pieces from our collection that capture each side. Every print is available ready to hang or as a print only, in several sizes.
For the East Coast crowd
- Run DMC Kings from Queens canvas art: the Hollis trio in full NY-style graffiti color
- Notorious B.I.G. graffiti portrait: Brooklyn’s king wearing his crown
- NAS boombox graffiti canvas: Queensbridge energy with an old school boombox
- Derek Jeter subway graffiti art: the Yankee Stadium subway sign wrapped in tags
- 5 Pointz Graffiti Mecca photo canvas: a real piece of Queens graffiti history
For the West Coast crowd
- Shohei Ohtani West Coast graffiti canvas: LA baseball against a bright graffiti wall
- Mamba Madness Kobe mural art: Kobe’s energy in true LA mural style
- King Kobe Mamba Magic canvas: Kobe soaring over layered color
Can’t pick a side? Hang one of each. A New York hip hop piece next to an LA sports mural makes a great conversation wall for a game room, studio or man cave. Browse the full hip hop wall art collection or the sports graffiti art collection for more.
FAQ
What is the main difference between East Coast and West Coast graffiti?
East Coast graffiti grew up on New York subway trains and is known for big, colorful bubble letters and wildstyle. West Coast graffiti grew from Los Angeles cholo lettering and the mural movement, so it leans toward sharp script and large painted scenes.
What is wildstyle graffiti?
Wildstyle is a complex New York lettering style where letters twist, overlap and connect with arrows and other shapes, often so intricate that only other writers can read them.
What is cholo graffiti?
Cholo graffiti is a Los Angeles lettering tradition from Mexican American neighborhoods, known for crisp, angular letters inspired by Old English type and usually painted in one color.
Can I get graffiti art for my home without painting a wall?
Yes. A graffiti canvas print gives you the look of a street mural without paint or a permit. Our canvases come ready to hang or as a print only, in several sizes.
