painted or marked in any manner on property. Graffiti is often regarded by others as unsightly damage or unwanted vandalism and something that they want removed. Hence, graffiti removal and protection services have gone into business.

Modern graffiti is often seen as having become intertwined with Hip-Hop culture as one of the four main elements of the culture (along with the Master of ceremony, the disc jockey, and break dancing), through Hollywood movies such as Wild Style. However, modern (twentieth century) graffiti predates hip hop by almost a decade and has its own culture, complete with its own unique style and slang.

Initial groundwork for the current social significance of graffiti in America began around the late 1960s. Around this time, graffiti was used as a form of expression by political activists. It was considered a cheap and easy way to make a statement, with minimal risk to the artist (the artist, often, a hippie).

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