Not too long ago, I had the pleasure of having my friend Tame Artz over to discuss his work. I’m fortunate that I can casually stumble on his remarkable murals during a leisurely stroll, with his newest one on the street just behind my house. If you aren’t familiar with his name but are invested in the Philadelphia arts scene, you’ve likely seen his work without realizing it. Truth be told, without Tame, the artistic communities here in Philly from the Hip-Hop scene to the graffiti writers, would not be what they are today.
Tame’s talents embody Hip-Hop. The Puerto Rican native grew up surrounded by the arts, watching his mother hone in on her own craft for hours. Once his family moved to Philadelphia, he fixated on graffiti. By the 90s, he was being mentored by the neighborhood artists, leaving his mark all around 5th and Cecil. He later helped transform that same area into the Sunflower, a staple for artists and creatives during the pandemic. He stayed around the neighborhood for his two newest installations as well, remaining about 10 minutes from the Temple University campus and just minutes from my house.
From there, Tame’s art has only continued to grow as he’s used it to be active in the community, giving back with family-friendly events, arts initiatives, and fundraisers for the local youth. He also used his graffiti to make history as he was the first graffiti artist in the world to have a three-month exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. He has also been commissioned to create pieces for the Academy of Natural Sciences. Tame has continued to introduce the historic elements of Hip-Hop with his Hip-Hop in the Park Festival, which is coming back for its 5th year! Hip-Hop in the Park is a beautiful homage to Tame’s relationship and backstory with the culture. He uses it to reminisce on his adolescence, showcasing the ways in which Hip-Hop brings the people to do so. The event will be taking place on August 9th, and is a family affair, so all ages are welcome.
Tame was amazing enough to take some time to sit with me and talk about the event to come, as well as some of the festival’s, and some of his own’s, roots. You can check out our interview below, and make sure to pop up for the free festival on August 9th!
Make sure to check out Tame’s Instagram before to stay in the know about the festival and the work he’s doing to not only grace our walls of Philadelphia but enrich the community with the freedom and liberty to create whatever our hearts desire!
And make sure to keep up with Spice on the Beat for more Hip-Hop♥ We have amazing interviews, events, and editorials coming soon!
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