All My Graffiti Writers be Crushin' the city with that Krink! WATCH The Vice Report!

To tell the story of Krink, the world’s quickest growing art supply line, you need to hear the story of KR, an entrepreneur who learned everything the hard way. KR grew up in Queens in the ‘80s surrounded by graffiti writers, skaters, and punks. Graf was a part of the attitude as much as it was the landscape. Everything was very DIY: steal paint, illegal spots, make markers, emphasize your style, experiment with multiple tools and methods. A lot of it was also based in economy (or lack thereof): sharing and stealing were simply a necessary part of the creative process.

In the late ‘80s, graf on trains died and the art spilled out onto the streets and highways. Writers became more mobile and so styles and tools changed accordingly. Homemade markers that had been the norm were too messy to carry and homemade inks faded in the sun. Pilot-brand silver paint markers became the tool of the trade yet in many ways couldn’t meet this new generation of artist’s very specific needs.