Midwestern Grandmasters and Assassins of the Letter

This July, the heart of downtown will become the site of a major public art event honoring the originators and innovators of graffiti in the Upper Midwest. Twin Cities Illest / Train Champs Inc. is a large-scale mural project presented by Joe Ellis Art and Modern Day Me, bringing together legendary writers from the TCI and AKB crews—two of the region’s most influential forces in graffiti painting history.

Founded in 1993 by INTEL and HYBRID in Madison, Wisconsin, TCI (Train Champs Inc.) became synonymous with high-level freight train painting. Their arrival in the Twin Cities paralleled the rise of AKB, founded by EMER (Chaka Mkali), EROS, and LOGIC. When these crews connected, they created something rare: a regional school of painting rooted in mutual respect, stylistic discipline, and community lineage.

“This isn’t nostalgia,” says Joe Ellis. “This is a declaration. These are living artists who have shaped the city’s visual language for decades. And they’re still painting, still evolving.”

The mural, painted live over three days at 9th & Hennepin, is more than a public artwork. It is a tribute to a movement, a moment, and a man. HYBRID, co-founder of TCI, passed away earlier this year. His name will be painted with intention, surrounded by the very crew he helped build.

Schedule of Events:

Friday, July 11 – Wall Prep & First Marks
Buffing begins. Artists sketch and start layering the background. Open to the public.

Saturday, July 12 – Live Mural Painting (12–7 PM)
Spray cans in motion. Artists at work. Witness the mural come to life in real time.

Sunday, July 13 – Final Touches & Open Viewing (12–4 PM)
Final layers, documentation, and informal community gathering. Public welcome.

Why It Matters

This project affirms graffiti as a serious form of contemporary painting—complex, evolving, and deeply embedded in the creative DNA of Minneapolis and St. Paul. These are not anonymous tags or ephemeral trends. This is a living tradition. A visual language forged in the rail yards, refined in the streets, and carried forward by generations.

Graffiti is not decoration. It’s not vandalism. It’s not past tense. It’s present tense.

And it’s being painted right now.

Image: Chaka Mkali, The Many Faces of Violence, 2023, Acrylic & Gesso on Masonite panel, 49.25 x 96.5 inches, (CM00001)