Top Mob:
A History of New Orleans Graffiti sponsored by Mo’s Art Supply at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art
In New Orleans, a group of friends—using the aliases Bugs One, SGP, and Dusky—began writing graffiti together in 1984, forming a crew
called Top Mob. SGP brought photographs of New York graffiti back to New Orleans, and another friend, Risk, returned with West Coast styles
from Los Angeles.
The Top Mob artists assimilated these writing styles into their work. The city’s growing punk and hip-hop scene expanded the roster of Top Mob artists to include names like Baser, Rock, Elle
One, Kane, Kash, Axe, Harsh, and local legend DJ REAL. Bugs and SGP eventually moved to Los Angeles in the early 90’s; Bugs returned home
to become an influential graffiti artist, blending East and West into a distinctly New Orleans Southern style.
Over the course of 30-plus years, Top Mob has remained a relevant crew with a longevity
unparalleled in the history of New Orleans graffiti.