Going For Gatsby

3XMFAn inside look into one of Nashville’s subcultures.

Jacob Parker

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a Ancient Eyptians put their lives onto stone.

The Catacombs of Rome houses early Christian

art underground. Graffitti in today’s culture,

despite it’s evidence of importance throughout

history, has a bad reputation. Though, as a rising

trend in big cities, it is becoming a popular art

form to cultures across the nation. Leon, a

member of the crew 3XMF, doesn’t agree with

society’s perspective of graffitti.

“It’s not really considered an art. You have

all this other weird shit that people go crazy over

and call ‘modern art,’ while graffitti is just

looked down on.”

Growing up in a bad neighborhood in

Nashville, Leon grew to know the streets and

so-called vandalism isn’t of relative importance.

Theft, selling the stolen goods, and dealing

cocaine were a few of the ways he got by.

“I started slingin’ when I was fourteen.

I made more doing that than what I’m making

in construction now. I was pulling about seven

hundred dollars in two days.”

“I started slingin’ when I was fourteen. I made more doing that than what I’m making in construction now. I was pulling about seven hundred dollars in two days.”

Leon has only recently become a part

of the crew 3XMF. 3XMF is two graffiti crews,

3XM and MFAO, that converged a few years

ago. Leon said when graffitti first started it

was just a tag, but the style changed, and it

became an entire movement. He thinks part

of the negativity towards graffiti comes from

it’s early association with hip-hop.

“But look at what it turned into. There’s

crews in New York, Chicago, Cali. Look at

the 7th Letter crew. They’re corporate level.

They’re selling shit now.”

Consisting of about 100 members,

3XMF is considered one of the larger groups

considering their small beginnings. However,

while diverse, not everyone can join the

family.

“Not just any one can write MF on some-

thing. It’s disrespectful. You have to earn it.”

Graffitti has certain structures that make

it what it is. Leon mentions that letters are

the most important in maintaing form.

“If you can’t read your name, you’re fucking

up.”

Practice is essential to attaining your unique

style. Leon practices in almost all of his free

time during the day, and he estimates a

collective seven hours.

“You can’t teach it. You learn it.”

Leon says it’s a tight group, but they

All photos were used with permission or taken by me.

are consistently growing in numbers, and getting

letters from out of state people who want to be a part

of the crew.

“It’s something we take pride in.”

Leon expects for there to be big things coming

from 3XMF. The crew has already done work for sev-

eral elementary schools, and one of their members is

doing murals. Another had a request from a group of

“hippies” to paint their van.They are currently in the

process of copyrighting their name, and Leon expects

them to go industrial.

“We’ve got a big future ahead, especially after how

far we’ve already come.”