fiti,
      or
      tagging,
      on
      account
      of
      its
     
     
      being
      illegal.
      If
      someone
      is
      caught
     
     
      writing
      graffiti
      in
      the
      city,
      they
      face
     
     
      receiving
      a
      fine
      of
      $120.
     
    

    
     
      One
      local
      graffiti
      artist,
     
     
      AtariPosterBoy
      (apb),
      explains
      the
     
     
      troubles
      he’s
      encountered
      trying
      to
     
     
      express
      his
      art:
      “I’ve
      been
      taggin’
     
     
      for
      over
      a
      year.
      Mostly
      marker
      tags,
     
     
      but
      I
      design
      a
      lot
      0’
      pieces
      too,
      (i.e.
     
     
      big-assed
      tags
      that
      are
      supposed
      to
     
     
      be
      painted
      on
      walls)
      but
      I’ve
      only
     
     
      tried
      cans
      twice...
      and
      the
      second
     
     
      time
      I
      got
      spotted
      and
      chased
      and
     
     
      ended
      up
      losin’
      my
      backpack
      and
     
     
      all
      my
      paint
      and
      caps
      and
      a
      pair
      of
     
     
      pants
      that
      were
      in
      the
      bag.
      Sucks.
      I
     
     
      was
      just
      in
      the
      stairwell
      of
      a
     
     
      parkade
      —
      no
      big
      deal.
      Parkades
     
     
      are
      ugly
      as
      hell.
      They
      deserve
      to
     
     
      have
      something
      cool
      painted
      on
     
     
      them....
      Anyway,
      I
      was
      lucky
      the
     
     
      bastard
      was
      fat.
      I
      don’t
      think
      he
      ran
     
     
      more
      than
      two
      steps
      to
      try
      to
      catch
     
    
   
   
    
     
      2°
     
    
   
   
    
     
      me.
     
     
      PLATINUM
      THUGGZ
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Another
      important
      member
     
     
      of
      Charlottetown’s
      hip-hop
      com-
     
     
      munity
      is
      Troy
      Carter,
      owner
      and
     
     
      founder
      of
      Platinum
      Thuggz,
      the
     
     
      city’s
      only
      hip-hop
      shop.
     
    

    
     
      Carter’s
      store
      sells
      clothing
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Platinum
      Thuggz:
      Charlottetown
      s
      only
      hip-hop
      store
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (urban
      fashion
      including
      his
      own
     
     
      line),
      hair
      products,
      head
      gear,
      jew-
     
     
      ellery,
      magazines,
      rolling
      papers,
     
     
      and
      new
      vinyl
      and
      CDs
      by
      local
     
     
      artists.
     
    

    
     
      Platinum
      Thuggz
      allows
     
     
      local
      “heads”
      to
      come
      and
      hang
      out
     
     
      or
      hone
      their
      skills
      on
      the
      micro-
     
     
      phone
      and
      turntable.
     
    

    
     
      Carter
      explained
      his
      inspi-
     
     
      ration
      for
      opening
      the
      shop:
      “I
      was
     
     
      always
      into
      hip-hop
      culture,
      the
     
     
      music,
      the
      clothes,
      and
      there
      was
     
     
      nothing
      like
      this
      here.
      You
      could
     
     
      never
      find
      any
      of
      the
      clothes
      or
      a
     
     
      place
      to
      hang
      out
      so
      I
      started
      my
     
     
      own
      line,
      King
      Club
      Hip
      Gear,
      and
     
     
      from
      there
      on
      I
      just
      put
      that
      and
      the
     
     
      store
      all
      in
      one
      and
      started
      it
      all
     
     
      up.”
     
    

    
     
      Before
      opening
      the
      store,
     
     
      Carter
      circulated
      surveys
      and
     
     
      learned
      how
      great
      the
      demand
      for
      a
     
     
      hip-hop
      store
      actually
      was.
     
    

    
     
      Carter
      has
      not
      encountered
     
     
      any
      adversity
      from
      people
      who
     
     
      might
      not
      really
      understand
      the
      cul-
     
     
      ture,
      but
      he
      also
      had
      not
      received
     
     
      any
      financial
      aid
      from
      government.
     
    

    
     
      Carter’s
      shop
      is
      currently
     
     
      Prince
      Edward
      Island’s
      only
      suppli-
     
     
      er
      of
      new
      hip-hop
      vinyl.
      “I
      never
     
     
      knew
      there
      were
      so
      many
      DJs
      here.
     
     
      I
      just
      brought
      in
      a
      few
      pieces
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Graffiti
      on
      display
      at
      Platinum
      Thuggz
     
    
   
   
    
     
      check
      it
      out
      and
      all
      of
      a
      sudden
     
     
      there
      were
      DJs
      coming
      in
      from
      all
     
     
      over.
      So
      I’m
      turning
      a
      whole
      sec-
     
     
      tion
      of
      the
      store
      to
      sell
      vinyl
      and
     
     
      another
      part
      for
      old
      used
      vinyl
      so
      a
     
     
      lot
      of
      DJs
      can
      look
      for
      beats.”
     
    

    
     
      Other
      innovations
      _
      that
     
     
      Carter
      is
      introducing
      into
      his
      store
     
     
      are
      a
      barber
      shop
      area,
      a
      section
      for
     
     
      playing
      dice,
      and
      an
      area
      where
      he
     
     
      will
      sell
      turntables.
     
    

    
     
      On
      top
      of
      running
      Platinum
     
     
      Thuggz,
      Carter
      has
      been
      putting
      on
     
     
      hip-hop
      shows.
      His
      shows
      have
     
     
      been
      all-ages
      shows
      and
      have
      fea-
     
     
      tured
      Halifax
      artists
      including
     
     
      Classified
      and
      local
      artists.
      He
      also
     
     
      hopes
      to
      bring
      in
      bigger
      names
     
     
      such
      as
      Choclair
      and
      Naughty
      by
     
     
      Nature.
     
    

    
     
      When
      asked
      why
      he
      puts
      on
     
     
      all-ages
      shows,
      Carter
      said,
      “The
     
     
      people
      who
      came
      here
      so
      far,
     
     
      (Maestro,
      Choclair)
      were
      at
     
     
      Myron’s
      and
      there
      was
      so
      many
     
     
      people
      that
      wanted
      to
      see
      that
      and
     
     
      there
      was
      not
      that
      many
      people
      at
     
     
      the
      show
      because
      of
      the
      age
      group.
     
     
      I
      want
      to
      do
      shows
      for
      all
      ages
      so
     
     
      that
      everyone
      can
      enjoy
      it.”
     
    

    
     
      Another
      important
      feature
     
     
      that
      Carter’s
      shop
      has
      is
      an
      area
      in
     
     
      the
      back
      of
      the
      store
      where
      graffiti
     
     
      artists
      have
      a
      place
      to
      display
      their
     
     
      pieces.
      This
      section
      features
      art-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Halifax
     
     
      Charlottetown
      artists.
     
     
      “There
      is
      nothing
      wrong
     
    
   
   
    
     
      work
      from
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      with
      good
      graffiti,”
      explained
     
     
      carter.
      “There
      is
      crappy
      graffiti
     
     
      with
      just
      swearing,
      but
      you
      see
      in
     
     
      other
      cities
      where
      there
      is
      some
     
     
      nice
      artwork.
      I
      think
      there
      should
     
     
      be
      a
      place
      in
      town
      where
      the
      city
     
     
      should
      let
      the
      people
      who
      are
      good
     
     
      express
      themselves.
      Because
      it
      is
     
     
      art.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      FREEDOM
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Some
      graffiti
      artists,
      how-
     
     
      ever,
      do
      not
      agree
      with
      Carter’s
     
     
      opinion
      that
      the
      city
      should
      desig-
     
     
      nate
      a
      free
      space
      to
      practice
      their
     
     
      art.
     
    

    
     
      Apb
      explains,
      “I’m
      totally
     
     
      against
      a
      sanctioned
      spot
      for
      kids
      to
     
     
      go.
      That’s
      wack
      as
      hell.
      It
      takes
      all
     
     
      the
      meaning
      away
      from
      graf
      and
     
     
      turns
      it
      into
      nothing
      more
      than
      a
     
     
      style.
      Graf
      is
      supposed
      to
      be
      a
     
     
      weapon
      against
      all
      the
      ugly
      shit
     
     
      that’s
      in
      our
      city.
      Public
      space
      has
     
     
      been
      sold
      to
      private
      interests
      (i.e.
     
     
      advertisers
      and
      the
      businessmen
     
     
      who
      hire
      ‘em)
      and
      we’re
      subjected
     
     
      to
      what
      they
      want
      us
      to
      be
      subject-
     
     
      ed
      to
      all
      the
      time.
      I
      think
      it
      sucks.
     
     
      Public
      space
      should
      be
      free
      of
      all
     
     
      that
      ugly
      shit.
      They’
      try
      to
      fool-us
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Pl
      ait
      Nh
      aw
      mat
      mete
      a
      Na
      te
      ie
     
    
   
   
    
     
      =e