Silent Wrytes was founded
1999 was a pivotal year in my life as I made the conscious decision to take Graffitti documentation seriously. I thought of the domain name SilentWrytes.com and decided to use a website as a platform to archive my photos. Although the internet was still in its infancy at the time, I found inspiration in Gnes37, a native Arizona writer who was already making noise with his website brokenschool.com. The website perfectly blended Graffiti with high-level web design, which was a rarity back then and served as a significant source of motivation.
Going live
Without any prior experience in web development, silentwrytes.com launched. At first, it was a basic website with only a few pages of text that showcased my documentation of Arizona, Philadelphia, and Freight Graffiti. It didn’t take long for other graffiti writers to take notice and begin sending in their own pictures. As a result, the archives began to expand, featuring more states and freights. It was exciting to see the website grow and become a platform for writers to share or find their work.
Site Re-design
I was eager to re-vamp the website with a professional look. Gnes37 joined the SW team and introduced the SW2002 logo and site design. This brought a new perspective and fresh look to Silent Wrytes. This was also the year we decided to introduce the initial version of the SW Forums. This provided a platform for writers to interact and share photos. As more people began to participate in the forum, the community rapidly began to grow along with the site.
Newport Box & Juspix
I owe a debt of gratitude to the Silent Wrytes forum, which helped me forge two lifelong friendships that eventually became an integral part of the SW family. The first person I met through the forum was Newport Box, who would go on to become a marketing master for Silent Wrytes. It was through Newport Box that I was introduced to Juspix, who would become the top photo contributor and VP of the entire operation. Thanks to the contributions of these two talented individuals, Silent Wrytes continued to grow and evolve. I feel fortunate to have met such incredible people through the forum, and I know that their contributions have been immeasurable in shaping the success of Silent Wrytes.
Growing pains.
In the span of just a few years, the Silent Wrytes forum had grown beyond my wildest expectations. The website was averaging 23,000+ visitors a month. We even secured our first paid advertisement with Montana Paint. However, our success was quickly tempered, we got hacked. It was a tough blow to absorb, but the loophole was through the forum which was bootlegged and vulnerable. This was a costly mistake and resulted in us losing the entire forum. A major set back, particularly since it happened at the height of our success. We remained committed to rebuilding and regaining our footing.
SW TV
After getting hacked, the forum concept had to take a back seat. This time we reached out to Rewd who is also part of the SW family and is the Co-Owner of Hip-Hop website artofrhyme.com. We focused on a new project: SW TV. We collaborated to produce 16 short videos. Despite having his own website to manage, Rewd generously contributed his time to film and edit the videos. Additionally, he supplied all of the music for the project, which was a crucial element in bringing the videos to life. SW TV allowed us to flex our creative muscles and experiment with different ways of showcasing graffiti and music.
The Forum & The Magazine
In 2007, we took a step back to focus on developing our next forum concept. It was important create something that would last. This meant acquiring a license for our Forum along with security. Finally, in 2008, we were ready to unveil our new Philadelphia-only forum. This new forum would surpass our expectations and solidify the photo archives. In addition to the forum, we also released the 1st issue of Silent Wrytes Magazine in March of 2008. This was a major milestone for us, and we were lucky to have the support of key contributors like Savior and Liquid. Overall, 2008 was a year of major growth and accomplishment for Silent Wrytes.
Time for change
After nine successful magazines dedicated to Philadelphia Graffiti, Juspix, Newport Box, and I decided it was time for a change. Social media was becoming increasingly dominant in the online world, so we made the unconventional decision to temporarily shut down our Instagram and website. We also turned off the forum because it no longer felt like the right fit for our community. Instead, we returned to our roots and focused on a long-term project that we were truly passionate about: The Silent Wrytes Book. This book would allow us to create something that would stand the test of time and honor the culture that impacted our lives so significantly.
john KWES
Juspix and I were still feverishly attempting to move forward crafting The Silent Wrytes book. This is around the time John Kwes joined the SW family. Our plan was to get all hands on deck and focus on the book. Juspix and John were both ready & willing but life would constantly throw me obstacles, hindering the book’s progression. It would not be until 2018 that I could concentrate on the book. Luckily the team was cemented and eager to continue.
The Book
Despite everyone having jobs and or families, we made a deliberate decision to devote all our energy to the book and keep the website closed. We meticulously sorted through numerous photos, devised a strategy, and began having frequent meetings. To give you an idea of the challenge we faced, our Book folder currently contains over 56,000 files. The Silent Wrytes Book does not have a set deadline and will be published when we feel it is finished. It’s an enormous ongoing project.
Silent Wrytes reboot
Upon reaching a decade since our absence from the game, it seemed appropriate to attempt to restore all the old files. Reviving the old forum would be the biggest challenge. Now the original 2002 website and the forum from 2005-2013 are fully operational. The @silentwrytes Instagram and YouTube pages have been revived as well. We have fresh new ventures in development along with the Silent Wrytes book we have been crafting all these years. The SW team would also like to express our gratitude to all those who have supported us throughout the years. Peace!
- Admin, Juspix, Newport Box, John KWES, Rewd, Jackski & SBP Films
