Why Graffiti and Rave Culture Belong Together
They emerged from the same underground spirit. Both movements born in the shadows, both about expression without permission, both about making your mark when society said you couldn't.Graffiti and rave culture aren't just connected - they're two sides of the same rebellious coin.
The Underground Connection
Late 1980s. Two movements explode simultaneously.
While acid house was taking over abandoned warehouses across the UK, graffiti artists were transforming urban landscapes with spray cans and bold vision. Different mediums, same message: we're here, we're creating, and we don't need your permission.
Both cultures thrived in spaces that weren't meant for them. Ravers turned derelict buildings into temples of sound. Graffiti artists turned blank walls into galleries. Both operated outside the system, both built communities around shared passion.
The Visual Language of the Rave
Walk into any proper rave in the early 90s and you'd see it everywhere: tags on warehouse walls, street art aesthetics bleeding into the scene's visual identity, and most importantly, The bold lines, the explosive colours, the raw energy - it was the same artistic DNA. Pioneering artists like Pez (Raindance), who started as a graffiti writer in 1986, and Junior Tomlin brought their street art skills to the rave scene. They were masters of airbrushing, blending graffiti's boldness with surreal, sci-fi, and cosmic imagery to create pure escapism.
The Artists Behind GRAFF
Our GRAFF collection continues this tradition by working directly with independent UK street artists who understand rave culture from the inside. They are the community, not hired guns.
AIMS (Gangster Designs)
Pure Bass energy translated into street art. AIMS brings that raw, unapologetic graffiti style you'd see tagged on warehouse walls before they became rave venues. The kind of bold, in-your-face designs that don't ask permission - they just take over the space. DnBe Happy, Planet Rave, Junglist Generation, Double Drop - each one captures the relentless energy of jungle and drum & bass culture.
Designs: DnBe Happy, Planet Rave, Junglist Generation, Double Drop
Scribz
Bringing us a new perspective to UK rave heritage. The Graff Union Jack design takes the most recognizable symbol of British identity and reimagines it through the lens of rave culture and street art. Bold, modern, uncompromising - this is what happens when a new generation of graffiti artists tackles rave history. It's not nostalgia, it's evolution.
Design: Graff Union Jack (NEW!)
Defaced Designs
The team behind our Qravers Man mascot knows how to blend 90s rave nostalgia with contemporary street art without making it feel like a museum piece. Their work captures that playful, irreverent spirit of early rave culture - when everything was DIY and nothing was too serious. Pill The Bill proves they're not afraid to bring political edge either, keeping that protest spirit alive that's always been part of both graffiti and rave culture.
Designs: Qravers Man Graff, Pill The Bill
Watcher Designs
Psychedelic cosmic street art that captures the otherworldly side of bass culture. The Bass Alien design taps into that classic rave mythology - the idea that the dancefloor is where we make contact with something beyond ourselves. Watcher Designs brings trippy, sci-fi graffiti energy on a spaceship heading to an Intergalactic Rave Federation. This is what happens when street art meets outerBASS Design: Bass Alien
Sentinel One
Dark, spooky street art for the Rave 2 The Grave crew. Sentinel One's zombie raver designs prove graffiti culture has a sense of humour - and isn't afraid to get weird. These aren't your typical rave graphics. They're twisted, macabre, and absolutely perfect for those who know that the best raves have always had a dark edge. Whistle Zombie, Cans Zombie - because sometimes the dancefloor feels like the living dead, and that's exactly how we like it.
Designs: Whistle Zombie Raver, Cans Zombie Raver, Rave 2 The Grave
Supporting the Artists
The GRAFF collection exists because we work directly with the people making the art. AIMS, Scribz, Defaced Designs, Watcher Designs, Sentinel One - they're not contractors hired for a job. They're people from the rave scene who are talented street artists.Your
The GRAFF Collection Essentials
Hoodies £38 - Front and back prints, heavy blend, built to last
Joggers £32 - Matching sets available, proper street rave style
5-Panel Caps £20 - Waterproof ripstop, bold designs
Shop the full GRAFF Collection →
