In Style Wars, New York’s ramshackle subway system is the graffiti artists public playground, battleground, and spectacular artistic canvas. As MC’s, DJ’s and B-boys rock the city with new sounds and new moves, we see street corner breakdance battles turn into performance art.

A vibrant record of early hip-hop culture in the 1980s, Tony Silver’s Style Wars is also one of the great New York City movies. Capturing graffiti, b-boying, and rapping against the backdrop of urban renewal, the film is an invaluable ode to hip-hop’s great artistry before its global ascent.