Everything starts somewhere, and Aberdeen has its own history sprayed in graffiti.

Growing up in the late ’90s and early ’00s, graffiti became an increasingly visible part of the city — from tags on bus stops and alleyways to large pieces, rooftops, trackside spots, throw-ups, and handstyles. Crews such as OTS, NETS, VIPS, and later NSM left their mark across Aberdeen, with some still active today.

This was before social media, YouTube tutorials, and smartphones. Unless you knew someone involved, the scene remained largely inaccessible, and the writers behind the work were often little more than names and legends.

Like many, the journey began with tags, over-styled sketches, and notebooks filled with straight letters and throwies long before knowing the terminology. An encounter with an older skater introduced the fundamentals of graffiti culture, along with stories of the city’s most respected writers, whose identities remained hidden but whose reputations continued to grow.

A deeper commitment to graffiti led to meeting many of those same writers. Some had retired, moved away, or sadly passed on. Others returned with the same energy, while some had evolved into accomplished muralists and refined stylists.

Today, with the help of writers past and present, this project aims to document Aberdeen’s graffiti scene and preserve the stories behind it. Several writers have agreed to share their experiences, with some choosing to remain anonymous for obvious reasons.

Over the years, many pieces have been buffed, faded, or destroyed. Photos have been lost to forgotten hard drives, broken phones, and websites that no longer exist. To help preserve the history of Aberdeen’s graffiti scene, I’ll be archiving as much as possible on a third-party platform.

If you have any old photos, please send them to kevin@granitegraff.com and help keep this history alive.