Graffiti Rock was a hip-hop based television program, originally screened June 29, 1984. Intended as an on-going series, the show only received one pilot episode and aired on WPIX channel 11 in New York City and 88 markets around the country, to good Nielsen ratings.
Graffiti Rock resembled a hip hop version of the popular television dance shows at the time such as Soul Train and American Bandstand. The show was created and hosted by Michael Holman, who was the manager of the popular break-dancing crew, the New York City Breakers.
The episode features Run D.M.C., Shannon, The New York City Breakers, DJ Jimmie Jazz and Kool Moe Dee and Special K of the Treacherous Three. The New York City Breakers, who were fresh off of their success from the movie, Beat Street, made a showcase appearance. The episode also features television and film actress, Debi Mazar and actor/director Vincent Gallo as dancers on the show.
A segment of the show was sampled on The Beastie Boys' LP Ill Communication. "[...] alright, you're scratchin it right now, cut the record back and forth against the needle, back and forth, back and forth, make it scratch, but let me tell you something don't try this at home on your dad's stereo only under hiphop supervision, alright ?" The show has since become an important 'must-see' for hip-hop enthusiasts, alongside such titles as Wild Style and Beat Street.
How strongly this title appeals to males 18–34. Based on genre, cast, action/violence levels, pacing, and marketing signals. Higher = stronger appeal.
Young Women
51
How strongly this title appeals to females 18–34. Based on genre, romance centrality, cast composition, lead demographics, and tone. Higher = stronger appeal.
Older Men
49
How strongly this title appeals to males 35+. Based on theme maturity, pacing, complexity, genre, and production style. Higher = stronger appeal.
Older Women
5
How strongly this title appeals to females 35+. Based on drama elements, character complexity, genre, cast, and emotional themes. Higher = stronger appeal.
Advocacy0
Entertainment
Audience Representation
White
3
Measures deviation from the expected White representation based on this title's production origin. 50 = baseline for its country. Higher = more representation than typical.
Black
26
Measures deviation from the expected Black representation based on this title's production origin. 50 = baseline for its country. Higher = more representation than typical.
Hispanic
28
Measures deviation from the expected Hispanic representation based on this title's production origin. 50 = baseline for its country. Higher = more representation than typical.
Asian
38
Measures deviation from the expected Asian representation based on this title's production origin. 50 = baseline for its country. Higher = more representation than typical.
South Asian
46
Measures deviation from the expected South Asian representation based on this title's production origin. 50 = baseline for its country. Higher = more representation than typical.
Middle Eastern
48
Measures deviation from the expected Middle Eastern representation based on this title's production origin. 50 = baseline for its country. Higher = more representation than typical.
Indigenous
48
Measures deviation from the expected Indigenous representation based on this title's production origin. 50 = baseline for its country. Higher = more representation than typical.
Mixed
42
Measures deviation from the expected Mixed representation based on this title's production origin. 50 = baseline for its country. Higher = more representation than typical.
Other
48
Measures deviation from the expected Other representation based on this title's production origin. 50 = baseline for its country. Higher = more representation than typical.
LGBTQ+
0
LGBTQ+ representation score based on character centrality, cast percentage, lead representation, and source fidelity. 0 = no representation, 100 = central to the story.