Lisa of the World

Lisa of the World

In 1982, while attending middle school, the first lady of DC graffiti began writing her name “Cool Lisa of the World” out on busses and at Go-Go shows in an attempt to “get famous," marking her among the earliest graffiti writers known in the city. Soon she dropped the “Cool” and her moniker Lisa of the World was being seen around the city.

Storied member of the Lady Chronicles, of legendary DC street crew, Gangsta Chronicles, LISA of the WORLD was a tough chick with a tougher attitude. Indeed she was present the day GAC founder ALLEY CAT, named the growing group of teens that would dominate the next few years both in graffiti and at the Go-Go.

Her fame rose quick due to the legibility of her name and for the fact that she had an appetite for getting up, a rarity in the often male dominated graffiti culture.

One night while waiting in line to get into infamous Go-Go venue Cheriy’s to see Rare Essence, she was caught writing her name on the wall and made to clean the wall while the patrons in line filed past and watched, no doubt adding to her legend.

While her graffiti career was short lived, lasting just under 4-years, her impact on the cities emerging writing culture was immediate and lasting. In 1983 she became the first among the Go-Go writers to incorporate spray paint into their repertoire, scoring a legendary hit on the H Street bridge, prominent in size and placement being on the X2 bus line, this single action had writers dropping their markers and picking up the can. R.E. Randy was one of those writers and marks that event as his call to “go big like Lisa”.

In addition to getting up during some of the most dangerous times in DC, Lisa is notably famous for getting mad shout-outs on live P.A. tapes of the Go-Go shows she attended, a practice that continued well past her writing days.