Taki 183 is a legendary graffiti artist who is often credited as one of the pioneers of modern graffiti culture. Born Demetrius, Taki 183 got his pseudonym from his nickname "Taki," short for Demetrius in Greek, combined with the street number of his building on 183rd Street in Washington Heights, New York City. He gained prominence in the early 1970s when he began tagging his moniker on subway cars, walls, and other public spaces throughout New York City. His tags quickly spread and gained recognition, inspiring other youths to adopt their own unique graffiti names and styles. Taki 183's fame skyrocketed in 1971 when The New York Times published an article about him titled "Taki 183 Spawns Pen Pals." This article brought the underground graffiti culture to mainstream attention and led to an explosion of graffiti art across New York City and beyond. While his work was primarily simple tags, Taki 183's influence on the graffiti world is undeniable. He played a crucial role in shaping the graffiti movement by inspiring countless other artists to express themselves through this unique art form. Though Taki 183 eventually stopped tagging, his legacy as a pioneer of graffiti culture lives on. Many contemporary graffiti artists cite him as a major influence and continue to pay homage to his groundbreaking work.