STREETS IS WATCHIN'

STREETS IS WATCHIN' is a graffiti tag seen all over the place.

Origin

Some have attributed this to a meme that originated in an Ohio sports bar, when TEDA (The Explosive Diarrhea Avenger) took to the stage to perform Halloween karaoke wearing a paper mache chestvagina and an airbrushed denim jacket bearing the legend "STREETS IS WATCHIN". The argument is that as POE-News entered the game in September of 2005, so too did STREETS IS WATCHIN'.

Photographic evidence shows jacket-based origins

However, 'Streets is Watching' was the title of a platinum-selling song and album by rapper Jay-Z in 1997-8, and has been used as a title (dropping the final 'g') by several rap and hip-hop artists since, and it is far more likely that it entered popular culture in this way.

When The Sons of Anarchy were formed, they chose "STREETS IS WATCHIN'" as one of their key phrases. Since then it has been found on buildings throughout Lockettside and surrounding suburbs... It is also sometimes written as: "The Streets are Watching", "STREETS IZ WATCHIN'", and "Tha Streets iz Watchin". The ubiquity of STREETS IS WATCHIN graffiti led others to start copying or parodying it. The meme has since been carried by former Urban Dead players into other games such as Shartak and NexusWar.

Though not completely related, The Raiders chose a very similar phrase, BLADES IS WATCHIN', to spray on their territory, or when just passing through.

One of the many graffiti around Malton.

"STREETS IS WATCHIN'" & The Wiki

In recent times "STREETS IS WATCHIN'" has grown in fame on the UDWiki and has become much like WTFCentaurs when used in Suggestions Voting, with one key difference: "STREETS IS WATCHIN'" is analogous to accusing a suggestion of simply providing a vehicle for more in-game spam. Many suggestions have warranted this type of vote in the past, usually they include something similar to graffiti and putting word semi-permanently onto a surface.

"STREETS IS WATCHIN'" has also had some, small, migration outside of the Suggestions namespace. When used in response to someone as a comment it generally is an accusation that their comment isn't worth reading and is simply page spam.

Parodies

Apparently the tag has become so ubiquitous across Malton as to inspire numerous copycats, parodies, and other commentary by fellow aspiring urban artists.

• ZOOS IS WATCHIN!! --- http://tinyurl.com/l2vzn (Seen inside Kitting Walk Railway Station, Brooke Hills 2006/10/20)
• STREETS IS THINGS YOU DRIVE DOWN (Seen inside Coe Bank, Lockettside, 2006/02/01)
• STREETS IS LIKE ROADS BUT A BIT SMALLER (Seen inside Frossard Place Police Department, 2006/02/10)
• STREETS MISSED HIS LAST GRAMMAR LESSON (Seen inside Isgar Towers, 2006/02/17)
• ZOMBIES IS EATIN (Seen outside of Marven Mall, 2006/02/26)
• BOULEVARDS IS OBSERVIN (Seen inside the Rutter Motel, South Blythville, 2006/02/20)
• SIDEWALKS IS LISTENIN (Seen inside Digby Towers, Treweeke Mall, 2006/05/09)
• INTERSECTIONS IS EXAMINING (seen inside the Hinks Cresent Police Department, Yagoton, 2006/05/03)
• STREETS IS ROCKIN (Seen outside Horditch Lane, Ruddlebank, 2006/03/01)
• In Soviet Russia, YOU IS WATCHIN STREETS (Seen inside Marven Mall, 2006/03/01)
• TELEVISIONS ARE WATCHING (Seen inside Marven Mall, 2006/03/02)
• STREETS NEEDS TO BE SLAPPED FOR WASTING PAINT (Seen inside Voules Square Railway Station, South Blythville, 2006/03/04)
• STREETS SHOULD KILL ZOMBIES INSTEAD OF WATCHIN (Seen inside a factory at (29,79), South Blythville, 2006/03/10)
• Streets is oogling your butt. (Seen inside St. Philip's Church, East Boundwood, 2006/03/11)
• Somebody has spraypainted a picture of Streets blowing Chuck Norris onto a wall. Tompson Mall, 2006/03/28
• Somebody has spraypainted a picture of Streets eating dog stool onto a wall. (Seen outside St rus's Church, Lockettside, 2006/03/28
• STOP TELLIN ME STREETS IS WATCHIN (Seen in Chudleyton)
• STREETS IS BLIND/STREETS IS LEGALLY BLIND (Also seen in Chudleyton) ('Legally' tag seen at Caiger Mall)
• STREETS IS WATCHIN A DISNEY MOVIE (Seen inside "a junkyard" in Foulkes Village, 2006/04/16)
• STREETS DOES NOT AMUSE KRIMSIN (Seen inside the Holdway Museum, Dulston, 2006/04/17)
• STREETS NEEDS TO SIT DOWN AND BE QUIET (Seen inside Voules Square Railway Station, South Blythville, 2006/04/19)
• STREETS IS WATCHIN TV (seen inside the Connelley Building, Ruddlebank, 2006/04/23)
• STREETS IS OVERDONE AND WATCHIN' (seen inside the Tresh Grove School, Yagoton, 2006/04/27)
• STREETS IS WATCHING LESBIAN PORN (seen inside the Eden Library, Chudleyton, 2006/04/25)
• STREETS IS SLEEPIN' (seen inside the Streets Hotel, Scarletwood, 2006/05/08)
• STREETS IS THERE (seen outside the Cholmondeley Building, Penny Heights, 2006/05/14)
• SOMEWHERE OUT THERE IS A STREETS (seen outside Rumler Way School, Osmondville, 2006/05/14)
• STREETS ARE USELESS (seen outside the Spong Building, Osmondville, 2006/05/14)
• STREETS ARE EVERYWHERE (seen outside upper left corner of Joachim Mall, Osmondville, 2006/05/14)
• STREETS IS HERE (seen outside Neave Auto Repair, Penny Heights, 2006/05/14)
• Les RUES observe (Seen in a factory in Lamport Hills, 2006/05/16)
• All your streets r blong 2 us! (Seen in Yagoton, 2006/01/09
• IM IN UR STREETS! IM WATCHIN' ALL UR MANS! (Seen in Brooke Hills, 2006-5-22)
• STREETS IS RUNNIN' AROUND SPRAYING GRAFFITI, seen at Priddy Bank, in Darval Heights 18:58, 1 June 2006 (BST)
• ROUTES IS ASCERTAININ' (seen in West Becktown, 2 June 2006)
• ROADS IS SPYIN' (seen at Howard Library in Chudleyton, 7 June 2006)
• TEATS IS SPLOTCHIN' (seen in Dulston, March 2006)
• STFU ABOUT STREETS! (seen at Tuson Plaza spicer hills, June 14th)
• DRIVES IS EYEBALLIN' (seen at Kenefie Lane PD, Chudleyton, June 21)
• STREETS JUST GOT HEADSHOT (seen at Tennant Auto Repair, Chudleyton, June 22)
• STREETS NEEDS TO GO TO SUMMER SCHOOL (seen inside the Vetch Building, Chudleyton, June 22)
• STREETS IS FULL OF ZOMBIES (seen inside Howard Library, Chudleyton, June 22)
• Cthulhu eats streets (seen inside the Glastonbury Motel, Chudleyton, June 22)
• God is dead - Streets. Streets is dead - God (seen inside Caiger Mall SE, Chudleyton, June 22)
• Heard on 26.20 mHz: "2X2L calling CQ, routes is ascertainin', Over."
• PATHS ARE PEERING (seen inside the Herman Building, Darvall Heights, July 3)
• HIGHWAYS IS OVERSEEIN' (seen inside Caiger Mall SW, Darvall Heights, July 10)
• DOORSTEPS IS FEELIN' (seen inside Pinchen Road Police Dept., Millens Hills, July 11)
• Streets is watching you pee! (seen outside Alner Mansion [51, 37], Roachtown, December 12, 2006)
• STREETS IZ TAKING A CRAP (seen in SE corner of Blesley Mall, Gulsonside, Dec. 21, 2006)
• EXPRESSWAYS IS SCANNIN' (seen in the Latrobe Building, Darvall Heights)
• DAMN IT STREETS CANT YOU SEE I NEED SOME PRIVACY (seen outside the Blabey Museum, Mockridge heights)
• STREETS IS WATCHIN'...LOOK BUSY (NE Corner of Tynte Mall 02.09.2007)
• STREETS IS WATCHIN' THE WATCHMEN (Doran Arms, Sept. 19, 2007)
• FEETS IS BEATIN' . . . geddit? (the Roland Bar, Monroeville, March 18, 2008)
• STREETS IS EMPTY (seen on Kidd Road PD, Monroeville, 8/29/08)
• STREETS IS WATCHIN (Outside Gibbs Walk Fire Station, Monroeville. 19 June, 2010)
• BLADES IS WATCHIN' (seen around Quarlesbank and West Boundwood and heard on radio. August 21, 2010)