“It just seemed that this whole art form was bursting out and i just happened to luckily be here to capture it”

-Janette Beckman

‘Londoner Janette Beckman began her career at the dawn of punk rock working for The Face and Melody Maker. She shot bands from The Clash to The Specials as well as 3 Police album covers Her powerful portraits celebrating this music and street style are collected in ‘Made in the UK: The Music of Attitude, 1977-1982‘, PowerHouse Books 2005.

Moving to New York in 1982, she was drawn to the underground Hip Hop scene. Her photographs of pioneers Afrika Bambaata, Run DMC, Salt’ n ‘Pepa and Grandmaster Flash and 1980’s style are collected in ‘The Breaks, Stylin and Profilin 1982-1990‘, PowerHouse Books 2007.

Since moving to New York she has shot everyone from entertainers to politicians – Clients include: Esquire, Rolling Stone, People, Interview, London Sunday Times Magazine, Observer Magazine, Doc Marten, Converse, Schott, Casio, Warner Brothers Music, Universal Music, etc.

Her photographs have recently been exhibited at: Paul Smith London, Morrison Hotel Gallery NYC, Collette Paris, IsetanTokyo, Kong Gallery Shanghai, Rockarchive and Proud Gallery London.

Information courtesy of JanetteBeckman.com

When I first arrived in NYC in 1982, Hip Hop was new and fresh. It seemed to me as an outsider coming from UK that the artists were free to do what they wanted, the music came from the streets and really told stories of what was happening in peoples lives, from the political like “The Message” and Public Enemy, to the raps about love, girls, sex, sneakers.

Anything seemed possible and the small record companies were much more interested allowing the artists to have creative freedom from the way they dressed to the beats and the raps. There was an amazing creative energy—riding on the train hearing some kid rhyming, seeing girls wearing the first giant hoop earrings, the fake LV outfits, the new way to lace your sneakers, the graffiti. Of course this was before MTV, stylists, the Internet started to dictate the way you were supposed to look.

More words and pics here.

The guy with the truck jewelry is Rakim. The photo of the guy with the truck jewelry is by Janette Beckman. The shirt featuring the photo of the guy with the truck jewelry is designed by Aaron LaCrate. It’s being sold via DrJays.com. And they’ll all be in the house at Love in NYC tomorrow night to celebrate the release of the shirt featuring the photo of the guy with the truck jewelry designed by Aaron LaCrate being sold by DrJays.com.

And when we say they’ll all be in the house, we mean that Beckman will be taking part in a discussion moderated by LaCrate and Rakim will be performing live but DrJays.com will most likely not be there, because we’re pretty sure DrJays.com is not a person. Luckily DJ Clark Kent will be there. And we’re willing to bet good  money that Clark Kent is a better party DJ than DrJays.com. Because DrJays.com is not a person.

More info after the jump.

The work of RESPECT. contributors Janette Beckman and Danny Clinch (along with a gang of other artists) will be part of  Eyes and Hearts for Haiti, a silent auction of visual art taking place this Friday, March 12th at Aperture Studios Miami. All proceeds will be directed to Friends of the Orphans.

(vi@ Brian Smith)