I wanted to do a portrait on the stoop because i was fairly new [to NYC at the time].so my eyes were wide open to the texture. Claifonira’s a fairly young state, but the texture in New York, the texture of the buidlings we don’t have that.  when we were doing this shot over in [...]

Mike Schreiber salutes Big Momma.
(vi@ find food. mate. don’t get eaten)

We just came across this post from sheCHIVE, which features a smattering of Michael Lavine celebrity portraits, including Notorious B.I.G., Outkast, Eminem and Jay-Z. There’s also a link to their “Hot Men with Cameras” tribute, which doesn’t feature actual photographers, but does have at least one member of Jimmy Kimmel’s Handsome Men’s Club, if you’re [...]

Former Roc-A-Fella A&R head honcho Lenny Santiago recently sat down with the.LIFE Files and let them peek into his iPhoto library, where he has exclusive behind-the-scenes shots of Jay-Z, Notorious B.I.G., Kanye West, Mary J. Blige and more.
We love Lenny and would love to peruse his archives, but if he was charging $300 a photo [...]

We’re here to uphold his legacy. He’s done magic for us all. Never forget the purpose of this industry… people are losing the plot every day.
More pics and words here.

RESPECT. contributor Barron Claiborne, who took one of the most enduring—and, arguably, most iconic—pics of the King of New York, just a few days before he died, made this gun mosiac of the Notorious B.I.G. shortly after learning about the rapper’s death. You can read more about Barron’s experience with B.I.G. here.

Sometimes you need images that meet the eye and go beyond it into realms of ritual and dream and subconscious meaning. Sometimes you need Barron Claiborne.