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.
You might also like
More from Photography
NEW YORK CITY HALL UNVEILS INSTALLATION COMMEMORATING “HIP-HOP’S GREATEST DAY”!
Photo Installation Celebrates Iconic Moment When Hip-Hop’s Greatest Talents Gathered in Harlem for a Legendary Photo Shoot NEW YORK – The New …
Hip-Hop’s Greatest Day — In Living Color by Ben Osborne
To be associate editor of SLAM magazine at age 23 was one thing — an incredible thrill and a job …
A Great Night In Hip-Hop. Paying Tribute to Hip-Hop’s Most Iconic Photo at Fotografiska NY
Please join XXL veteran journalists and contributors on May 9, 2023 — Sheena Lester, Datwon Thomas, Bonsu Thompson, Larry Hester, …