Book Description:
From street shots of Kool Herc and Kurtis Blow to elaborate stage shoots of Lil’ Kim and Eminem, hip-hop photography has been the foundation for some of the most stylish photographs of the past two decades. Iconic images like Ice T’s menacing affront to the camera while donning a full LAPD uniform, Flava Flav of Public Enemy sporting his trademark alarm clock around his neck and flashing his personalized gold teeth, and Notorious B.I.G. counting his loot, are placed side-by-side with lesser-known and previously unpublished photographs of hip-hop’s biggest figures. Text by hip-hop historian Bonz Malone is laid out between full-bleed photographs from forty celebrated photographers, including David LaChapelle, Mark Seliger, Nitin Vadukul, Jesse Frohman, Christian Witkin, and Michel Comte. Nearly 200 color and black-and-white photographs are featured throughout.

Malone’s hip-hop book is about pretty pictures of, as it says, hip-hop immortals striking menacing poses. From the first picture of Dr. Dre, seemingly running through a world of fire, to the stunning two-pager of Run-DMC and the closing images of Lil’ Kim (one a cleverly nonrevealing nude, another of her sporting blonde pigtails), the visual excitement of the hip-hop scene predominates. There is some text, but most of it runs, often lyrically, to the promotional and mainly supports the pictures, which are astounding and striking portrayals of some of pop music’s hottest personalities. Mike Tribby


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