Jamel Shabazz Street Photographer
August 8th, 2013 by chocko
When one thinks of photographers who have documented hip-hop prior to the crack era and its commercialization, Jamel Shabazz and his snapshots of hip hop street style and culture come to mind. Charlie Ahearn, the director of iconic hip hop movie Wild Style, shines a spotlight on Shabazz and his photos in the documentary Jamel Shabazz Street Photographer. The movie recently screened at BAM Rose Cinemas in Brooklyn, not too far from the locations of Jamel’s countless photos of the kids looking fresh in their kangols, straight legged jeans and Puma sneakers. Ahearn’s portrait of Shabazz features many stories behind the images with interviews with Shabazz himself, Fred “Fab 5 Freddy” Brathwaite, legendary MC and hip hop scholar KRS-One, street photographer Louis Mendes and graffiti artists such as David “Chino” Villorente. David’s scene in the movie is a memorable one in which he goes through the photos, recognizing the locations and artists in the photographs and speaking enthusiastically about obscure graffiti crews. It was also fun to see Bobbito García, aka Kool Bob Love wax poetic on a Shabazz photograph of classic sneakers on display in a store window.
Jamel always took photos at an early age, but it wasn’t until his return home to Brooklyn after serving in the military in the early 80’s, did he document life in the streets and subways of Brooklyn and Manhattan. Most people discovered Jamel’s photos in the pages of Trace Magazine and Source Magazine. I never knew about Jamel’s photos, but in 2001 the release of his first book of photography Back In The Days blew my mind. The photos were New York City time capsules from the early 80’s which captured my imagination…b-boys and b-girls in classic hip hop poses, boomboxes, graffiti and street fashion. I always wondered who snapped all those shots and who were all these people in those funky fresh photographs? Ahearn’s film answers these questions and also shows the viewer how Shabazz inspires and interacts with his various subjects. Definitely keep your eyes and ears open for future screenings.
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Tags: charlie ahearn, documentary, hip hop, Jamel Shabazz, photos, Street Photographer
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