I've been into Jamel Shabazz for a while. I remember flipping through Back in the Days a couple years ago knowing that I'd found a treasure trove of style inspiration-- I was PUMPED. I grew up loving the Beastie Boys, Special K, and the earliest Fresh Prince, and I think Jamel documents the origins of that "stoopid-fresh" aesthetic better than anybody on the block (apologies to Michael Schultz).
Recently it's become apparent that '90s hip hop culture is what's up (think MIA, Santogold, the whole B-More scene, dad glasses)-- this current vogue is owes much of its cool to the era that came before:
Shabazz recently dropped his fourth powerHouse book, Seconds of my Life, which sees the Brooklyn-based photog "going back over 25 years and spanning the globe in its representation of human life. Whether in the hills of Jamaica or the shantytowns of Brazil, among the immigrants of France or the Buddhist monks of Bangkok, Shabazz seeks out strong personalities from all races, ethnicities, nationalities, genders, sexualities, and class backgrounds. Shabazz appreciates the poise and confidence of people in all their luminous variety.
Featuring photographs of Dave Chappelle, GrandMaster Flash, The Roots, Sweet Back, Big Daddy Kane, Public Enemy, Kanye West, Common, Mos Def, Russell Simmons, Jill Scott, Roy Ayers, Pete Rock, Jacob the Jeweler, and Grover Washington, Jr., ...Seconds of my Life is an unstoppable tour de force" (via powerHouse Books).
on
Thursday, May 1, 2008
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