Exhibition Review: Hip-Hop 'Conscious, Unconscious'
DJ Competition New Music Seminar New York City, 1984
Courtesy of Fotografiska New York and Copyright of Josh Cheuse
Written by Max Wiener
Copy Edited by Keenan Haggen
Photo Edited by Olivia Castillo
It is an undeniable fact that hip-hop and its culture have deeply impacted our worlds in profoundly incomprehensible ways, The lyrics have defined generations of struggle and success, and the emcees of these famous bars, from the early days of the Sugarhill Gang to the greats like Jay-Z, are held to esteem that can only be defined as “divine.” These performers and producers - and even the average enjoyers - have shaped how we look at the world and soak up our surroundings. At New York City’s Fotografiska, “Conscious, Unconscious” shows us these incredible spirits and, mainly projected onto the walls, gives us a religious experience as we glide through the annals of the music’s acclaimed history.
JDL, Skate Palace, 1982
Courtesy of Fotografiska New York and Copyright of Joe Conzo
Hip-hop culture has infiltrated our lives incredibly; photography makes us pay homage to those who deserve it. From its gritty roots in the South Bronx, hip-hop has always had a unique and select place in our country’s oeuvre. The graffiti, fashion, and characters all represented a yearning for creative freedom and expression. Disco was the big music at the time. It originated in black nightclubs and then was monopolized by everyone, shifting the focal point of the music away from its cultural creators. Black Americans wanted a piece that was uniquely theirs, one where they could have complete creative freedom and could express themselves in ways that, in time, would prove to be monumental.
Beastie Boys Radio City New York, 1985
Courtesy of Fotografiska New York and Copyright of Josh Cheuse
Run DMC’s feet under the table at The Fresh Fest press conference, 1985
Courtesy of Fotografiska New York and Copyright of Josh Cheuse
The photography selection in Fotografiska is very good at showing the immense progression of the genre from its roots to the present day. Blue jeans and boomboxes on graffiti-covered Subways. The Beastie Boys, three Jewish kings from Manhattan, spitting their way to the top of the charts. Even shell-toe Adidas Superstars, the shoe famously rapped about by Run D.M.C. in their aptly-named song “My Adidas.” The photography has a fantastic ability to show how the minor aspects of the culture and genre have a now iconic status and how perhaps we - the modern society - yearn for these simpler times.
Tupac (straight jacket)
Courtesy of Fotografiska New York and Copyright of Shawn Mortensen
Notorious B.I.G. #01
Courtesy of Fotografiska New York and Copyright of Geoffroy de Boismenu
The exhibition also shows some of our dearly departed heroes in a God-like manner. People’s eyes were immediately drawn to their iconic gazes at the collection, almost as if they had to pay their respect. Tupac and Biggie felt like Moses and Jesus, and their gospel is the incredible breadth of work they put out in their unfortunately shortened lives. The two rappers famously had East v. West beef, and it pinned the two titans against each other; it ultimately ended with dire consequences. Their images remind us of music’s immortality; their identities can coexist despite the violence that permeated their two worlds. Their music might’ve been their gospel, but this incredible photography shows that this is their valid message.
