NEW YORK — Hip-hop, which was born in the basement of a house in the Bronx to become a million-dollar industry, is the subject of an exhibition that tracks the genre through five decades, opening in New York this Thursday. Is. That will change this year.
“Hip-Hop: Conscious, Unconscious” at the Fotografiska Museum, until May 21, explores the people, places and things hip-hop has brought closer to its birthday. On August 11, 1973, the 50th anniversary of his birth, South Bronx.
The exhibition features more than 200 photographs taken between 1972 and 2022, ranging from iconic staples of the culture to rare and intimate portraits of the genre’s stars, including Nas, Tupac, Notorious BIG and Mary J. Includes portraits of legendary pioneers including Blige. Youth icons such as Nicki Minaj, Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B, according to a statement.
The topics are varied and range from the role of women in hip-hop; Regional and stylistic diversification and rivalries in the genre, as well as the humanistic lens of the 1970s Bronx street gangs whose members contributed to its birth.
They also show how a grassroots movement became a multi-billion dollar industry, which continues to make the “four elements of hip-hop” (rap, DJ, breakdancing and graffiti) household names around the world. , as well as including various “fifth element” fashions and beatboxing.
On the women who played a key role in the development of the most popular music genre in the world, the public will view images of more than 20 pioneers who opened doors in a variety of capacities.
According to Sally Berman, co-curator of the exhibit, “we went to great lengths to accurately portray the women’s appearance without overtly hinting in any way.”
“There are far fewer women in hip-hop than men, but the ones that have made their mark have an electrifying presence, as the impact of their drawings is spread throughout the show,” she said.
“Hip-Hop: Conscious, Unconscious” is presented primarily by chronology and geography and focus areas include, but are not limited to, the early years, the East and West Coasts, the South, and the new wave of artists that then emerged. emerged from the mid-1900s.
It ends with fresh footage of some of the biggest names working in hip-hop today.
“It’s easy to forget that there was a time before hip-hop was an industry and even before money was made,” said Sacha Jenkins, co-curator of the exhibit.
