Benny Cruz and Jens Franzén: Making “Old” Stuff New, Always Relatable and Relevant
Benny Cruz, interdisciplinary artist and THHM Donor photographed by Jens FranzénJens Franzén, photographer and THHM Donor photographed by Bruce Gilden (Magnum Photos, London, England, 2019) These remarkable artists, based in […]
Access is The Commodity
If you know how and why Hip Hop began, you know how powerful storytelling – for the sake of justice, culture, and entertainment – can be. Thus, you can appreciate why Sulaiman Jenkins and Mutah Beale produced and wrote their book Life is ЯAW: The Story of a Reformed Outlaw. They donated a signed copy to the Universal Hip Hop Museum.
Still Raw, Still Remarkable: Mutah Beale & Sulaiman Jenkins are Hip Hop, Whether or Not They Still Listen to Beats & Rhymes
If you know how and why Hip Hop began, you know how powerful storytelling – for the sake of justice, culture, and entertainment – can be. Thus, you can appreciate why Sulaiman Jenkins and Mutah Beale produced and wrote their book Life is ЯAW: The Story of a Reformed Outlaw. They donated a signed copy to the Universal Hip Hop Museum.
Being You is Revolutionary
Music. Every genre has its thing. Songs are often, if not usually, about something specific and structured accordingly. While every song is – in different ways – about the human experience, the tones, styles, and methods are different.
During War, He Makes Art: Painter Antonio Mcilwaine Creates, Curates, and Advocates
Sharpism artist and UHHM Donor Antonio Mcilwaine on his art’s origin: “One of the reasons I chose to become a visual artist is I was paid to make something that came easily to me. I could always create the product. Always.” The product was the portrait. He enjoyed it. Using different techniques. Telling a story. And when he finished, he could look at the portrait and say, “I created this.”
How it Began Continues to Inspire: Stanley L Jackson’s Mural is 80s Hip Hop
“Caricaturing allows me the opportunity to capture a subject’s unique characteristics in a fun way. In today’s society, we focus on being politically correct or perfect; this type of artwork allows me to step outside of the box.”
From Baltimore to the Bronx to Everywhere: Savior of Hip Hop Donates To THHM
“I find inspiration in different things: comic books, anime, ways that people – especially kids – won’t turn on each other by making someone feel smaller, and disrespecting one’s unfortunate situation. Just because one may have less money than another doesn’t make them any less of a person. My version of Hip Hop is about flowing and the art form; it has nothing to do with money.”
Ralph Vargas: How Da Phunky Drumma Made “Funky Drummer”
This Hip Hop collective’s producer, the RZA, sampled Vargas’ drum beats for tracks such as “Bring Da Ruckus” and “Wu-Tang 7th Chamber”, as well as a then-unreleased version of the hit “C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me).”
Old & New, Past & Present in Art and Hip Hop: How Dan “The Signtologist” Ericson Reinvents & Repurposes
“Coming from an analogue upbringing, I appreciate the tools that aren’t digitized. Example: I can go to the library and find a book about something I could also read online. And I choose to go to the library because that’s one way I can really turn things on by turning something off.”
Documenting Hip Hop History: From the Broom to the Ceiling, Taylor Golonka Documents Michael Chambers’s Contributions to the Culture
Whether or not you have seen “Breakin’” or “Breakin’ 2,” you have seen Michael Chambers, who began his career as a dancer when he was 16 with the stage name Boogaloo Shrimp.
Alignment, Timing, Truth
If you know how and why Hip Hop began, you know how powerful storytelling – for the sake of justice, culture, and entertainment – can be. Thus, you can appreciate why Sulaiman Jenkins and Mutah Beale produced and wrote their book Life is ЯAW: The Story of a Reformed Outlaw. They donated a signed copy to the Universal Hip Hop Museum.
