You Had To Be There
THE CONCEPT AND INSPIRATION BEHIND THIS PRESENTATION IS AN HOMAGE TO THE ERA THAT BIRTHED MANY OF IMMORTALIZED LEGENDS FROM EVERY BOROUGH IN NEW YORK. AN ERA WHERE POSSE CUTS WOULD DROP LEFT AND RIGHT AND THE CULTURE WAS GIFTED WITH THE LIKES OF “BANNED FROM TV” “MONEY POWER RESPECT” “NIGGAZ DONE STARTED SOMETHING” AND JOHN BLAZE”
THESE PHOTOS HIGHLIGHT THE VERY FIRST NEW YORK PENN POP UP ACTIVATION AT 347 BROOME STREET. A TWO DAY EVENT AND SAFE SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE DIALOUGE ABOUT WHO IS THEIR FAVORITE LOX MEMBER, WHO HAD THE BEST VERSE ON BANNED FROM TV, WHO REALLY KEPT THE LIGHTS ON AT BAD BOY AFTER BIG TRANSITIONED, WHICH WAS THE BEST CLUE TAPE. WHO IS THE REAL PLK BEFORE LLOYD BANKS. A SPACE WHERE WE ALL HAD ONE THING IN COMMON AND ITS THE APPRECIATION TO WHAT THESE KINGS AND QUEENS CONTRIBUTED TO NOT JUST THE BLACK EXPERIENCE BUT THE NEW YORK EXPERIENCE.
THE HIP HOP CULTURE PRE INTERNET WAS A SPECIAL TIME, A TIME WHERE EVERYTHING WAS AS RAW AS THE MUSIC AND LYRICS DESCRIBED THE TIME TO BE. JUST GOOGLE BLACK ROB PERFORMING “I LOVE YOU BABY” LIVE AT THE TUNNEL, - “IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMIN’S TRUE THAT BE THE MOTTO, RAN OUT OF AMMO AND STARTED THROWING BOTTLES” IT’S AN ENERGY THAT IS UNMATCHED IN THE MODERN ERA OF MUSIC BECAUSE THE PERFORMANCE WAS AS VIVID AS THE STORY TELLING ON THE SONG. THE ILLUSTRATIONS AND PRODUCTS INCLUDED IN THIS COLLECTIVE DRAW INSPIRATION FROM THIS ERA WHERE YOU HAD TO BE THERE TO UNDERSTAND HOW EPIC THE TIME REALLY WAS
AND THIS GOES WITH OUT SAYING REST IN PEACE AND THANK YOU TO THE LEGENDS DMX, BLACK ROB, AND SHOCK G FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR CULTURE AND THE INSPIRSTION THEYVE PROVIDED FOR CREATIVES, NOT JUST SONICALLY BUT VISUALLY