“I said, ‘Homey, that’s my mouth.’ He said, ‘Homey, that’s a pistol.’” A quick shout in your direction about Dee-1, a young rapper from New Orleans who burst onto the scene with the song “Jay, 50 & Weezy” wherein he called out Jay-Z, 50 Cent, and Lil Wayne for their lack of positive influence on…
I think all poets have favorite poets, and I’m no exception. What is different, perhaps, is that as my writing style changed, so did my poets. Gone are the Nikki Giovannis and Langston Hugheses from my favorite list, to be replaced by poets I’ve actually known. I’m fortunate to be in love with my favorite…
This little earworm is brought to you by a discussion between Maria and me wherein I happen to mention that I was going to light a candle. For all those who might have thought “Hard to Handle” is a Black Crowes song, here’s the version I grew up with, the original by Otis Redding. It…
1. Method Man 2. Rakim (with or without Eric B) 3. Akala 4. Logic 5. 2Pac (Tupac Shakur) Honorable Mention: Mos Def (Yasiin Bey), Wu-Tang Clan, Kurtis Blow (the originator), EPMD, Slick Rick And for all you Hard Core types, a little more Akala … actually, a LOT more.
A photograph is an illusion of a literal description. A camera saw a piece of time and space. I’ve sorted through a few videos on Garry Winogrand, and I thought this one is the best for understanding him as a photographer. Winogrand is speaking to students at MIT (and frustrating the 1970s-version of Hipsters in…
Sometimes you’re lucky in your life, and you get a benediction from somebody who actually speaks your language and cherishes that you’ve joined the tribe … you’re no longer lost.
In order to photograph in a meaningful way, you have to be photographing your world. — Nicholas Vreeland Before you can make a photograph, you first have to see something. As Joel Meyerowitz mentions in the first video, some photographers go out with an idea in mind. The problem with that is that if you…
Documentary photography, especially news or war photography, isn’t for everybody. It’s certainly not for the squeamish. There’s the obvious — danger, death, etc., but there’s also the simple matter of having to photograph people who don’t want to be photographed. Even more important, quite often it’s to the photographer to show us things that we…
“It’s the closest I come to not existing, I think. Which is the best … which to me is attractive.” – Garry Winogrand “I invade their space and try to make something happen with the camera. You do trespass on their space with the camera.” – Mark Cohen “Basically I’m photographing my own curiosity. What…
Part 9 – The Rule Making Epoch: Brassaï to Lisette Model We are back, after an approximately 6-week break, due to the frenetic pace of life, and, frankly, the lukewarm reception of Part 8. We intend for this series to appeal to more than those simply looking for interwebs shots from the photographers involved. Indeed,…
The Artists' Sanctum 