Back in the 70’s, Joe Conzo’s pictures were part of Hip-Hop. 30 years later, they’re part of Hip-Hop history.  Raised on the tough streets of the South Bronx, Joe was definitely at the right place at the right time. During the late 70’s and early 80’s, he intimately captured the birth of Hip-Hop music and a culture that would forever change the world.  Having gone to school with some of the pillars of Hip-Hop such as The Cold Crush Brothers, Joe was never too far from a classic shot.  He would go on to be the Crush’s exclusive photographer. Joe’s photographic contributions to urban culture didn’t stop at Hip-Hop.  Joe’s father, Joe Conzo, Sr., gave his son access to some of the most influential names in the world of Latin Music. Salsa greats like Hector Lavoe, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco were brilliantly shot by Joe as they shaped the face of Latin Music. On view below is a shot of Celia Cruz, Johnny Pacheco (founder of Fania records), Rita Moreno and Tito Puente! View more work 

If you missed Rosie Perez’¡YO SOY BORICUA, PA’QUE TU LO SEPAS! (I’m Boricua Just So You Know) on IFC or at various film festivals, do your best to catch it somewhere! Word is out that it may be screened at the Fort Greene Fest the weekend of September 7th & 8th. Bobbito Garcia was kind enough to send us the trailer and let us know: “‘Yo Soy Boricua’ was not a movie experience – it was a monument to life, struggle, love, and the pursuit of identity. Anyone, Puerto Rican or not, would be touched by the story line. I’m bananas proud to be a part of Rosie Perez’ directorial debut (and I hope it’s not her last – she rocked it)!” (click below the video screen to watch the trailer) 

Rush Arts – Art For Life Art Auction Preview Show - Friday, July 20 – Rush Arts Gallery and Resource Center’s annual Art For Life Art Auction had their preview opening at their gallery in Chelsea (NYC) tonite.  55 artists donated work to benefit arts education for underserved, under-recognized and disadvantaged youth in NYC. Some of the artists with work on view were: Kehinde Wiley, William Cordova, Jennie Baptiste, Adia Millett, Mickalene Thomas, Pierre Obando, Kambui Olujimi, and many more…

Navin Norling, Dixie                    Jennie Baptiste, Dancehall Queen

House Music in the Park - Sunday, July 22 – Once again, folks were gettin’ busy in Fort Greene Park to classic house music bangers under a Brooklyn sunset, at this annual SOUL SUMMIT summer party.  The old heads were not playin’ on the get-down!  Dancers came out of the woodwork while fans, friends and shorties lounged on blankets and picnic’d on green hills givin’ praise in the Church of House.

Russell & Kimora Lee Simmons ART FOR LIFE - Saturday, July 28 - For the last eight years, Russell & Kimora Lee’s annual Art For Life East Hampton Benefit has raised funds for arts education for underserved, under-recognized and disadvantaged youth.  Art donated by 55 artists, and luxury items (incl. a trip to South Africa, Range Rover’s and handbags), were auctioned off under a royal tent at the Simmons’ East Hampton home with sounds provided by DJ MOS.  A full course meal, open bar, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream truck, luxury outhouses, and packed Baby Phat gift bags kept the crowd of approximately 400 (incl. Babyface, Chamillionaire and Nia Long) busy and satisfied. Judith Jamison and Forest Whitaker were two of the 2007 honorees.  Whitaker spoke of how his exposure to the arts as a youth showed him, “…the possibility of expressing my spirit and my soul through the music of life…”Below Artists: Carlos Sandoval,  Jodie Lyn-Kee-Chow,  William Cordova. Artwork: Diana McClure.

Spiritual South & DJ Chicken George – Monday, July 30 – Once again Giant Step’s gig at the Hudson Hotel was off the hook for dancers and progressive music minds.  Spiritual South brought some super innovative underground sounds/mixes from the streets of London that might be some of the best I’ve heard in a long time!  However, he was preceded by DJ Chicken George, outta Austin, Texas, who certainly brought a style totally unexpected from the dirty western south. One that offered quite a bit of sonic pleasure…

For the past five years, spoken word poet Bryonn Bain has organized workshops and performances in prisons across the country through, his grassroots non-profit, Blackout Arts Collective’s award-winning “Lyrics on Lockdown Tour.”  As an educator, Bain created a course, Lyrics on Lockdown, that explores hip hop, spoken word poetry, the prison industrial complex and, includes an exchange between students and incarcerated individuals at Riker’s Island. He taught Lyrics on Lockdown at Columbia University (2003-2005) and will teach it at the New School for Social Research (2007-2008). The course has also expanded to New York University where it will be taught by Ella Currenne.  Amongst Bain’s numerous artistic endeavors, he hosts BET-J’s leading talk show “My Two Cents” on air each week in 27 million homes nationwide, and has his 2nd spoken word album, Scared of the Dark, dropping in 2008.