In celebration of Black History Month, a photo installation at Brooklyn Borough Hall is putting “Brooklyn’s Finest: Legends in Focus” in the spotlight, paying homage to Brooklyn’s hip-hop history and the photographers who chronicled the evolution of the borough’s hip-hop culture and the arts during the genre’s most pivotal years.
Images include the historic 1998 “Greatest Day in Hip-Hop History” photo by Gordon Parks, featuring influential rappers, DJs, producers and artists gathered on a Harlem brownstone stoop; Barron Claiborne’s renowned portrait of The Notorious B.I.G., “The King of New York”; and works by photographers Jamel Shabazz, Barron Claiborne, Johanna Fiore, Mike Schreiber, Sarah A. Friedman, Matthew Salacuse, Lisa Leone and Justin Jay. The installation showcases portraits of Brooklyn hip-hop legends including Jay-Z, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Lil’ Kim, Foxy Brown, Busta Rhymes, Rakim, M.O.P., Big Daddy Kane and Fab 5 Freddy.
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso kicked off the exhibition on Feb. 4, honoring the Brooklynites who helped propel hip-hop into a global movement. Among them were Bed-Stuy native and street art pioneer Fab 5 Freddy and acclaimed street photographer Jamel Shabazz, whom Reynoso recognized with a proclamation.
Addressing the crowd, Reynoso highlighted the intertwined history of Black History Month — established 100 years ago to honor and recognize the contributions of the Black community — noting that in Brooklyn, one never has to look far to understand Black history.
“Black history lives in our streets; it lives in our neighborhoods, and it lives in Hip-Hop,” Reynoso said. “For over 50 years, Hip-Hop has told Brooklyn’s story: our struggle, our creativity, our resilience, and our joy. From Biggie to Busta [Rhymes] to Little Kim, and all the legends you see pictures of in this room, the histories of Hip-Hop and Brooklyn are deeply intertwined. It didn’t start with boardrooms or big studios. It started outside in backyards and stoops, in parks and block parties.”
The photographers featured in the installation played a crucial role in documenting hip-hop’s rise to global prominence, Reynoso added.
“Our communities deserve to be celebrated,” he said. “Our young Brooklynites deserve to know that greatness happened here. They’re not the only generation that knows how to get fly and split bars. So this Black History Month, I’m so excited to honor the Brooklynites who animated hip hop into a global force: the artists and producers, the journalists, the photographers, and the fans, because there’s no place in this world that doesn’t like Brooklyn.”
The opening reception featured music by DJ Specialist and performances by A Song for Life, including a rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and a dance tribute to hip-hop by Straw Hatz. The event was followed by a live conversation with journalists, editors and photographers — including Datwon Thomas, former editor-in-chief of VIBE, Kierna Mayo, Sheena Lester, Larry “The Blackspot” Hester and Tony Gervino — who documented Brooklyn’s hip-hop movement and daily life.
Shabazz’s photographic journey began in 1975, when he picked up his first camera and began photographing his peers in Red Hook and East Flatbush. His goal was to create a visual diary of his life and the people he encountered, preserving the history around him.
He told the crowd that his camera was his voice, helping him notice the greatness and beauty in his subjects, and that he hoped to inspire young people to love and respect one another.
“I’m known as a photographer, but I want to be known as a good person that was trying to make a difference,” Shabazz said. “Coming home from the military and dealing with a crack and AIDS epidemic, and a devastated community, I needed to give people hope. So it wasn’t just about taking a photograph. It’s about planting seeds in the minds of people and bringing people together.”
Jonathan Rheingold, co-founder of XXL Magazine and founder of Respect Magazine, curated the installation, which he described as a celebration of artists, photographers and cultural figures whose work continues to shape Brooklyn’s influence.
Rheingold told Brooklyn Paper that hip-hop was New York’s DNA and “the ultimate platform for people to express themselves and share their stories.”
“It’s like a true form of music that documents people’s lives. It’s a form of expression, and I think it’s the most powerful form of art,” Rheingold said.
“Brooklyn’s Finest: Legends in Focus” will be on display at Brooklyn Borough Hall through the end of February. The building is open to visitors Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
