Large Print Labels
From the street to the runway, the artist’s studio
to the museum gallery, and countless sites in
between, The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary
Art in the 21st Century explores hip hop’s profound
impact on contemporary art and culture. One of
the most vital movements of the 20th century, hip
hop is now a global industry and way of life. In the
21st century, hip hop practitioners have harnessed
digital technologies to gain unparalleled economic,
social, and cultural capital.
Hip hop emerged in the 1970s in the Bronx as a
form of celebration expressed by Black and Latinx
youth through emceeing (rapping), deejaying,
grafti-writing, and breakdancing. Over the past
50 years, these creative practices have produced
new forms of power as they critique, celebrate,
and refuse dominant ones.
Hip hop has deeply informed ‘’The Culture,” an
expression of Black Diasporic culture that has
largely dened itself against white dominance. In
the art museum, however, ‘’culture’’ has historically
meant a Europe-focused set of aesthetics, values,
and traditions sustained through gatekeeping.
The works in these galleries explore where
‘’culture’’ and ‘’The Culture’’ collide through six
themes: Language, Brand, Adornment, Tribute,
Pose, and Ascension. Language, whether in words,
music, or grafti, explores hip hop’s strategies of
subversion. Brand highlights the icons born from
hip hop and the seduction of success. Adornment
exuberantly challenges white ideas of taste with
alternate notions of beauty, while Tribute testies
to hip hop’s development of a visual canon. Pose
celebrates how hip hop speaks through the body
and its gestures. Ascension explores mortality,
spirituality, and the transcendent. Endlessly
inventive and multi-faceted, hip hop, and the art
it inspires, will continue to dazzle and empower.
Language
Hip hop is intrinsically an art form about language:
the visual language of grafti, a musical language
that includes scratching and sampling, and, of
course, the written and spoken word. An emcee
calls to the crowd with, “Let me hear you say...”
and orders language to a rhythm. Call-and-
response chants, followed by rap rhymes and lyrics
overlaid on tracks, form the foundations of hip hop
music. In addition to the poetry of music, one of
the most recognizable markers of hip hop is grafti.
Since the 1970s, grafti writers have colored city
trains, overpasses, and walls with vibrant hues of
spray paint. Many writers sign their works with
distinctive “tags.” Their exploration takes the
recognizable shapes of letters and numbers and
pushes their forms to—and beyond—the limit of
legibility.
Hip hop artists convey messages for anyone
to understand, while they code others in
references, technologies, or forms that require
insider knowledge, asserting the right not to be
universally understood.
How do you read the language of hip hop in
these works?
Front Image: Chinese grafti artist Chose tagging during a Puma event
celebrating the 50th anniversary of the classic Puma suede shoe, Guang-
zhou, China, 2017. Photo by Martha Cooper
Reverse Image: Lady Pink with her rst canvas, 1981.
Photo by Martha Cooper
Language Section Grafti
2024
WHEN in tribute to the artist RAPES
Curated by DSGN CLLCTV, Cincinnati, Ohio
Adam Pendleton
(American, b. 1984, Richmond, VA)
Untitled (WE ARE NOT)
2022
silkscreen ink on canvas
Courtesy of Carmel Barasch Family Collection
Black letters hover over dripping white letters, the
overwriting reminiscent of a tagged wall. The words
“we,” “are,” and “not” appear but are obscured by
further marks. Artist Adam Pendleton’s “Black Dada
Manifesto” guides much of his creative output. The
manifesto borrows both from Dadaism, an absurdist
artistic movement active during World War I (1914–
1918), and writer Amiri Baraka’s (1934–2014) poem
“Black Dada Nihilismus.” Both the Dadaists and
the Black Arts Movement, with which Baraka was
associated, operated within the framework of the
systemic violence of their respective political mo-
ments. Pendleton’s art refuses to be easily under-
stood as it explores the power and limits of what
language can address.
Jean-Michel Basquiat
(American, 1960–1988, New York City)
With Strings Two
1983
acrylic and oil stick on canvas
The Broad Art Foundation
Here, Jean-Michel Basquiat paid homage to jazz
musician Charlie “Bird” Parker (1920–1955), refer-
enced frequently throughout the artist’s
works. Basquiat included letters from Parker’s
name encased by a blue box, and below, the art-
ist wrote the title of Parker’s 1946 single “Orni-
thology,” struck through in red. An artist’s rever-
ence for iconic Black gures also occurs in hip hop:
name-dropping is a way for musicians to pay re-
spect to those who have come before and created
“the culture,” and to align themselves
with those creators.
Gordon Parks
(American, b. 1922 Fort Scott, KS;
d. 2006, New York City)
A Great Day in Hip Hop
1998
photograph
Courtesy of The Gordon Parks Foundation,
Pleasantville, NY
In 1998, 177 people gathered on the steps
of a brownstone in Harlem, New York, to
celebrate the impact and evolution of hip hop.
This photograph documents its exponential
growth and unprecedented movement into
mainstream culture.
Commissioned by the music publication XXL, A
Great Day in Hip Hop is an homage to Art Kane’s
(1925–1995) 1958 photograph, A Great Day in Har-
lem, which commemorates legendary jazz gures.
By referencing Kane’s popular image,
Parks’ work invites you to consider the evolution
of Black sound from jazz to hip hop.
Art Kane (American, 1925–1995), A Great Day in Harlem, August 12,1958;
© Art Kane Archive
Hip Hop in Cincinnati
Scribble Jam (1996 – 2009)
Born out of a magazine dedicated to grafti
writing culture, Scribble Jam became one of the
most prominent hip hop festivals in the Midwest
and the country. From its start in 1996, co-found-
ers “Fat” Nick Accurso, Jason Brunson, and DJ Mr.
Dibbs transformed this small backyard party into
a world-renowned hip hop festival through blood,
sweat, and tears.
Scribble Jam served as a hub of hip hop culture,
and its competitions became highlights of the festi-
val, incorporating the ve elements of hip hop: graf-
ti, DJ, emcee, B-Boy, and beatbox. Staying true
to these fundamentals and to its grass roots origins,
Scribble Jam did not accept corporate sponsorship.
Over the course of its 13 years (1996–2009),
national artists such as KRS-One, Atmosphere,
Living Legends, Eminem, Juice, MF Doom, and
Rhymefest graced the Scribble Jam stages. The
festival also did much for Cincinnati and Ohio hip
hop culture by giving these artists a national
platform. Prominent Ohio artists who enriched
the stages included Mood, Five Deez, Holmskillit,
Blueprint, Lone Catalysts, and Mhz.
The Scribble Jam years left a strong legacy of hip
hop culture in Cincinnati and represent the strong
relationships between both.
Gajin Fujita
(American, b. 1972, Los Angeles)
Ride or Die
2005
spray paint, paint marker, paint stick, gold and
whitegold leaf on wood panels
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City,
Missouri, Bebe and Crosby Kemper Collection, Mu-
seum purchase, Enid and Crosby Kemper and Wil-
liam T. Kemper Acquisition Fund
2005.39.01
A Japanese Edo-era (1603–1867) samurai rides in-
to battle on horseback, assailed by an onslaught of
piercing arrows. Emblazoned on his otherwise tradi-
tional helmet adorned with golden antlers is
a Los Angeles Dodgers logo. Perhaps referencing
the Edo-era printmaker’s mark, various grafti
tags engulf the rider.
Deeply informed by his years as an active member
of two grafti crews, Gajin Fujita often combines
historic Japanese art with the visual language of
street culture of Los Angeles,California. In works
like Ride or Die, conjoining the two serves as
a unique mode of activism and free-form
creative expression.
RAMM:ΣLL:ZΣΣ (Rammellzee)
(American, 1960–2010, Far Rockaway, NY)
Alphabet (pages 6, 8, and 10
from series of 11)
circa 1986
felt-tip pen and pencil on paper
The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of the
Gilbert B. and Lila Silverman Instruction Drawing
Collection, Detroit, 2018
The artist, performer, and philosopher RAM-
M:ΣLL:ZΣΣ retooled written language as a means
of exercising and circulating power. He sought to
obscure—and by doing so, repurpose—the Ro-
man alphabet through what he called the “arman-
amentation” of letters and a system he later called
IKONOKLAST PANZERISM.
His approach—or, in his words, “correction”—to
the inuential wild style form of grafti writing en-
ables each letter to perform a highly specic kind
of work. These intricate letterforms reference a phi-
losophy that commingles the street with the galac-
tic. RAMM:ΣLL:ZΣΣ wrote of the letter C, on view
nearby, “C Structure knowledge incomplete O, 60
(point-point+) missing from cipher=C, representing
third letter. Since O is broken, C cancels out itself
because its outline does not go around and come
around. In this formation XC equals nance.” Some
languages do not exist to be readily understood.
Julie Mehretu
(American, b. 1970, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)
Six Bardos: Transmigration
2018
aquatint
Gemini G.E.L.
This print’s complex mapping of layered lines,
marks, and colors calls to mind a wall dense with
grafti. One of the original pillars or elements of
hip hop, grafti has challenged mainstream notions
of public space, private property, what is consid-
ered art, and what is considered a crime. In creating
these panels, which are part of a sweeping six-part
series, Mehretu drew inspiration from political graf-
ti and calligraphy and her upbringing, particularly
her father’s professional background in geography.
For the artist, making her mark to make space is
vital. “My work is an insistence on being here. I am
here, we are here, and we are in the building.”
Alvaro Barrington
(Venezuelan, b. 1983, Caracas, Venezuela)
They have They Can’t
2021
hessian (burlap) on aluminum frame, yarn, spray
paint, concrete on cardboard, and bandanas
Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami.
Gift of Private Collection, US
“They got money for wars, but can’t feed the
poor.” Sewn in yarn on burlap, the pointed lyrics
across They have They Can’t are from Tupac
Shakur’s (1971–1996) 1993 song “Keep Ya Head
Up,” which highlights Black persistence in the face
of racism, sexism, and marginalization. Another
reference to Shakur in this work is the large, embla-
zoned rose that nods to his autobiographical
poem “The Rose That Grew from Concrete.”
Of Grenadian and Haitian descent and raised in a
West Indian neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York,
Alvaro Barrington admires such rappers as Shakur
and DMX (1970–2021), who told “the story of the
[U.S.] war on drugs as a war against working-class
Black communities.”
Shirt
(American, b. 1983, New York City)
Don’t Talk To Me About No
Signicance Of Art
2021
inkjet on canvas
Courtesy of the artist
In this text-based work, 32 contemporary artists
and thinkers considered whether a rap song can
be called signicant art. The artist, Shirt, based
the concept and design on a 1922 issue of the
experimental art journal Manuscripts (MSS),
where contributors offered opinions on the
medium of photography.
The original prompt—“Can a photograph have
the signicance of art?”—largely elicited responses
from white, male artists and inuential cultural
theorists, most notably not photographers. Shirt
invites you to reevaluate the art world’s hierarchies
and consider who gets to be called an artist, what
is considered art, and who gets to decide.
Kahlil Robert Irving
(American, b. 1992, San Diego)
Arches & standards
(Stockley ain’t the only one)
Meissen Matter: STL and pedestal
2018
glazed and unglazed ceramic, luster, enamel, per-
sonally constructed and vintage decals
Courtesy of the artist
Caught within what looks like concrete, the artist
has nestled images of cigarette butts and corporate
logos among patterned ceramics. The wares ref-
erence Meissen, the famed German porcelain rst
produced in the 1700s. Look closer for images of
Jason Stockley (b. 1981), a St. Louis, Missouri, po-
lice ofcer acquitted in 2017 for the 2011 murder of
Anthony Lamar Smith (1987–2011), along with other
scenes of protests against police brutality. Here, the
artist collapsed contemporary acts of state violence
with porcelain, a material entangled with histories
of colonialism. The work sits on a pedestal wrapped
in ephemera reecting on Black life, death, remem-
brance, celebration, and survival.
Nicholas Galanin (Tlingit and Unangax̂ )
(American, b. 1979, Sitka, AK)
Tsu Héidei Shugaxtutaan 1
2006
single-channel video (black and white, sound)
duration: 4 minutes, 37 seconds, looped
Tsu Héidei Shugaxtutaan 2
2006
single-channel video (black and white, sound)
duration: 4 minutes, 7 seconds, looped
Both works courtesy of the artist and Peter Blum
Gallery, New York
In this pair of videos, Nicholas Galanin uses dance
and music to remix cultural references and bridge
the past and present. In the rst video, the u-
id movements of breakdancer David Elsewhere
(b. 1979) animate a white room and rhythmically
align with a song sung in Tlingit, the language of
the Indigenous people from the regions present-
ly known as Southeast Alaska and Western Can-
ada. In the second video, Tlingit dancer Dan Lit-
tleeld performs a Raven Dance to a pulsating
electro-dub soundscape.
Galanin wrote, “Culture cannot be contained as
it unfolds. My art enters this stream at many differ-
ent points, looking backwards, looking forwards,
generating its own sound and motion.” The Tlingit
titles, Tsu Héidei Shugaxtutaan 1 and 2, translate
to “We will again open this container of wisdom
that has been left in our care.” This phrase is also
sung in the video.
Troy Chew II
(American, b. 1992, Los Angeles)
As seen on TV
2021
oil on canvas with augmented reality
Courtesy of the artist and Altman Siegel,
San Francisco
LA II (Angel Ortiz)
(American, b. 1967, New York City)
Untitled (Large Multicolored
Teardrop Vase)
2009
acrylic, marker, and spray paint on ceramic vase
Courtesy of Woodward Gallery, New York
Shinique Smith
(American, b. 1971, Baltimore)
Shortysugarhoneybabydon’tbedistracted
2002
acrylic on vinyl
Collection of the artist, courtesy of the artist,
Shinique Smith
Dynamically owing across this sheet of vinyl are
swirls of red and white acrylic paint. Shinique
Smith’s work references the visually abundant and
gestural street art of the 1980s and 1990s and the
mid-20th-century Abstract Expressionist tradition
that pushed paint to the very edge canvas.
In her youth, Smith wrote grafti around her home-
town of Baltimore. She explains: “Grafti still inu-
ences my work, but in a nostalgic way, reminding
me of...the brash, fearless way you have as a teen-
ager. Creating art re-creates that energy for me.”
José Parlá
(American, b. 1973, Miami, FL)
Coral Way, Alive Five
2015
acrylic, oil, ink, collage, fabric, and plaster on wood
Collection of the artist
Paint and plaster cover wood to recreate a graf-
tied wall transplanted from the street. The sculp-
ture is part of a series referencing neighborhoods
in Miami, Florida—in this work, the neighborhood
of Coral Way. Here, the complex layers suggest
the many ways people make their mark on a city:
grafti writers paint on walls, posters get pasted
up or pulled down, nicks to concrete add texture
and dimension.
While this example draws on Parlá’s experienc-
es with grafti, one of hip hop’s ve pillars or el-
ements, its vertical, slab-like form also references
mid-20th-century minimalism and abstraction. Born
in Miami to Cuban parents, Parlá has spoken of his
practice as “erasing the hyphen” in the designa-
tion “Cuban-American” to bridge histories, spaces,
and politics.
Abbey Williams
(American, b. 1971, New York City)
Overture
2020
HD single-channel video (color, sound) duration: 4
minutes, 18 seconds, looped
Courtesy of the artist
In this video, Abbey Williams spliced together foot-
age of owers in bloom and the title credits from
the opening sequence of the 1964 lm musical My
Fair Lady. Williams superimposed black bars over
the text to suggest the redaction of language.
Sexually explicit lyrics by women hip hop artists
such as Khia (b. 1976), Nicki Minaj (b. 1982), and
Princess Nokia (b. 1992) oat over the bars in an
elaborate script. These bars expand, eventual-
ly blotting out the owers entirely to form a black
screen. By displacing the idealized femininity em-
bedded in the My Fair Lady narrative, Williams cri-
tiques white-centered denitions of what it means
to be “lady-like” and recenters certain kinds of
Black femininity instead.
Rozeal
(American, b. 1966, Washington, D.C.)
divine selektah…big up [after yoshitoshi’s
moon of the lial son]
2006
acrylic and gold leaf on panel
Collection of the University of Arizona Museum of
Art, Tucson; Museum Purchase with funds provided
by Robert J. Greenberg
Brand
“I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man!”
exclaimed Jay-Z in 2005. Soon after, he became
the rst rapper to cross the billion-dollar net worth
threshold. The conceptof a brand is not limited to
differentiating and marketing commercial goods
but extends to how an individual uses available
communication technologies—including social
media—to position themself in the public sphere.
In previous decades, hip hop artists have functioned
as unofcial promoters of major brands that aligned
with their style and desired public persona. Today,
artists both partner directly with companies and
create their own independent brands to bolster
their personal business empires. Whether designing
fashion, recording music, or making art, artists blur
the boundaries between these art forms, between
being in business and being the business.
Is the artist a producer or is the artist a product?
Front Image: ARCHBOY, showing St. Louis rapper Smino in Los Angeles,
CA, November 8, 2018. Photo by Curtis Taylor Jr.
Reverse Image: Run backstage with fan in New Orleans, Raising Hell Tour,
1986 (printed 2003). Photo by Ricky Powell, Collection of the Smithsonian
National Museum of African American History and Culture © Ricky Powell
Brand Section Grafti
2024
2KEWL & AKTOE
Curated by DSGN CLLCTV, Cincinnati, Ohio
Larry W. Cook
(American, b. 1986, Landover, MD)
Picture Me Rollin’
2012
single-channel video (color, sound) duration: 1 min-
ute, 43 seconds, looped
Courtesy of the artist
A black Lamborghini spins in circles, cheered on by
men in white T-shirts and medallion necklaces. Larry
W. Cook reused a clip from the 2000 music video
“Get Your Roll On” by the rap group Big Tymers
(est. circa 1997), replacing the audio with a version
of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s (1929–1968) “I Have a
Dream” speech. The civil rights leader’s words have
been chopped and screwed, a hip hop turntable
technique that involves slowing down a track.
In the early 2000s, the rap music video aesthetic of
driving luxury cars as an assertion of hypermasculin-
ity emerged. Cook stated, “My video suggests that
the materialism gloried in hip hop music has be-
come the American Dream for many and is passed
down to younger generations.”
Jordan Casteel
(American, b. 1989, Denver)
Fendi
2018
oil on canvas
Private Collection, New York
An unidentied gure riding the subway holds bags
covered in Fendi logos in their lap. Despite the sym-
bols of the Italian fashion house, designed to catch
your eye, the artist sought to create a moment of
humanity in the otherwise unremarkable scene of a
subway ride. Through conspicuously branded luxury
items, a person aligns themselves with the lifestyle
and afuence the brand represents. Sometimes,
this image of wealth is at odds with reality.
In her gurative work, Casteel paints her sitters with
immediacy and individuality, hoping to “tell stories
of people who are often unseen, making someone
slow down and engage with them.”
Stan Douglas
(Canadian, b. 1960, Vancouver)
ISDN
2022
two-channel video (color, sound)
duration: 6 hours, 41 minutes, 28 seconds
(video variations), looped
duration: 82 hours, 2 minutes, 52 seconds
(musical variations), looped
Courtesy of the artist, Victoria Miro, and
David Zwirner
Two screens showcase a pair of performers, one in
London and another in Cairo. They take turns de-
livering freestyle rap verses in English and Arabic
transmitted through ISDN, a technology conceived
in the 1980s to send digital audio over a phone line.
According to the artist, this back-and-forth, call-
and-response reects global interconnectedness:
“The idea of having this endless music is to say that
when you do have this cross-fertilization between
cultures, the possibilities are endless.” Both pairs of
artists use the language of rap to explore systemic
social issues and ideas of race and class that con-
nect them across continents. This work underscores
that hip hop, transnational yet rooted in the African
Diaspora, is an undeniable global force and that,
despite its enormous commercial appeal, contin-
ues to adapt to the local conditions under which it
is made.
ISDN is one of Stan Douglas’ “recombinant” works
in which dialogue, soundtrack, and imagery recom-
bine and change, often over a prolonged period.
You are welcome to enter the work at any point.
Kudzanai Chiurai
(South African, b. 1981,
Harare, Zimbabwe)
The Minister of Enterprise
2009
Ultrachrome ink on photo bre paper
Courtesy of Kudzanai Chiurai and Goodman Gallery
Lighting his cigar with money, the Minister of En-
terprise stares deantly at you. He positions himself
in front of shining gold wallpaper, wearing tinted
sunglasses, and a gold watch and chain. In a theatri-
cal image, he embodies the conspicuous consump-
tion and desire for brandishing luxury goods seen
among many hip hop stars.
This work is part of a series of scathing mock por-
traits titled The Parliament. South Africa-based art-
ist and social activist Kudzanai Chiurai depicts mem-
bers of a ctitious government cabinet, inventing
characters representing the ministers of education,
nance, health, defense, home affairs, art, and cul-
ture. The series comments on political powers in
South Africa, corruption, and masculinity through
the aesthetics of hip hop culture.
Luis Gispert
(American, b. 1972, Jersey City)
Louis Uluru
2012
chromogenic print
Courtesy of Moran Moran Gallery
Jayson Musson
(American, b. 1977, New York City)
Knowledge of God
2015
mercerized cotton on stretched linen
Courtesy of the artist and Salon 94, New York
Rashaad Newsome
(American, b. 1979, New Orleans)
Power and Periphery (NOLA)
2012
collage in customized frame
Courtesy of Marlborough Gallery, New York
Daniel “Dapper Dan” Day for Gucci
(American, b. 1944, New York City)
Guccissima Leather Down Jacket
Spring/Summer 2018
lamb leather, polyamide, and goose down
Barrett Barrera Projects
Green dragons march around the sleeves of this
distinctive red leather jacket. The allover Gucci
logo in white leaves no doubt as to the identity
of the brand, but all is not as it appears.
The legendary designer known as Dapper Dan pro-
duced custom-made clothing out of existing luxu-
ry stock. In the 1980s and 1990s, he created iconic
looks for artists such as Eric B. & Rakim (est. 1986),
LL Cool J (b. 1968), and Salt-N-Pepa (est. 1985).
As his clients’ fortunes rose, so did his visibility—
high-end fashion houses led lawsuits, and his store
closed. When, in 2017, Gucci created a mink bomb-
er jacket suspiciously similar to one by Dapper Dan,
the public outcry was immediate. In a canny move,
Gucci invited Dapper Dan to design a fall 2018
capsule collection, of which this jacket is a part.
The borrowing from expensive brands to make
something unique questions the notion of the
“original” and underlines the uneasy relation-
ship between symbols of afuence and those they
deliberately exclude.
Sheila Rashid
(American, b.1988, Chicago)
Overalls
2016, recreated in 2023
gabardine, copper oxide buttons, and rivets
Courtesy of the artist
Chance the Rapper for New Era
(American, b. 1993, Chicago)
Chance 3 New Era Cap
2022
fabric, plastic, and stickers
The Baltimore Museum of Art: Museum Purchase
During the promotion of his 2016 Coloring Book al-
bum, Chance the Rapper (b. 1993) adopted overalls
and a baseball cap with the number three as his uni-
form and personal brand. The rapper commissioned
Chicago-based designer Sheila Rashid to create
the overalls, which he wore at many major public
events. The look visualized the joy and play in
Coloring Book’s sound.
For this exhibition, Rashid reproduced the overalls
from Chance the Rapper’s 2016 appearance on
the television show Saturday Night Live. The
ensemble also includes the baseball cap worn
for the performance.
Cross Colours by Carl Jones and
Thomas “TJ” Walker Jones
(American, b. 1953, Memphis; b. 1960,
Toomsuba, MS)
Denim Bucket Hat, worn by Cardi B
during 2018 Grammy’s Performance
1991
denim cotton
Cross Colours Archive
Travis Scott by Air Jordan
(American, b. 1992, Houston)
Cactus Jack Air Jordan 1
2019
leather, suede, rubber, and
cotton
Private Collection
In these retro high-top brown-and-pink suede
sneakers, the designer reverses the ever-recogniz-
able Nike swooshes—the tail faces the toe rather
than the heel. This feature is just one of the ways
that rapper Travis Scott’s partnership with Nike Air
Jordan breaks away from conventional Air Jordan
1 design. Tongue tags are stitched in red and sit
to the side of the tongue instead of the top, and
a stash pocket hides in the collar.
This collaboration has fueled record-breaking
engagement with Nike. It is a prime example of
how, by bringing their inuential cultural capital
to legacy brands, rappers have stepped into the
role previously held by elite athletes.
Hassan Hajjaj
(Moroccan, b. 1961, Larache, Morocco)
Cardi B Unity
2017 / 1438 (Gregorian / Hijri)
metallic Lambda print on 3 mm dibond in a
poplar sprayed-white frame with HH green
tea boxes with buttery
Courtesy of Yossi Milo Gallery, New York
Tariku Shiferaw
(Ethiopian, b. 1983, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)
Money (Cardi B)
2018
spray paint, wood, price tags, and screws
Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Lelong & Co.,
New York
Tariku Shiferaw painted a large X and various
symbols on this box-like object. The open wood
slats suggest a shipping pallet used to move
goods and commodities and the straightforward
construction of minimalist sculpture.
The titles of Shiferaw’s works, such as Money
(Cardi B), reference artists known for music originat-
ing in Black communities, like hip hop, R&B,
reggae, Afrobeats, blues, and jazz. These genres
have historically been instruments of resistance
against societies that have repeatedly attempted
to erase—and prot from—Black labor. By invoking
one of the most bankable names in hip hop within
the context of the shipping crate, Shiferaw ques-
tions when a personal brand becomes a product.
Please do not touch.
Vivienne Westwood
(British, b. 1941, Cheshire, England;
d. 2022, London)
Buffalo Hat
1984
felt
Courtesy of Arby’s, Inspire Brands, Inc., Atlanta, GA
This wide-brimmed, oversized hat was famously
worn by musician Pharrell Williams (b. 1973) at
the 2014 Grammy Awards. It rst debuted in the
fall 1982 collection of legendary fashion designer
Vivienne Westwood. Her partner Malcolm McLaren
donned the hat alongside his hip hop group, The
World’s Famous Supreme Team. McLaren, best
known as the manager of the British punk band
the Sex Pistols, turned his attention to hip hop
in the 1980s. The hat became embedded in the
movement’s aesthetics through its appearance
in lms such as Wild Style (1982) and Beat
Street (1984).
Thirty-two years later, having circulated from
Westwood’s runway to movie sets and the streets of
New York City, Williams repopularized the buffalo
hat. His use of the accessory for his brand recalled
the era of classic hip hop and became a unique
signier of the artist.
Left: Pharrell Williams performs onstage during The Night That Changed
America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles at the Los Angeles Convention
Center on January 27, 2014, in Los Angeles, California; Kevork Djansezian
/ Getty Images North America / Getty Images.
Above: Malcolm McLaren (front, center), rappers The World’s Famous
Supreme Team, and models wearing items from designer Vivienne
Westwood’s “Buffalo” collection, London, February 1983; Photo by
Dave Hogan / Hulton Archive / Getty Images
Malcolm McLaren
(British, b. 1946, London;
d. 2010, Bellinzona, Switzerland)
Duck Rock
1983
12-inch vinyl record and paper cover sleeve
The Baltimore Museum of Art: Museum Purchase
Zéh Palito
(Brazilian, b. 1991, Itaqui, Brazil)
It was all a dream
2022
acrylic on canvas
Courtesy of the artist, Simões de Assis and
Luce Gallery
This artwork has been generously supported by
Dr. & Mrs. Robert H Collins.
Adornment
“Now I like dollars/I like diamonds./I like stunting/I
like shining,” Cardi B raps at the top of “I Like It.”
Her words capture the recurrent identication of
self with adornment in the canon of hip hop. While
style often signies class and politics, almost no
culture dresses as self-referentially—or as
inuentially—as hip hop. From Lil’ Kim’s technicolor
wigs to the exuberant, excessive layering of gold
chains by Big Daddy Kane and Ra Kim, some of the
most important and unique styles have originated
in hip hop.
Jewelry ashes, grills glint in smiling mouths, and
iconic Air Force One sneakers are meant to be
seen. In her 2015 book Shine, art historian Krista
Thompson looks at how light is caught and styled
close to the body within the African Diaspora. She
explores the ways people today “use objects to
negotiate and represent their personhood,” in
contrast to how their ancestors were dened as
property. Adornment in hip hop culture can resist
Eurocentric ideals of beauty and challenge
concepts of taste and decorum.
What story does your style tell?
Front Image: LL Cool J, London. 1986 Photo by Richard Bellia
Reverse Image: Miss Kam, 2021. Photo by Philip Muriel
Adornment Section Grafti
2024
The K & KONQR (Front Grafti)
FRANK & UFOREK (Reverse Grafti)
Curated by DSGN CLLCTV, Cincinnati, Ohio
Wilmer Wilson IV
(American, b. 1989, Richmond, VA)
RID UM
2018
staples and pigment print on wood
Courtesy of the artist and Susan Inglett
Gallery, NYC
In this work, Wilmer Wilson IV rephotographed
and enlarged a party ier depicting three gures
dressed for a night out. Wilson’s laborious pro-
cess—afxing hundreds of staples to plywood—
is an effort “to cope with the impermanence of
things—like bodies, but also the fragments of ev-
eryday social life.”
RID UM recalls how party iers, typically used to
promote hip hop concerts, are stapled to wood-
en telephone poles across urban spaces. While
the staples offer a visually compelling surface, the
complete picture is somewhat difcult to decipher
due to the metallic glare, suggesting both invisibil-
ity and hypervisibility. Through this act of shielding,
Wilson has provided a means of protection to the
Black people depicted in the original photograph.
Derrick Adams
(American, b. 1970, Baltimore)
Style Grid 10
2019
acrylic paint and graphite on digital photograph
Courtesy of Derrick Adams Studio
Anthony Olubunmi Akinbola
(American, b. 1991, Columbia, MO)
CAMOUFLAGE #105 (Metropolis)
2020
durags and acrylic on wood panel
Keith Rivers Collection
Anthony Olubunmi Akinbola cut, stretched,
stitched, and collaged black durags (also spelled
“do-rags”) into a shimmering composition in this
four-panel work from his CAMOUFLAGE series.
Worn as fashion statements in their own right, these
exible headscarves also offer practical protection
for Black hair. The artist attened the durags to
transform these recognizable objects into patterns
that absorb and reect light. The allover movement
and solid black surface created by the artist brings
abstract monochrome painting into conversation
with the culture of Black adornment.
Lauren Halsey
(American, b. 1987, Los Angeles)
auntie fawn on tha 6
2021
synthetic hair on wood
Collection of Alyson & Gunner Winston
Bundles of brightly colored synthetic hair create a
cascade in rainbow hues. Often styled into wigs,
braids, and other hairstyles, candy-colored synthetic
hair has been popularized throughout the 21st cen-
tury by musicians such as Lil’ Kim (b. 1974), Lil’ Mo
(b. 1978), Blaque (est. 1999), and TLC (est. 1990).
Lauren Halsey creates works that celebrate the ev-
eryday world of her neighborhood of South Central
Los Angeles. This vibrant example celebrates syn-
thetic hair as a bold form of adornment within Black
communities and hair styling as an art form in its
own right.
Dionne Alexander
(American, b. 1967, Washington, DC)
Lil’ Kim Chanel Logo Wig
2001, recreated 2022
human hair wig
Courtesy of the artist
Lil’ Kim Versace Logo Wig
2001, recreated 2022
human hair wig
Courtesy of the artist
Lil’ Kim Purple Wig from MTV VMAs
1999, recreated 2022
synthetic hair wig
Courtesy of the artist
Lil’ Kim Zipper Wig from MTV VMAs
2001, recreated 2022
human hair wig, zipper
Courtesy of the artist
Lil’ Kim XXL Magazine
May 2000
paper
The Baltimore Museum of Art: Museum Purchase
Lil’ Kim Interview Magazine
November 1999
paper
The Baltimore Museum of Art: Museum Purchase
Left: Lil’ Kim at the MTV Video Music Awards, New York, 1999;
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images;
Right: Lil’ Kim, for Manhattan File magazine, 2001;
Photo by Danielle Levitt
Provocative lyrics, monochromatic outts, and vi-
brant wigs adorned with luxury brand logos dened
rapper Lil’ Kim’s (b. 1974) style in the early 2000s.
Her hairstylist during this period, Dionne Alexander,
dyed, imprinted, and stenciled some of the most
recognizable brand logos in mainstream fashion
onto these wigs, exemplifying hip hop’s popular-
ization of conspicuous consumption and branded
clothing and accessories. Alexander also created
iconic hairstyles for musical artists such as Mary J.
Blige (b. 1971), Lauryn Hill (b. 1975), and Missy
Elliott (b. 1971).
For this exhibition, Alexander reproduced some of
the most memorable wigs she created for Lil’ Kim,
which continue to reverberate in hip hop’s visual
culture today, inspiring a new generation of stylists
and music artists.
Murjoni Merriweather
(American, b. 1996, Temple Hills, MD)
Z E L L A
2022
ceramic and hand-braided synthetic hair
Courtesy of the artist ©mvrjoni
Please do not touch
Robert Pruitt
(American, b. 1975, Houston)
For Whom the Bell Curves
2004
gold chains
The Studio Museum in Harlem; Museum purchase
made possible by a gift from Rena Bransten, San
Francisco, and a gift from Burt Aaron, New York
2006.14
From a distance, these graceful arching lines recall
1960s minimalist wall sculpture. A closer look re-
veals layered references to Blackness in terms of
historical trauma and contemporary desire. Mascu-
linity in hip hop culture intertwines with gold chains,
a material associated with wealth and excess. Rob-
ert Pruitt used the form that typically graces a rap-
per’s neck to trace the routes of the transatlantic
slave trade from the western coast of Africa to
the eastern shores of the Americas, giving the
glittering links an ominous signicance.
Deana Lawson
(American, b. 1979, Rochester, NY)
Nation
2018
pigment-based inkjet print with
collaged photograph
Courtesy of the artist, David Kordansky Gallery,
and Gagosian
Two shirtless gures, dripping with gold, boldly
confront the camera. One wears a glistening cheek
retractor commonly used by dentists. A necklace
with an ankh, the ancient Egyptian symbol of life,
points toward the history of metalwork throughout
the African Diaspora. An inset image of George
Washington’s (1732–1799) dentures—made of ivory,
gold wire, and teeth from enslaved Black people—
obscures a standing gure.
By bringing Washington’s teeth into dialogue with
the mouthpiece worn by the sitter, Deana Lawson
drew a harrowing connection to the racial violence
that has shaped the United States. At the same
time, the work honors the culture of hip hop. Notes
the artist: “There is a nobility and majesty of a lot
of gold that’s worn, and how it’s appropriated in
hip hop, and how I think hip hop actually channels
ancient kingdoms.”
Megan Lewis
(American, b. 1989, Baltimore)
Fresh Squeezed Lemonade
2022
oil and acrylic on fabric
Courtesy of the artist
Hank Willis Thomas
(American, b. 1976, Plaineld, NJ)
Black Power
2006
chromogenic print, digital exposure
Barrett Barrera Projects
Bruno Baptistelli
(Brazilian, b. 1985, São Paulo, Brazil)
Memento
original cast 2020–2022; this cast 2023
gold grills
Courtesy of the artist
Using his own teeth as the mold for this gold-plated
grill, Brazilian-based artist Bruno Baptistelli placed
himself into the long history of cosmetic dentistry.
By mounting and covering the grill with a vitrine,
the artist treats gold teeth with reverence. The ti-
tle of this work reinforces this notion, evoking the
phrase memento mori (Latin for “remember that
you must die”).
Worn by hip hop originators such as Slick Rick
(b. 1965) and celebrated in songs like Nelly’s (b.
1974) 2005 single “Grillz,” gilded teeth are a
popular form of adornment in hip hop. The gold
signies an accumulation of wealth and refuses the
Eurocentric ideal of an unadorned white smile.
Miguel Luciano
(Puerto Rican, b. 1972,
San Juan, Puerto Rico)
Plátano Pride
2006
chromogenic photograph
Courtesy of the artist
Miguel Luciano
(Puerto Rican, b. 1972,
San Juan, Puerto Rico)
Pure Plantainum
2006
polyurethane encased in platinum with sterling
silver in plexiglass with synthetic ber
Smithsonian National Museum of African
American History and Culture, purchased with
funds provided by the Smithsonian Latino
Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian
Latino Center
Platinum encases a sculpted polyurethane plantain,
transforming a common food of the Caribbean in-
to jewelry. The humble fruit, rendered in a precious
metal, adorns a young person’s neck in the photo-
graph and rests against velvety black fabric in the
sculpture. Miguel Luciano describes the plantain
as “a stereotypical and yet iconic symbol.”
Plantain sap stains skin and clothing, an effect cap-
tured by the saying “la mancha de plátano,” the
mark of the plantain. This phrase originally refer-
enced the lingering brown stain left on rural farm-
workers harvesting the fruit and became an an-
ti-Black and classist euphemism. Now, it is a proud
assertion of Puerto Rican identity, especially for
the millions in the diaspora, and of connection to
heritage as lasting as the plantain stain.
Yvonne Osei
(German, b. 1990, Hamburg)
EXTENSIONS
2018
single-channel video (color, sound) duration:
6 minutes, 4 seconds, looped
Courtesy of the artist and Bruno David Gallery
Filming in Asafo in her home country of Ghana,
Yvonne Osei captured the performative quality
of the everyday cultural tradition of hair braiding.
Throughout the video, braids on the sitter’s head
grow longer and longer, and the camera pulls back
to capture their length. In the end, the braids are so
long that they drag behind the woman as she walks
through the city, her hair literally stopping trafc.
The title of this work nods to both the length of
the sitter’s braids and the impact of hair braiding
across the African Diaspora. Braided hair has his-
torically communicated group identity, status, and
geography. From Queen Latifah’s (b. 1970) 1990s
looks to A$AP Rocky’s (b. 1988) current style,
braided hair can serve as another political form
of self-presentation.
Tribute
From name-dropping in a song to wearing a por-
trait of a deceased rapper on a T-shirt, tributes,
respects, and shout-outs are fundamental to hip
hop culture. These references proclaim inuence
and who matters, honor legacies, and create
networks of artistic associations. Elevating artists
and styles contributes to hip hop’s canonization—
when certain artworks, songs, and rappers are
collectively recognized for their artistic excellence
and historical impact.
Hip hop as a global art form has become a
touchstone for artists of the 21st century. As visual
artists trace its conceptual and social lineage
through tribute, they engage the idea that the art
historical canon, previously homogenous, white,
and stable, is uid depending on your background
and preferences, questioning what is beautiful,
who is iconic, and whose histories are valued.
Who do you pay homage or respect to in
your life?
Front Image: “Wall Mural Tupac Shakur Live by the Gun” by Andre
Charles, New York, 1997. Photo by Al Pereira, Collection of the Smithso-
nian National Museum of African American History and Culture
© Al Pereira
Reverse Image: “The Hip Hop Mount Rushmore”: Biggie, Tupac, Ol’ Dirty
Bastard, Eazy-E, Four Fingers of Def 4-nger ring by Johnny Nelson.
Photo by Danita Bethea on model Aurora Anthony, courtesy Johnny Nelson
Tribute Section Grafti
2024
The K & KONQR
Curated by DSGN CLLCTV, Cincinnati, Ohio
Jen Everett
(American, b. 1981, Detroit)
Unheard Sounds, Come Through:
Extended Mix
2022
wooden speakers, boom box, cassette tapes, vinyl
record sleeves, cassette player, vinyl photo sleeves,
and transistor radios
Courtesy of the artist
Cross Colours by Carl Jones and Thomas
“TJ” Walker
(American, b. 1953, Memphis;
b. 1960, Toomsuba, MS)
Color-Blocked Denim Ensemble with Hat
1990–1992
cotton, acrylic, and wool
Cross Colours Archive
The boxy cut of the jacket and tapered pants of
this color-blocked denim ensemble is generous by
design. The stiff material affects how one moves,
stands, and walks—literally, the gure that one cuts.
Carl Jones and Thomas “TJ” Walker founded the
iconic streetwear brand Cross Colours in 1989 to
unify hip hop culture. After observing New York City
street style, the Los Angeles-based brand leaned
into the oversized look.
Cross Colours was among the rst streetwear
brands to understand their product as currency
and distributed it carefully, most notably to the
wardrobe department of the then-popular sitcom
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The image of actor
Will Smith (b. 1968) wearing Cross Colours at the
height of his youthful charm circulated the style into
homes everywhere.
Will Smith in Cross Colours as the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, 1994;
NBCU Photo Bank
Derrick Adams
(American, b. 1970, Baltimore)
Heir to the Throne
minted June 25, 2021
non-fungible token, HD
duration: 11 min., looped
Private Collection
Roberto Lugo
(American, b. 1981, Philadelphia)
Street Shrine 1:
A Notorious Story (Biggie)
2019
glazed ceramic
Collection of Peggy Scott and David Teplitzky
This artwork has been generously supported by
Dr. & Mrs. Robert H. Collins
Tschabalala Self
(American, b. 1990, New York City)
Setta’s Room 1996
2022
solvent transfer, paper, acrylic, thread, and collaged
painted canvas
Courtesy of the artist and Pilar Corrias, London
A young woman in a two-piece pink polka-dot outt
sits on the oor. She holds a landline phone in her
hand as her smiling gaze looks beyond the picture
frame. The artist, Tschabalala Self, based this work
on recollections of her sister Princetta, who self
acknowledges as an important early muse.
The pink walls and hardwood oor recall
Princetta’s teenage bedroom in the family’s
Harlem, New York, brownstone. A Lil’ Kim post-
er—a promotional image for her 1996 debut
album Hard Core—oats on a wall above the scene.
This poster was signicant to the artist, who
credits it as a formative touchstone for her interest
in how society situates the Black female body within
contemporary Black culture.
Shabez Jamal
(American, b. 1992, St. Louis)
Album Reconstruction No. 4
(After Kimberly)
Album Reconstruction No. 5 (After Inga)
Album Reconstruction No. 6
(After Katrina)
2022
mixed media (oak, acrylic sheets, Polaroid images,
chromogenic prints, and bronze photo corners)
Courtesy of the artist
Carrie Mae Weems
(American, b. 1953, Portland, OR)
Anointed
2017, printed 2023
archival pigment print
Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery
Mary J. Blige (b. 1971) receives a crown in this
red-tinged photograph, referencing the musician’s
nickname as the Queen of Hip Hop Soul. Carrie
Mae Weems honored the singer by placing her in
a lineage of other Black icons.
Commissioned for W Magazine’s 2017 art issue,
Weems’ regal portrayal stands at the intersection
of popular media, ne art, and music. According
to the artist, “I appropriated an image of Dinah
Washington, who was considered the queen of
blues, the queen of jazz. And of course, there’s
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s constant use of the crown
in relationship to jazz and music, and African
American cultural utterance.”
El Franco Lee II
(American, b. 1985, Houston)
DJ Screw in Heaven
2008
acrylic on canvas
Private Collection, Houston
Wearing a Fubu shirt and in the ow, DJ Screw
(1971–2000) presides over his turntables. Fans and
friends surround him in his home—an essential
part of the 1990s hip hop scene in Houston, Texas.
His hands appear to be in motion, scratching and
changing records. DJ Screw is a hip hop legend
who created the distorted “chopped and screwed”
sound; he would chop the lyrics, slow the tempo of
a song, and reduce the pitch. Additional lyrics, of-
ten freestyles by Houston-based rappers, were then
layered over his tracks.
DJ Screw tragically died of an overdose in 2000.
Houston-based artist El Franco Lee II drew on his
interest in comic books to create a detailed tribute
to the DJ in his element.
Alex de Mora
(British, b. 1982, Frimley, England)
West Coast Tattoos
2019, printed 2023
pigment-based inkjet print
Big Gee
2019, printed 2023
pigment-based inkjet print
East Coast Tattoos
2019, printed 2023
pigment-based inkjet print
All works courtesy of the artist and DMB
Two anking images depict a shirtless man with tat-
toos of notable American rappers. The left arm in-
cludes WestCoast stars Tupac Shakur (1971–1996),
Eazy-E (1964–1995), and Snoop Dogg (b. 1971),
while the right arm sports East Coast musicians The
Notorious B.I.G. (1972–1997), DMX (1970–2021),
and Nas (b. 1973). This tattooed tribute memorial-
izes their global inuence. The central photograph
features Mongolian hip hop celebrity Big Gee (b.
circa 1984) atop a camel in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Hip hop reached Mongolia shortly after the fall of
communism in the mid-1990s, and Mongolian rap-
pers and fans were quick to emulate great hip hop
artists from the United States. In 2019, British pho-
tographer Alex de Mora traveled to Ulaanbaatar
to document the capital city’s prominent hip hop
scene and explore the specicities of its own hip
hop culture.
Maï Lucas
(French, b. 1968, Paris)
Sté Strausz
2002
archival pigment print
Oxmo Puccino
2000
archival pigment print
Both works courtesy of the artist
French hip hop luminary Sté Strausz (b. 1977)
confronts us with a bold and playful gaze. Oxmo
Puccino (b. 1974) poses deadpan against an urban
cityscape in a T-shirt that reads “Ghetto de France.”
Franco-Vietnamese artist Maï Lucas has been ob-
serving and photographing the hip hop and graf-
ti scene in Paris, France, and its suburbs since the
mid-1980s. As she says, it was a time when “no one
really thought that the culture was going to become
a major movement.”
Today, France is the world’s second-largest market
for hip hop, only behind the United States. Despite
being a global phenomenon, hip hop is constantly
adapting to express the specics of style anywhere
it ourishes.
Ernest Shaw Jr.
(American, b. 1969, Baltimore)
I Had A Dream I Could Buy My Way To
Heaven (Portrait of Ota Benga)
2022
pastel pencil, oil pastel, and grafti paint marker
on paper
Courtesy of the artist
Joyce J. Scott
(American, b. 1948, Baltimore)
Hip Hop Saints and Fallen Angels:
Da Brut
2014
monotype
Courtesy of Goya Contemporary Gallery, Baltimore
Fahamu Pecou
(American, b. 1975, New York City)
Real Negus Don’t Die: Thug
2013
graphite and acrylic on paper
Collection of Uri Vaknin and Tauq Adam
A gure looks down at the portrait of Tupac Shakur
(1971– 1996) on his T-shirt, paying homage to the
hip hop artist whose life and career were cut short.
This work is part of a series titled Real Negus
Don’t Die, in which Atlanta-based artist Fahamu
Pecou used the Rest in Peace T-shirt, a popular
mourning object in Black and Latinx working-class
communities, to center departed luminaries such
asShakur. Others include activist Fred Hampton
(1948–1969), record producer J Dilla (1974–2006),
and writer Lorraine Hansberry (1930–1965).
Wales Bonner
(British, b. 1990, London)
Adidas
(Herzogenaurach, Germany, est. 1949)
Lovers Tracktop
Fall/Winter 2020
recycled polyester, spandex,
acrylic, and wool
Wales Bonner Dub Tuxedo Trousers
Fall/Winter 2020
polyester and cotton
All works courtesy of Wales Bonner
adidas Originals by Pharrell Williams
(American, b. 1973, Virginia Beach, VA)
Track Jacket
2013
leather with zipper
Collection of Pharrell Williams
Daniel “Dapper Dan” Day for Gucci
(American, b. 1944, New York City)
Dapper Dan Tracksuit
2018
synthetic blend and wool
Barrett Barrera Projects
Baby Phat by Kimora Lee Simmons
(American, b. 1975, St. Louis)
Tracksuit
circa 2000
cotton, spandex, rhinestones, zipper
The Baltimore Museum of Art: Museum Purchase
NIA JUNE, Kirby Grifn,
and APoetNamedNate
(American, b. 1995, Baltimore; b. 1988,
Baltimore; b. 1994, Baltimore)
The Unveiling of God / a love letter
to my forefathers
2021
single-channel video (color, sound) duration:
20 minutes, 7 seconds, looped
Courtesy of the artists
In this short lm, Black men and boys swim, play,
embrace loved ones, and navigate various phys-
ical and emotional landscapes. The Unveiling of
God / a love letter to my forefathers is an operatic
visual poem that celebrates the Black men in the
artists’ lives.
Countering narrow and destructive ideas of mascu-
linity that are present—though not unchallenged—
in hip hop, NIA JUNE, Kirby Grifn, and APoetNam-
edNate created an arresting work that celebrates
male strength through tenderness.
As the artists note, “The Unveiling of God / a love
letter to my forefathers is a visual interpretation of
NIA JUNE’s imagination on the matter of her forefa-
thers and Black men prematurely removed from her
life. Through poetry, music, and moving portraits,
the lm asks its viewers: what could they have been,
unburdened by the gravity of an oppressive system
and known to the God in themselves?”
adidas Originals by Pharrell Williams
(American, b. 1973, Virginia Beach, VA)
Track Jacket
2013
leather with zipper
Collection of Pharrell Williams
Ascension
“Promise that you will sing about me/I said when
the lights shut off and it’s my turn,” Kendrick Lamar
gently asks in his 2012 song “Sing About Me, I’m
Dying of Thirst.” Death—or the specter of it—along
with notions of ascension and the afterlife freq-
uently appear in hip hop lyrics, from pouring one
out for a friend who has passed to the
precariousness of being Black in an urban
environment and never knowing which day is your
last to meditations on the kind of immortality
conferred by fame.
Inspired by themes of ascent in the culture, artists
create works that invite reection. Ordinary objects
transform into altars and monuments, and images
of Black bodies melt into heavenly clouds. Hip hop
is a cultural form artists use to process, grieve, and
remember those lost.
Pause and reect on the lives and experiences
amplied by the works on view.
Front Image: A man displays a T-shirt tribute to rapper Biggie Smalls,
a.k.a. The Notorious B.I.G., during the funeral procession route through
Brooklyn, March 18, 1997. Photo by Jon Levy/AFP via Getty Images
Reverse Image: YG with a picture Nipsey Hussle at a BLM protest in Los
Angeles, June 7, 2020. Photo by Tommy Oliver, Collection of the Smith-
sonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of
Tommy and Codie Oliver
Ascension Section Grafti
2024
FRANK & UFOREK
Curated by DSGN CLLCTV, Cincinnati, Ohio
Robert Hodge
(American, b. 1979, Houston)
Promise You Will Sing About Me
2019
mixed media collage constructed of canvas,
enamel, and acrylic paint, household items (shelves,
books, a vase, articial owers, a model ship,
a globe, fabric, reclaimed paper, newsprint, and
hemp thread)
Courtesy of the artist and David Shelton
Gallery, Houston
Devan Shimoyama
(American, b. 1989, Philadelphia)
Cloud Break
2022
Timberland boots, rhinestones, silk owers,
epoxy resin, and chain
Courtesy of the artist and Kavi Gupta Gallery
John Edmonds
(American, b. 1989, Washington, DC)
Ascent
2017
inkjet print on silk
Courtesy of the artist
This image of a gure seen from behind wearing
a white durag and fur coat is printed on a delicate
silk surface, which moves subtly with passing air cur-
rents. The ethereal work is part of John Edmonds’
DuRags series. The artist complicates dominant
views of Black masculinity by presenting sitters
adorned in durags in instances of vulnerability,
majesty, and delicacy.
Everything about Ascent is soft. The head and
shoulders of the individual seem to rise out of the
blurred coat, which suggests feathers or a cloud.
Here, the silky material of the durag transcends
its utilitarian function to become a headdress, a
helmet, a crown.
Damon Davis
(American, b. 1985, East St. Louis, IL)
Cracks XIX (EGO)
2022
concrete and homegrown crystals
Courtesy of the artist
The sharp edges of crystals shimmer and form a
protective layer over the concrete sculpture of
the artist’s face. A material that could be seen as
unremarkable as the sidewalk becomes precious
when covered with the icy ash of luxury. The
accumulation obscures the gure’s features and
references the desire to justify one’s worth for
social acceptance.
Born in East St. Louis, Illinois, Damon Davis has
characterized adornment as a form of ascension
or transcendence. “You come from poverty and
put things on to prove you are not poor.”
Texas Isaiah and Ms. Boogie
(American, Texas Isaiah and
Ms. Boogie, b. New York City)
Pelada: Chapter II
2021
pigment-based inkjet print
Courtesy of the artists
Texas Isaiah
(American, b. New York City)
Untitled
2023
mixed media
Courtesy of the artist
Ms. Boogie, an Afro-Latina transgender rapper,
proudly stands by an open gate in denim cut-offs
and a blue-and-purple top. Pelada means “naked”
or “peeled” in Spanish. The image bears witness
to Ms. Boogie during the conception of her debut
album, The Breakdown, which celebrates the trans-
formative and transcendent experience of the
evolution of her personhood.
In front of the image lies an altar with devotion-
al candles, photographs taken by the artist, his
baby pictures, pairs of Nikes, offerings for Balti-
more-based artists, a New York Yankees baseball
cap, and more. This altar is a small glimpse into the
practice that centers and grounds Texas Isaiah’s
life and career.
Both works explore how Isaiah has extended no-
tions of worship, prayer, remembrance, and the
importance of paying homage to the land and
fellow creatives.
Caution
The videos in this gallery contain sequences
of ashing lights and images. These occur for
several seconds within the rst minute and at
the 6- and 11-minute marks.
Kahlil Joseph
(American, b. 1981, Seattle)
m.A.A.d.
2014
two-channel video (color, sound) duration:
15 minutes, 26 seconds, looped
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles,
Gift of the artist
m.A.A.d. is a lush, contemporary portrait of Comp-
ton, California. Located just outside Los Angeles,
the city is the hometown of Pulitzer-prize-winning
hip hop artist Kendrick Lamar (b. 1987). As the
camera glides through predominantly Black
neighborhoods, it pauses to capture everyday
moments—a car in motion, a marching band, a
barbershop—suffused with creativity, joy,
and sadness.
Set to songs from Lamar’s revered 2012 album
good kid, m.A.A.d narrates a young man’s redemp-
tion, the arrival of a new voice in emceeing, and
the rebirth of Los Angeles hip hop. Here, lmmak-
er Kahlil Joseph shifted attention from the album’s
main protagonist, allowing a range of characters
to paint a picture of daily life in Compton.
Pose
From the club to backyards and bedrooms, from
online to on the street and on stage, the works in
these galleries explore what someone’s gestures,
stance, and mode of presentation can communicate
to others. Here, artists explore and explode
stereotypes of gender and race, examine the line
between appreciation and appropriation, consider
the relationship between audience and performer,
and ask which bodies are deemed dangerous or
vulnerable and who decides.
For some, self-presentation is a means of survival;
for others, a way to claim space in a hostile world;
for still others, a tool in changing dominant
narratives about what the body can communicate.
As part of its total project of creating a new canon,
hip hop’s aesthetics of the body refuse to conform
to one standard and instead open up new ideas of
what the body can say.
How do you want to be seen?
Front Image: Salt-N-Pepa (left to right: Sandra “Pepa” Denton, Deirdre
“Spinderella” Roper, and Cheryl “Salt” James), New York, 1987.
Photo by Janette Beckman/Getty Images
Reverse Image: David Banner and Ludacris at “Diamond in the Back” vid-
eo shoot, Atlanta, 2004. Photo by Julia Beverly, Collection of the Smithso-
nian National Museum of African American History and Culture
© Julia Beverly/Ozone Magazine
Pose Section Grafti
2024
2KEWL & AKTOE (Front Grafti)
WHEN in tribute to the artist RAPES
(Reverse Grafti)
Curated by DSGN CLLCTV, Cincinnati, Ohio
Devin Allen
(American, b. 1988, Baltimore)
You Can’t Raid the Sun
2020
pigment-based inkjet print
Courtesy of the artist
Composed like a class picture yet exuberant as a
snapshot of friends, this portrait by Devin Allen
documents hip hop artists and activists from Bal-
timore. The image references Gordon Parks’ 1998
iconic photograph, A Great Day in Hip Hop, which
was an homage to the historic 1958 photograph, A
Great Day in Harlem, by Art Kane.
Nina Chanel Abney
(American, b. 1982, Harvey, IL)
Untitled
2022
collage on panel
Courtesy of the artist and Pace Prints
Amidst a cacophony of images and symbols, includ-
ing cars, a yacht, palm trees, and dollar signs, nude
women dance around a central male gure with a
single tear. The artist, Nina Chanel Abney, based
this collage on the work she created as cover art for
rapper Meek Mill’s (b. 1987) 2021 album Expensive
Pain. When the image appeared on buses and bill-
boards, it sparked a public debate: Does Abney’s
exaggerated abstraction of Black feminine sexuality
celebrate or critique the sexist stereotypes found in
many hip hop videos and lyrics?
Various Artists
Compilation of 16 CDs
1987–2022
Vinyl records from the collection of 70,000 records
of “DJ Fly Guy” Flynn
Before music streaming services dominated the
market, vinyl records, cassette tapes, and CD cov-
ers offered artists a way to communicate their vision
to their audiences before they heard a single note.
The crates of classic soul, funk, and R&B albums
that DJs sampled from provide the beginnings of a
hip hop aesthetic, and key samples from them form
the backbone of hip hop’s musical canon, from The
Isley Brothers’ Greatest Hits (sampled by Lil Wayne,
Salt-N-Pepa, and NWA) to Babe Ruth’s First Base
(sampled by Afrika Bambaataa, Doug E. Fresh, and
Cypress Hill).
As you encounter this snapshot of hip hop visu-
al representation, beginning with classic albums
used for iconic samples and ranging from the 1970s
through the present, consider what aspects of
self-presentation change and which remain consis-
tent over time.
Top row, left to right:
The Isley Brothers, Isleys’ Greatest Hits, 1973
Babe Ruth, First Base, 1972
Miquel Brown, Symphony of Love, 1978
James Brown, Revolution of the Mind:
Live at the Apollo, Volume III, 1971
Middle row, left to right:
J.J. Fad, Supersonic, 1988
Eric B. & Rakim, Paid in Full, 1987
Queen Latifah, Nature of a Sista’, 1991
Big Pun, Capital Punishment, 1998
Foxy Brown, Il Na Na, 1996
DMX, Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood, 1998
Missy Elliot, Supa Dupa Fly, 1997
Fugees, The Score, 1990
Bottom row, left to right:
Nelly, Country,Grammar, 2000
Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday, 2010
Lil Nas X, MONTERO, 2021
Megan Thee Stallion, Traumazine, 2022
Bad Bunny, YHLQMDLG, 2020
Miss Kam, Tew Be Continued, 2022
Lil Wayne, Tha Carter II, 2005
Rico Nasty, Nasty, 2018
Amani Lewis
(American, b. 1994, Baltimore)
Swamp Boy
2019
acrylic, oil pastel, glitter, embroidery, and
screen print
on canvas
Courtesy of the artist
As cameras ash and phone screens glow, West
Baltimore rapper Butch Dawson (b. 1993) grasps
a microphone during a concert for his 2018 EP
Swamp Boy. The audience crowds close to Dawson,
suggesting an intimate location. Over the last two
decades, Baltimore has been a hotbed for under-
ground music and art, with venues like the Copy-
Cat, Floristree, Bellfoundry, Annex, the Paradox,
and the Crown creating safe spaces for entertainers
and partygoers.
Amani Lewis built this collage from digitally edited
images and blurred and manipulated photographs
that were then screen printed onto canvas and n-
ished with painted details. The live performance
photography that is the source material for this
work gives the collage its sense of immediacy, as
though we too, are at the club.
Monica Ikegwu
(American, b. 1998, Baltimore)
Open/Closed
2021
oil on canvas
Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Myrtis
This artwork has been generously supported by
Erica Spitzig and Brent Patterson.
All Things Hip Hop,
A Scribble Jam Short
2024
Please enjoy this short video, a prelude to Scribble
Jam: A Documentary. The upcoming lm explores
the history of Cincinnati’s legendary hip hop festi-
val, Scribble Jam (1996–2009). Currently a
work in progress, the lm’s creators, listed below,
say this about their work:
“Our goal with this documentary is to tell the story
of Scribble Jam through the eyes of the people who
were most involved with its history. This includes
the lives and friendships of Scribble Jam’s founders,
its relationship with the city of Cincinnati, and its
monumental impact on hip hop history.”
To contribute to the completion of this video,
please visit: bit.ly/4aO8JN7 or scan the
video’s QR code.
Director
Tyler Brune
Producer
Jacob Lightner
Assistant Producer
Emma Tallent
Director of Photography
Zachary Schutte
Assistant Director/Production Assistant
Zoey Desmond
Sound Mixer/Audio Engineer
Abigail Spears
Story Editor/Production Assistant
William Iles
Social Media/BTS Photography
Abby Murphy
Production Assistant
Cameron Hollstegge
Assistant Audio Engineer
John Hensey
Production Assistant
Max Walsh
Gallery 104
Caution: The video in this gallery includes
references to violence, profanity, racial
stereotypes, and sexuality.
TNEG
4:44
2017
video (color, sound)
duration: 8 min., 30 sec.
Courtesy of Arthur Jafa and Gladstone Gallery
Telfar by Telfar Clemens
and Babak Radboy
(American, b. 1985, New York City;
Iranian, b. 1983, Tehran)
Azalea Tracksuit
2022
polyester jersey knit and rib knit collar
and cuffs with mesh lining
Medium Azalea Shopping Bag
2022
faux leather and twill
TELFAR, New York
Willy Chavarria
(American, b. 1976, Fresno, CA)
Buffalo Track Jacket and Kickback Pant
Spring/Summer 2022
nylon satin
Courtesy of the artist
Gallery 150
Aaron Fowler
(American, b. 1988, St. Louis)
Live Culture Force 1’s
2022
car parts and mixed media
Courtesy of the artist
Using recycled car parts and other media, Aaron
Fowler created a pair of oversized Nike Air Force
1 basketball shoes. The monumental scale empha-
sizes the resounding power of these sneakers as
a cultural icon exalted by hip hop performers.
In s2002 St. Louis hip hop artist Nelly (b. 1974),
featuring the St. Lunatics (est. 1993), released
the single “Air Force Ones,” making the shoe
a national fashion trend.
Fowler’s sculpture laces together this exhibition’s
co-organizing institutions, the Saint Louis Art Mu-
seum and the Baltimore Museum of Art. The Mis-
souri license plates reference the artist’s hometown
of St. Louis and the shoe’s signicance to the city.
Baltimore-area sneaker retailers, such as Downtown
Locker Room, successfully convinced Nike to resur-
rect the shoe in the late 1980s after the company’s
initial decision to discontinue production in 1984.
Gallery 212
William Cordova
(Peruvian, b. 1969, Lima, Peru)
Moby Dick (for Oscar Wilde,
Óscar Romero y Oscar Grant)
2003/2008/2022
mixed media on reclaimed police car
Courtesy of the artist and Sikkema Jenkins
& Co., New York
Artist William Cordova sawed a reclaimed police
cruiser in half, removed the wheels, and placed it
atop cinder blocks. The installation interweaves
various languages of urban life, crime-ghting,
social justice, and inspiration.
Cordova’s title refers to the stories of three
Oscars: author Oscar Wilde (1854–1900); activist
priest Óscar Romero (1917–1980); and father,
aspiring barber, and victim of police violence,
Oscar Grant (1986–2009). The bubble-style grafti
emblazons the names of such philosophers
and leaders as Frantz Fanon (1925–1961) and
Toussaint L’Ouverture (1743–1803).
Peek inside the windows for a curated selection of
books about racial equality and feel the vibrations
of the subwoofers and music, “Bass In Yo Face”
by André Leon Gray. Cordova wanted to create
a sanctuary and place of refuge for those in
vulnerable and underserved communities.
Gallery 214
Lauren Halsey
(American, b. 1987, Los Angeles)
Prototype Column For Tha Shaw (RIP
The Honorable Ermias Nipsey Hussle
Asghedom) I
2019
Prototype Column For Tha Shaw (RIP
The Honorable Ermias Nipsey Hussle
Asghedom) II
2019
hand-carved glass ber-reinforced gypsum
Rennie Collection, Vancouver
Cool white gypsum columns rise to the ceiling from
square bases, recalling the architecture of ancient
Egypt, Greece, or Rome. On their surfaces, Lauren
Halsey interspersed
contemporary gures and imagery among tradition-
al Egyptian motifs. Winged gures share space with
Los Angeles street scenes, grafti, lowriders, and a
prole of the city’s skyline.
Prototype Columns For Tha Shaw (RIP The Honor-
able Ermias Nipsey Hussle Asghedom) I and II
are a memorial and monument to the late rapper
Nipsey Hussle (1985–2019). Evoking both the
hieroglyphs and monumental tombs used by the
ancient Egyptians to commemorate the life and
death of their rulers, Halsey’s columns function
to honor the legacy of those lost too soon.
Please do not touch.
