April 11th 2024.
In 1998, there was a special photo shoot organized by XXL Magazine. It was a tribute to the legendary jazz musicians who gathered on a stoop at a brownstone in Harlem 30 years prior, in 1958. However, this time, instead of jazz musicians, the photo shoot featured hip-hop artists. And now, those iconic photos from the shoot are going to be displayed at City Hall in New York, specifically in lower Manhattan.
According to Spectrum News NY 1, the main photograph from the shoot was taken by renowned photographer Gordon Parks. The photo captured 177 hip-hop artists who came together in Harlem just for this momentous occasion. The original photo, taken in 1958 by Art Kane for Esquire magazine, featured jazz greats like Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and 53 others. It was titled "A Great Day in Harlem."
The XXL Magazine team wanted to recreate this iconic photo, but with hip-hop luminaries. And so, they commissioned Parks to take the photo for their cover. The shoot featured well-known hip-hop artists such as Fat Joe, Slick Rick, Da Brat, Common, Busta Rhymes, Grandmaster Flash, Kool Herc, and Questlove, along with 168 others. It was aptly titled "Hip Hop's Greatest Day."
Jonathan Rheingold, a former executive publisher and co-founder of XXL, was part of the team who organized the shoot. He is also the curator of the upcoming exhibit. "At the time, it was the largest gathering of musicians for one photo," he shared.
Although Rheingold was there in a different capacity, he couldn't resist taking some photos of his own to capture the historic moment. "Several years ago, I reached out to others who were there and compiled a behind-the-scenes archive of the making of that day and that photo," he explained.
Rheingold is thrilled that the rest of the city will now have a chance to see these photos at City Hall. "We are so excited to have the support of the mayor's office and Department of Cultural Affairs to share this with the rest of the city," he said. "Hip-hop is a vital part of New York's history, so it belongs in City Hall."
The exhibit will be on display at City Hall until June 2024. It's a wonderful opportunity for people to see these historic photos and appreciate the impact of hip-hop on not just the music industry, but also on New York City's cultural fabric.
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