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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eazy_E_%26_N.W.A._photographs_by:_Ithaka_Darin_Pappas
Eazy E Skateboarding In Venice Beach, California: February 24th 1989
Of the thousands of images that Ithaka captured during this period, some of the most unusual were made on February 24, 1989 of a bullet-proof vest wearing Eazy E riding a skateboard in Venice Beach, California and hanging out with the local skateboard community. At the time, skating and hip hop were not very linked culturally.The day the skate images were captured was during a filming of a segment of Yo! MTV Raps hosted by Fab Five Freddy focusing on Eazy E and N.W.A. Other hip hop recording artists such as Above The Law, The D.O.C. and Kris Kross also appeared as special guests of N.W.A. [5][6]
Eazy E, being a skateboard enthusiast, wandered off from the MTV interview to talk with local hardcore skaters near the riding area. Ithaka followed him and gathered everyone together to take several pictures. Among the kids alongside of Eazy E in the photographs appear several now-famous skaters, artists and photographers including; Aaron Murray, Ricky Reynaga, Barnall Weathersby, David Katz, Luke Hudson, Josh Bagel Klassman and Pep Williams. By most members of the skateboard world, this picture is considered historic. One of these images has become a top-selling T-Shirt produced by Thrasher (magazine), a leading international skateboard publication, and has also been used in advertising and other merchandising. In addition, this same photograph has appeared in international photography exhibits involving skateboarding including the group show, "Thrasher: A Retrospective", hosted by House Of Vans London (U.K.) in August of 2014. [7] [8] [9]
However, the photographs of Eazy E actually riding the skateboard had been lost since they were made and only recovered in 2016, after more than two-and-a-half decades. Since reappearing, these very rare images of Eazy E have appeared in various venues. One was used during N.W.A.'s segment at the 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Brooklyn, New York. In December 2016, the same image was printed on the cover of the first edition of the magazine General Admission (U.S.) [10] and in early 2017 other photos were published as part of the Contact High Project created by journalist Vikki Tobek in Mass Appeal Magazine.[11]
To celebrate 2016's international Go Skateboarding Day, the official instagram of Beats By Dre, [12] owned by Beats Electronics/Apple Inc. licensed an image of Eazy skateboarding for a six month usage. The Eazy E skateboarding pictures have also appeared on hundreds of other websites around the world. [13][14][15][16][17][18]
