"BEYOND SOUTH CENTRAL" Eazy E & N.W.A photos by photographer, Ithaka Darin Pappas, 1988-1990, without a doubt the most extensive archive of early NWA images by a single photographer such; The Miracle Mile Shot, Skate Outta Compton, Eazy On The Mic, Backstage In Pheonix and The Bleacher Shot (also see: @nwa_photos_by_ithaka). Note: these are not Public Domain photographs - copyrights are in effect. To use for print, or merchandising - contact: ithaka.official@gmail.com
On May 15th the legendary Fab 5 Freddy spoke to DJ Vlad (VLADTV) about the early days of YO! MTV Raps, his NetFlix documentary The Grass Is Greener and about Ithaka Darin Pappas' historic images of Eazy E, being hip hop's very first skateboarder being shown at the exhibit Contact High: A Visual History of Hip Hop (Curated by: Vikki Tobak)
2018 - Co-founder of Image Club Ltd. - Punk legend Keith Morris (Circle Jerks, Black Flag, OFF!) discuss with artist/photographer Ithaka Darin Pappas how he began to work for pioneering record label Priority Records in the late 1980's- and began to regularly photograph Eazy E, NWA, Ice Cube
Это был исторический день в отношениях хип-хопа и скейтбординга. Это был первый раз, когда известный рэпер публично одобрил скейтбординг (и даже признался и продемонстрировал, что он был скейтбордистом mesmo). До этого дня скейтбординг был в основном для панков ... хип-хоп не был чем-то увлеченным сообществом скейтбордов. Каким-то образом этот день подал зеленый свет между двумя мирами, что было нормально принимать друг друга. Это было начало пожизненного братства, поскольку все мы знаем, что эти две вселенные теперь движутся рука об руку, абсолютно неразделимы.
este foi um dia histórico nas relações do hip hop e do skate. Foi a primeira vez que um conhecido rapper endossou publicamente o skate (e até admitiu e demonstrou que era um skatista mesmo). Antes deste dia, o skate era principalmente para punks ... O hip hop não era algo abraçado pela comunidade de skate. De alguma forma, este dia serviu uma luz verde entre os dois mundos que era aceitável aceitar um ao outro. Foi o início de uma irmandade ao longo da vida, como todos nós sabemos que esses dois universos agora andam de mãos dadas, totalmente inseparáveis.
Eric "Eazy-E" Wright was a hip-hop visionary who never got the credit he deserved for turning rap into an international phenomenon (though 2015's Straight Outta Compton biopic went a long way toward rehabilitating his legacy). Well, he was a visionary in other ways, too. Decades before it became commonplace for every rapper to have a skateboard or two in his closet, Eazy was practicing kickflips with his young son on the streets of Compton.
At a time when skateboarding was dominated by white kids listening to punk - and the hip hop community disregarded anything related to skate or surf, Eazy E paved the way.
Extremely Rare Photo of Eazy E Skateboarding by Ithaka Darin Pappas now on Exhibit at "Contact High" hosted by The Annenberg Space For Photography
“Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop,” at the Annenberg Space for Photography. A new group show organized by author Vikki Tobak looks at the work of photographers who chronicled the rise of hip-hop, with famous prints (like the iconic portrait of Biggie Smalls in a crown by Barron Claiborne) as well as unedited contact sheets and other images of key musical figures from the genre, including Eazy-E, Jay-Z and Salt-N-Pepa. Tobak is the author of the bestselling book on which the exhibit is based. Opens Friday and runs through Aug. 18. 2000 Avenue of the Stars, Century City, AnnenbergPhotoSpace.org.
Tell us about the cover photo and how you got to that point with N.W.A?
Ithaka Darin Pappas: At the time I was working for Priority Records. I was their main freelance photographer during this period and I had photographed N.W.A. probably more than any other photographer. This particular day was a shoot for MTV and they were doing a little culture clash unite between this pop group Kris Kross and N.W.A. Kris Kross came down and we all met in Venice. Fab 5 Freddy did the interview, an old-school artist and hip-hopper from New York. After the Kris Kross bailed we all walked down to the skate area down there on the beach at Venice. Eazy grabbed some kid's skateboard and took off. I'd already been working with this crew for probably almost two years and I'd never even heard the word skate board came out of anybody's mouth, or surfing, or anything like that. It was a shock to me, and he'd obviously spent some time on a skateboard because he knew what he was doing.
General Admission Magazine: He could skate?
Ithaka Darin Pappas: Yes. He was confident on it. One thing we've learned from this photo is Eazy is a goofyfooter. (Ed’s note: Goofyfoot is the type of stance a surfer or skater is defined by)
Eazy E - SKATE OUTTA COMPTON - Hip Hop's First Skateboarder, Venice Beach 1989 / photographed by Ithaka Darin Pappas @_ithaka_ [][] Book: Contact High A Visual History Of Hip Hop.EXTREMELY RARE These are the only photos in existence of Eazy E skate boarding https://www.amazon.com/Contact-High-Visual-History-Hip-Hop/dp/0525573887
https://www.complex.com/sports/2013/08/history-rappers-skateboard/murs
https://studio.youtube.com/video/6BA4MOlA2BU/edit
Eric "Eazy-E" Wright was a hip-hop visionary who never got the credit he deserved for turning rap into an international phenomenon (though 2015's Straight Outta Compton biopic went a long way toward rehabilitating his legacy). Well, he was a visionary in other ways, too. Decades before it became commonplace for every rapper to have a skateboard or two in his closet, Eazy was practicing kickflips with his young son on the streets of Compton.
At a time when skateboarding was dominated by white kids listening to punk - and the hip hop community disregarded anything related to skate or surf, Eazy E paved the way.
Extremely Rare Photo of Eazy E Skateboarding by Ithaka Darin Pappas now on Exhibit at "Contact High" hosted by The Annenberg Space For Photography
“Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop,” at the Annenberg Space for Photography. A new group show organized by author Vikki Tobak looks at the work of photographers who chronicled the rise of hip-hop, with famous prints (like the iconic portrait of Biggie Smalls in a crown by Barron Claiborne) as well as unedited contact sheets and other images of key musical figures from the genre, including Eazy-E, Jay-Z and Salt-N-Pepa. Tobak is the author of the bestselling book on which the exhibit is based. Opens Friday and runs through Aug. 18. 2000 Avenue of the Stars, Century City, AnnenbergPhotoSpace.org.
General Admission Magazine:
Tell us about the cover photo and how you got to that point with N.W.A?
Ithaka Darin Pappas: At the time I was working for Priority Records. I was their main freelance photographer during this period and I had photographed N.W.A. probably more than any other photographer. This particular day was a shoot for MTV and they were doing a little culture clash unite between this pop group Kris Kross and N.W.A. Kris Kross came down and we all met in Venice. Fab 5 Freddy did the interview, an old-school artist and hip-hopper from New York. After the Kris Kross bailed we all walked down to the skate area down there on the beach at Venice. Eazy grabbed some kid's skateboard and took off. I'd already been working with this crew for probably almost two years and I'd never even heard the word skate board came out of anybody's mouth, or surfing, or anything like that. It was a shock to me, and he'd obviously spent some time on a skateboard because he knew what he was doing.
General Admission Magazine: He could skate?
Ithaka Darin Pappas: Yes. He was confident on it. One thing we've learned from this photo is Eazy is a goofyfooter. (Ed’s note: Goofyfoot is the type of stance a surfer or skater is defined by)
