{"id":128284,"date":"2026-02-10T00:55:03","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T00:55:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/128284\/"},"modified":"2026-02-10T00:55:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T00:55:03","slug":"hip-hop-legends-celebrated-with-borough-hall-exhibit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/128284\/","title":{"rendered":"Hip-Hop Legends Celebrated With Borough Hall Exhibit"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Black History Month exhibition at Brooklyn Borough Hall showcases iconic portraits capturing the rise of Brooklyn\u2019s hip-hop scene. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"The\"The <\/p>\n

Straw Hatz paid tribute to the genre with a dance performance. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n

by Gabriele Holtermann, Brooklyn Paper<\/p>\n

In celebration of Black History Month, a photo installation at Brooklyn Borough Hall is putting \u201cBrooklyn\u2019s Finest: Legends in Focus\u201d in the spotlight, paying homage to Brooklyn\u2019s hip-hop history and the photographers who chronicled the evolution of the borough\u2019s hip-hop culture and the arts during the genre\u2019s most pivotal years.<\/p>\n

Images include a photo by Johanna Fiore of the historic 1998 \u201cGreatest Day in Hip-Hop History\u201d gathering, featuring influential rappers, DJs, producers, and artists gathered on a Harlem brownstone stoop; Barron Claiborne\u2019s renowned portrait of The Notorious B.I.G., \u201cThe King of New York\u201d; 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\u2019 Dirty Bastard, Lil\u2019 Kim, Foxy Brown, Busta Rhymes, Rakim, M.O.P., Big Daddy Kane, and Fab 5 Freddy.<\/p>\n

\"personThe exhibition includes Barron Claiborne\u2019s renowned portrait of The Notorious B.I.G., the iconic image that helped cement the late rapper\u2019s legacy as \u201cThe King of New York.\u201d Photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso kicked off the exhibition on February 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.<\/p>\n

Addressing the crowd, Reynoso highlighted the intertwined history of Black History Month \u2014 established 100 years ago to honor and recognize the contributions of the Black community \u2014 noting that in Brooklyn, one never has to look far to understand Black history.<\/p>\n

\"theThe exhibition includes photos of Lil\u2019 Kim, The Notorious B.I.G, and Jay Z. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n

\u201cBlack history lives in our streets; it lives in our neighborhoods, and it lives in hip-hop,\u201d Reynoso said. \u201cFor over 50 years, hip-hop has told Brooklyn\u2019s 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\u2019t start with boardrooms or big studios. It started outside in backyards and stoops, in parks and block parties.\u201d<\/p>\n

The photographers featured in the installation played a crucial role in documenting hip-hop\u2019s rise to global prominence, Reynoso added.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur communities deserve to be celebrated,\u201d he said. \u201cOur young Brooklynites deserve to know that greatness happened here. They\u2019re not the only generation that knows how to get fly and split bars. So this Black History Month, I\u2019m 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\u2019s no place in this world that doesn\u2019t like Brooklyn.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"peopleThe opening reception featured music and a conversation with journalists and photographers who documented Brooklyn\u2019s hip-hop movement and daily life. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann
\n\"groupLeft to right: Datwon Thomas, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, curator Jonathan Rheingold, and Fab 5 Freddy attend the opening of the hip-hop exhibition. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n

The opening reception featured music by DJ Specialist and performances by A Song for Life, including a rendition of \u201cLift Every Voice and Sing,\u201d and a dance tribute to hip-hop by Straw Hatz. The event was followed by a live conversation with journalists, editors, and photographers \u2014 including Datwon Thomas, former editor-in-chief of VIBE, Kierna Mayo, Sheena Lester, Larry \u201cThe Blackspot\u201d Hester, and Tony Gervino \u2014 who documented Brooklyn\u2019s hip-hop movement and daily life.<\/p>\n

Shabazz\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\"personPhotographs of Brooklyn\u2019s most influential hip-hop artists and cultural figures are featured in the \u201cBrooklyn\u2019s Finest: Legends in Focus\u201d exhibition at Brooklyn Borough Hall. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m known as a photographer, but I want to be known as a good person that was trying to make a difference,\u201d Shabazz said. \u201cComing 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\u2019t just about taking a photograph. It\u2019s about planting seeds in the minds of people and bringing people together.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2019s influence.<\/p>\n

\"personStraw Hatz dances at the opening reception. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann
\n\"pepoeFab 5 Freddy was honored with a proclamation. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n

Rheingold told Brooklyn Paper that hip-hop was New York\u2019s DNA and \u201cthe ultimate platform for people to express themselves and share their stories.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like a true form of music that documents people\u2019s lives. It\u2019s a form of expression, and I think it\u2019s the most powerful form of art,\u201d Rheingold said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrooklyn\u2019s Finest: Legends in Focus\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

\"personAttendees explore historic and contemporary photographs celebrating Brooklyn\u2019s role in shaping hip-hop culture. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s note: A version of this story originally ran in Brooklyn Paper. Click here<\/a> to see the original story.<\/p>\n

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