(AllHipHop News) Today (March 24th) iconic Hip-Hop photographer Lisa Leone is revealing never before seen images of some of Hip-Hop’s most iconic figures at a new exhibition of her work.
The unveiling takes place in Dubai and continues on through April 5th at the Sole DXB exhibition, in Dubai’s Design District.
Leone is a Bronx native that was raised in the belly of Hip-Hop’s birthplace during Hip-Hop’s “Golden Era.”
She captured a wide range of artists from Nas, to Snoop, to Hip-Hop legend DJ Grandmaster Flash (see images below)
Some of her most famous work includes photos of Nas while he was recording his first album, Illmatic, B.I.G., Big Daddy Kane, Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill during the filming of the Fugees’ “Vocab.” She also captured Eazy-E on the set of Run-D.M.C.’s “Down With the King” video.
Lisa got her start at the High School of Art & Design which she describes as, “the high school of graffiti and break-dancing in the 80’s. ”
Other notable graduates from the school include Fab Five Freddy, Lee Quiñones (Wild Style), Pharoahe Monch, Mobb Deep, Fabolous and A$AP Ferg.
“All of the graffiti artists and dancers that are famous now for doing their thing were at Art & Design with me. So they were like ‘Hey Lisa let’s go take pictures, take pictures of me!” Lisa explained in a video piece by her publisher Minor Matters Books. “Back in the day nobody had cameras, nobody had camera phones, it was simpler it just felt more raw.”
“I’m very excited about coming back to Dubai… although my last visit was short, I could still feel the enthusiasm and passion for a culture so close to my heart. The artists I met and photographed were so open and warm, I’m looking forward to my return,” she told emirateswoman.com.
In addition to the display of rare photos, Leone will be showing photos from her book Here I Am.
Check the video above of an interview where Lisa describes the development of her craft as a photographer and you can see more images.
