The Last Day at Chi Modu's Gallery in Los Angeles Presented BY HVW8 and Adidas
Life behind the lens for any photographer can be complicated. The challenge of capturing a moment in time that deeply connects with someone is hard to accomplish. But as you walk into HVW8 on Melrose, Chi Modu's documentary style photography transports to you an era adored by millions of people across the globe. His view into the lives of hip-hop royalty only comes from the personal relationship he had with these artists and the trust he was able to gain in these spaces. Check out this playlist I quickly threw together as you read inspired by Chi Modu and his gallery, also available on iTunes (with Dr.Dre’s Chronic).
As you enter the HVW8 gallery, Snoop Dogg's young face greets you as he is posted next to a 187 California highway sign. When you look to the left Eazy E is hopping what looks to be a '64 Impala. Then to your right, Tupac is staring at you with his iconic bandana wrapped around his head and his cross chain hanging just below the shot.
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As a die-hard west coast rap fan, I naturally gravitate toward Tupac and next to the large tile print of his portrait is the legendary photo of Biggie with the Twin Towers standing boldly behind him. I went over and thought how ironic it was for Chi Modu to capture this image. Was this before or after biggie said “Time to get paid, blow up like the World Trade.”?
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Although the gallery welcomes guests with familiar West Coast faces, it also reveals the spectrum of hip-hop artists Chi Modu was able to cover in this era of music. Behind the wall that features Snoop's photo; framed shots of The Wu-Tang Clan, Bad Boy Entertainment and Mobb Deep fill you with nostalgia for old school rap.
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A large poster of Method Man mean mugging the camera hangs on the corner wall in black and white.
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For a second you forget that you are in Los Angeles on the Miracle Mile and feel taken back to a time when Hip-Hop was far from mainstream in this area for sure. Intimate photos of artists who now Rest In Peace; like ODB, Prodigy, Easy E, Biggie, and Tupac all made me adore the raw unpolished music these rappers created. At the same time, becoming grateful for the legacies they left behind in these photos and throughout each of their catalogs.
After soaking all the images in, a girl with a septum piercing was watching me take videos and suggested I take a look at his book Tupac Shakur: Uncategorized. Flipping through countless images of my favorite rapper gave me chills, I suddenly felt compelled to buy a copy. Despite being available online; I couldn't help but take this book home with me at that moment, so I could take my time to look at all the different pictures of Tupac I had never seen before. I wanted to sit and read what it was like for Chi Modu to experience being behind the camera of raps biggest star. (Fight me on that).
My love for hip-hop runs deep, I remember the first time my dad played Sugar Hill's Rappers Delight and me memorizing it ever since. When I got older he strictly played West Coast rap and "All Eyez On Me" was the main album in rotation. I became obsessed with his story and read his poetry books in middle school copying the way he drew his "I" as eyes in my notebook. From high-school until now, I make it my goal to complete his reading list.
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Despite my undying admiration for his intellectuality, I was obsessed with finding old-school East Coast rap. In retaliation to my dad's West Coast love, I was listening to Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep, A Tribe Called Quest, Biggie and Gangstarr. There was just something about New York sound and style that I always gravitated towards. I loved studying hip-hop as a science, how different artists created different moods and made you feel how they felt. I grew up a Valley girl and this music revealed a world I'd never known, much like Chi Modu's photos. Therefore, to walk a room filled with images of my favorite artists of all time in moments so unforgettable made me feel like I was at heaven on earth.
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