Collaborations between photographers and artists are always intriguing. Hat & Beard’s latest art book, The Mash Up, takes this concept further by effectively bringing you back to a special time in hip hop. Participants don’t just accompany their work with a photo from photographer Jeanette Beckman’s archive, but also share their personal stories from back in the day. “Part of the project,” Beckman states, “was to have them say why they were drawn to that particular photo.”
Beckman’s hip hop imagery shines light on an era when the culture was just beginning to define itself, back when rappers were already living the dream in the insular world of street cred, back in the gestation of the genre that might take them mainstream. Graffiti pioneer Cey Adams, who is considered one of the Godfathers of hip hop graphics, curated the roster of artists and chose a top-shelf collection of wall and train writers across several eras, giving them free reign to infuse their straight butter styles back into past. The book also creates a broader picture of what it means to be an adolescent on the brink of honing their creative passion. An honest, intimate report on the artists’ humble beginnings, Adams and Beckmann also ask each writer to show current work, bringing the reader a better grasp of their aesthetic. “I love it,” says Beckman. “Legendary artists remixing photographs that I shot back in the day. It's very hip hop.” —Joey Garfield
The 196-page book can be be purchased at hatandbeard.com
