Recent adventures include another trip to Seattle where I was lucky to do a super quick photo shoot with DV One. DV One, a member of the Rock Steady Crew, is regarded as one of the most innovative and unique DJs working in the areas of hip hop, funk, and new classics. You can learn more about DV here - http://www.myspace.com/dvone
Alex Botwin is one of the founding members of the Pnuma Trio. Dynamic, scene-setting electronica youngsters The Pnuma Trio have been known for their forward-thinking compositions and moving, powerful improvisations since their explosion onto the scene in 2004. The Pnuma Trio is on tour with STS9 right now. Check out their site at http://www.pnumatrio.com/ and if they are comin’ through your area, check ‘em out.
I’m still struggling with my darn websites. Both sites are still not putting my watermarks on the photos. Anyone out there with knowledge of wordpress, hit me up. As always, thanks for stopping by!
Little Brother, David Banner, and Talib Kweli hit the Fox Theater - Boulder last week. The tour was called Hip Hop Live!, and featured a live band behind the artists - The Rhythm Roots All Stars. When I first read about the tour, I thought it was a strange combination of artists, but I’d have to say the show was fantastic…truly…an amazing Hip Hop show.
When I first saw the line up I thought it was going to be the easiest shoot to arrange. My boyfriend works with Spitkicker - Talib Kweli is a Spitkicker artist. My boyfriend also has connections with Phonte of Little Brother, AND I had Phonte’s phone number. David Banner’s record label also employees one of my closest friends. Easy. Peezy.
Or not.
Try as hard as I could, try as hard as my boyfriend could, we just could not get it together for this show. All my contacts were dead ends, Phonte’s number was disconnected, all of my boyfriends contacts were on the road - thus not responding. So the day of the show, I put up a link on Twitter asking for help. With some assistance from my long time friend Bryan Adams, and my boyfriend’s friend Tunji, I made it on the list, just about three hours before show time. Along with the ticket came the much coveted photo pass, and some rules. First three songs. No flash. Talib Kweli only.
So I drove to Boulder, got there an hour early, and sat in the car waiting for the show to start. When I got into the Fox Theater, and saw the stage….I was…flummoxed. The Rhythm Roots Allstars are a ten piece band, their instruments took up the entire stage. There was room for a few emcees at the front of the stage and that was about it. The side of the stage which usually has plenty of room for photographers, managers, body guards, and groupies was filled with equipment. There was going to be little to no room to shoot. BUT I was determined to make the best of it.
So I waited backstage for the show to begin. Here’s the thing. I’d actually never met anyone performing that night….usually I at least have some sort of contact person or know someone, but this was different, and with the way the stage was set up, and everything, I was actually a little nervous.
I set out on a mission to find Phonte and talk to him about shooting their set, as my boyfriend had brought up the possibility to him a few weeks earlier. So I went downstairs and made an ass out of myself for the first time that night.
I walked into the room, and there were two men in the room. Both obviously in their own world. Ugh…I hate interrupting people when they are in their own world….but I walked up to one and said “Are you with Little Brother?” Mind you I have Little Brother albums, there are photos of Little Brother on the covers of their albums, I’ve seen photos of Phonte…but I am HORRIBLE with picking out rappers. So I ask…then look stupid. So yes indeed, he was Phonte, and he even remembered that we’d talked on the phone a few times. I got to go ahead to shoot the show from the side of the stage from both Phonte, and Talib’s manager, so up I went.
Soo..they went on, and during the first song…..about 20 women came on stage with them. Twenty women. On the stage that’s already filled with a ten piece live band, and two emcees. Getting a photo was damn near impossible. But I did my best, got some shots, which you see here. Not for nothing, but Little Brother KILLS it live. Fantastic! See them if you can.
After the set I went downstairs, and made an ass out of myself for the second time. I’m sitting at the table, when a bunch of guys came in the room. I didn’t recognize any of them. One guy walks up to me and sticks his hand out to shake my hand; “Hello.” “Hello, I’m Rachel, nice to meet you,” I say taking his hand. ”I’m David Banner.” I continue shaking his hand, and looking at him like he’s an alien. Yo. Not for nothing, but David Banner lost hella weight, and lost the facial hair too….I mean …I am bad at picking out rappers, but I had a reason this time…
David Banner was amazing live. He pulled a girl from the audience and put her on his shoulders. He dove into the crowd like he was El Steiner. He surfed the crowd to the back of the theater and climbed to the balcony. He covered a Nirvana song. He did back flips across the stage. He parted the crowd like he was Moses parting the Red Sea….and I didn’t take one photo of it. Why??? Cuz I didn’t have permission. *sigh*
It’s all good tho….he put on an amazing show, it was hella fun to watch. My favorite part of his set was the crowd reaction. They ATE HIM UP!!! And after the show he jumped in the crowd and talked with his fans, took photos, and signed autographs. He was a really cool dude.
If you can even imagine more people crowding on to the stage at the Fox…do it now. When Talib took the stage there were so many people on the stage that it was starting to get claustrophobic. From artists to sponsors to label reps to managers to groupies to body guards to David Banner’s college buddies, to me…all of us….in about 10 feet of space….it was too much. I shot the first three songs Talib did, then put my camera away. I wasn’t really getting that many great shots, as I was confined to one space, and Talib wasn’t really moving around all too much…but I was. I was getting moved by bodyguards, managers, sponsors, stage workers, artists and groupies…I was super in the way. So I watched a few more songs from the crazed crowd and headed home. It was quite the show to be sure.
Make sure you catch it if it comes through your town….here are the last of the tour dates..
This week flew by in a hurry. I couldn’t believe how fast it went by. I started the week off at work, of course, and on Wednesday while I was snackin’ on some popcorn a daggone kernel went and scratched my throat up, injury to the larynx. Poor me. Well the weekend rolls up on us, and my throat is worse than ever. The right side of my throat got all kinds of swollen…huge…giant size…supa sized even. So I got tested for strep. Nada. Nothin’.
Saturday morning, my throat was killing me, but I had to go to Rock The Bells. Headed to Fiddlers Green with the masses and eased past them as I collected my passes. RULES FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS: You can only shoot during the first three songs of each set. You must meet at the side of the stage between five and ten minutes prior to each set. Sign this release that says you won’t sell any images. You may not reach out and touch any of the artists. (Pissed cuz I really was going to try and grab Method Man’s hand.)
Missed out on shooting Wale, who according to my boyfriend, is gonna be the next big thang, but I’m not trippin. I’ll catch him in Seattle… Had a good time shooting Jay Electronica, another up and coming mega star, what’s up with the staff though Jay? I’ll never forget you Jay Electronica. Jay came on the stage and really big-upped Supernatural. “Ya’ll are seeing some amazing emcees today!!! But nobody has been doing it as long as Supernatural! He’s so talented, he don’t even need to write his rhymes, he does everything off the top!! Supernatural and Scratch come out in between every act on Rock The Bells, they kill it every time!! Except today.” Thanks.
Big up to Emcee Zin who took my assistant Elizabeth and I back stage to meet Dead Prez. Once we got backstage I started looking for Tha Pharcyde’s manager Greg C., so I could present the guys with an issue of The Flavor with Tha Pharcyde on the cover. So I’m MINDING my business talking to ELIZABETH when this strange woman interrupts me and takes away my Flavor saying SHE will give it to Tha Pharcyde. She totally gangked me! I’ve lost my touch….I am…a sucker.
dead prez “Hip-Hop”
I found Tha Pharcyde though, and they liked the magazine, and I took a photo with them with the magazine, and nah nah nah nah lady.
Meth and Red came on stage after Immortal Technique who I didn’t photograph cuz I was sitting in Nas’s dressing room with Dead Prez, “What are all these people doing in Nas’s dressing room??? Did Green Lantern let them in?” I had to leave the Backstage area to shoot Meth and Red, and after that, it was no mas backstage. Then it started to rain….and we hid in the Frank 151 tent with DJ Low Key and Sounds Supreme, and wished we were fancy enough to have backstage access.
Redman & Method Man “How High”
Tha Pharcyde killed it though. Played allll the classics. It was great seeing them back together. Imani looked like he was so happy!!! Big smile the whole time.
Tha Pharcyde “Runnin”
By the time Nas came on though the rain was gone, and it was a beautiful night. I’ve been up close and personal with Nas before, if you haven’t heard the head story, let me know…so it was no big deal being that close to him again. Right…..it was super impressive to see how far he’s come, the last time I saw him perform was 1994 at The Flavor Party. He was dope.
Nas feat. Eban Thomas “You Can’t Stop Us Now”
Mos Def came on and rocked some Reggae tunes….while we waited for Black Star to perform….because A Tribe Called Quest didn’t (get well soon Phife)……and Talib took his sweet time coming on stage…. so I took my sore throat and went home.
Thought I was dying. ER doctor diagnosed me with NOTHING and sent me home with some Predsinone - steroids. There go my dreams of being a professional athlete.
Monday tried to get into the Dr, they said they could see me til the following week. Tuesday I called crying and begging to be seen, and they got me in. Turns out I did indeed have….a throat infection. One shot of penicillin in the rear, and a shot of steroids in the arm, and I headed to work. Yes. To work. Long story.
I was in the crowd mingling with the masses and my 70- 200 giant sized lens during The Coup and Flobots, but decided not to risk my life in the mosh pit from hell during Rage. But it sure was fun to watch them. Last time I saw Rage it was to a crowd that fit in a New York bar. This time they rocked the Denver Coliseum. Incredible.
Tried to catch up with the protest that followed, but lacking DNC credentials, I was denied. Check out B+’s shots on vibe.com though…dopeness…and follow Jeff’s blog, also on vibe.com as well as on his own site cantstopwontstop.com as he continues his political tour at the RNC in Minneapolis.
Topped the week off with photoshoots with M1 from Dead Prez and Rosa Clemente, Vice Presidential Candidate for the Green Party. The last few years in Rosa’s life have been incredible. Watch for her to hit your town on the election trail, and get to know more about her and The Green Party.
Next week I’m off to Seattle to shoot Rock The Bells at the Gorge in George, and to have a little art show at Spin’s Barbershop. Excellent opportunity to see my work up close and personal if you have not been able to, as well as to meet my fabulous boyfriend Craig who will be visiting the Pacific NW for the first time. And of course, see me and the kid. If you’re in Seattle, come on down.
When it rains it pours….It has been raining in Denver for the last three days straight. This is a phenomenon in Denver, it was like we stole Seattle’s weather. When I say it rained….boy….I’m talking DOWN POUR. I wasn’t sure how I was going to do portraits of members of the Bay Area’s Hieroglyphics crew, but with my camera tucked in my jacket, we dodged buckets of water and got the job done. Conversation with each member of the group was as varied as the portraits I got. Long distance relationships, step children, girl problems, new born babies, crack addicts…. The list goes on and on.
Being a fly on the wall can sometimes be an interesting experience. While sitting in the corner of the green room furthest from the wall of blue haze, I listened as the emcees in the room pondered….. “Yo! A show of hands of all the emcees in the room!!!! How many of you have had their Mother’s end fight for them?” and “I know Pac is rollin’ in his GRAVE listening to that Jay Z shit…who the hell takes a metaphorical song about a man and his gun and turns it into a crap song about a man and his BOO???”
As the only woman in the green room at the Fox Theater last night for the Hieroglyphics, Blue Scholars, Tanya Morgan show, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when the stage manager asked me if I was Tanya Morgan. And yet, it did…”Hey Tajai, he wants to know if I’m Tanya Morgan…” Will the real Tanya Morgan please stand up.
Hip Hop in Boulder is a fabulous thing. Shows are well attended and the audience is pumped. It was no difference last night. Two out of three members of Tanya Morgan Von Pea, and Donwill, (According to Donwill, Ilyas had been kicked out of the group for the month for not paying required monthly dues….) with DJ Low Key on the tables ROCKED the house. I’d never seen Tanya Morgan live, and I won’t miss them again.
Listen to: Tanya Morgan “Tanya Morgan is a Rap Group”
Hiero newcomers JC and Knobody set it off as well, although I gotta say I preferred Knobody’s set, his beats were old school King Tee type joints….full of Bass, thumpin’ true West Coast style.
Listen to: JC feat Casual, the Grouch & A+ “White Chaulk”
Listen to: Knobody “Supa”
The biggest surprise of the night to me though was Seattle’s own Blue Scholars. Being a Seattle native, and a former hip hop snob, I was shocked at how much I enjoyed Blue Scholars. They were fantastic. I’ll probably actually even buy their album, which is a shocker as I usually only buy De La Soul albums at this point in my life. LOL
Listen to: Blue Scholars “27″
Hiero killed it of course. Casual, Opio, Pep Love, Tajai and A+ all brought it to the stage. Check for Opio’s newest release, Vulture’s Wisdom, out now. Hieroglyphic Records puts out albums all year every year, so be on the look out for all their new releases. If you haven’t seen them live, there’s still time.
Fresh Rhymes and Video Tape, a tour featuring Dilated Peoples, The Alchemist, Aceyalone, and 88 Keys made it’s last stop in Boulder, CO.
After unsuccessfully reaching the artists on the tour via their myspace and or band websites, I went straight to the top. Mr. Beni B. Grand Puba in charge of ABB Records, and got the go- ahead to shoot portraits of the artists, as well as the tour.
The day of the show, I got to the venue, and typical to hip hop fashion - waited. Soon enough though, I met up with two of the three Peoples, 88 Keys, The Alchemist, and Hines Buchanan - Aceyalone’s DJ. Mr. Alone…wanted to be alone…or at least he didn’t want his portrait taken.
The show was out of control. Rumor has it, it was the best show of the tour. The crowd was crazy. When I jumped into the mix to snap some shots of Aceylone performing, they started pushing me over to get me to get out of their way. Normally I would have pushed them back - push me and I’ll push you back - but I had a broken ankle/leg combination, and falling with my camera didn’t seem a good option. So I shot the rest of the show from the stage.
In other news, Radian Records recording artist/singer songwriter Lola Johnson features some of my photographs on their site. Check out Lola, she’s amazing.
Peace! Welcome to RachelCrickPhotography.com. It’s been a work in progress for some time, and I’m thrilled with the results. I must thank the designer, Chimene Campell. She did an amazing job. Thank you Chimene!!
This website is to showcase three segments of my work. Some of the work you might have seen, some you haven’t. I’m very proud of everything here, and hope that you take some time to explore all three sections of the site.
Enjoy.
Artisans
Video killed the radio star. A truer statement has never been uttered. Video not only killed the radio star it also fundamentally changed the way we perceived the singers, performers, musicians and producers. The once intimate connection between listener and the artists, has moved to the visual spectrum where glamour and glitz take center stage
and artists persona are overblown in front of the video lens.
However, whereas the video lens has been used to exaggerate pieces of artists for the superstar effect, I use my lens to provide a more well rounded, intimate portrait of those who have achieved star status, as well as those looking to be stars in their own right.
I actively engage my subjects allowing me to move beyond the braggadocio Hip-Hop artists display on stage and to connect with artists who have gold and platinum plaques lining their walls, resulting in portraits of the artists as they truly are beyond all the stage lights and adoring fans.
Photo Essays
Every picture tells a story, don’t it? Well here we have the bigger picture. An opportunity to take a look at a story we may or may not be familiar with. From the journey of a young man becoming a Priest, to the life of a teen-aged Mother, to a night at a rap concert and beyond.
My goal is to take you behind the scenes, show you the life that is being lived, tell the story, and hopefully make you stop and think about what you’re seeing.
Other √
Birthed from the question, “Mommy, why did I have to be born all mixed up?” This project tackles the topic of being biracial.
My daughter lying in bed one night compared her self to her friends. One had soft dark curls, that she was sure were easy to brush, unlike her own hair. The other had cream colored skin that wasn’t “ugly and tan” like her own skin. Her question threw me, and I knew I had to do something, thus the project was born.
I photograph and interview biracial families, and have compiled the images and their thoughts. Eventually I would like to see this project complete itself as a book and a touring gallery show.
Feedback is always appreciated; please let me know what you think. You can use the contact form here on the site, or contact me directly at raengray@gmail.com
