The Photo Journal of Hip Hop Culture.

[respectmag-1]

Eminem 2004

"I think this photo perfectly depicts where I was at in my life, as far as mental state. My mind-set was very dark at the time. I was doing a lot of self-loathing. I had come to realization in my career that it had gotten to a certain point, and I was getting older, and I kind of realized there was a struggle within myself like, I know that I'm becoming addicted to these pills that I'm taking. So there was that kind of inside thing going on. And there was also just a lot of me feeling like I was tired of trying to compete with myself. So I felt like if I killed Slim Shady, then won't expect so much from me. Maybe they won't want so much from me anymore. Basically, I was just copping out. The place I was in was just like, Woe is me. I got this money and this fame, but what else do I have? I don't have anything. I was thinking all them things that drugs make you do, and especially [the] depressants that I was taking-you know, Valium and Vicodin and Ambien, and things like that-as you go through those, the more and more you take, the more depressed you become. If you're just a little depressed, a slight bit, it's gonna amplify it 10 times. What the picture basically is saying is, "I'm gonna try blow Slim Shady out of my brain." - Anthony Mandler (Respect Mag Issue 3)

[respectmag-1]

Snoop Dogg Mister Cartoon's Skid Row Tattoo Shop, LA. March 25, 2011

On Tuesday, March 15, Nathaniel D. "Nate Dogg" Hale, the legendary soul of the G-Funk sound, died in California as the result of health complications stemming from a series of strokes. He was 41. Ten days later, Snoop Dogg paid the ultimate tribute to his good friend and frequent collaborator by having Mister Cartoon ink a portrait of the Long Beach-born, Grammy-nominated singer into his left forearm. "I can't represent him no other way," Snoop said, during an appearance on N.Y.'s Hot 97's Cipha Sounds and Rosenberg Morning Show, "without saying I need him to be with me everywhere I go." - Estevan Oriol (Respect Mag, Vol 2, Issue 3)

[respectmag-1]

Da Beatminerz Brooklyn, New York City, 2002

"I was assigned to get some shots of the dynamic beat duo brothers Da Beatminerz in their studio. The chemistry between Evil Dee and his older brother, Walt, was energetic and playful. I love this shot of Dee pointing a rubber band at Walt's head, because it captures that dynamic." - Beth Fladung (Respect Mag Issue 4)

[respectmag-1]

Mista Sinista of the X-Ecutioners  (Formerly known as the X-Men) San Francisco, 1996

"At this time, there were three DJ crews in the U.S. that were completely ruling the 'battle DJ' thing: the X-Men, The Invisibl Skratch Piklz and the Beat Junkies. I got to know these guys from just showing up with my camera and carrying photos around with me. They let me onstage with them, which is how I got this photo of Sinista mid-routine. These images led to my first paid assignment, which was to shoot all three crews for a publication." - Beth Fladung (Respect Mag Issue 4)

[respectmag-1]

Dilated Peoples Los Angeles, 1996

"Shooting stills for their video 'Work the Angles' in L.A., I saw this shot from down the hill and alerted the director, and good friend of mine, Jason Goldwatch. He liked it as well, shot it and incorporated it into his video. I like how their stances really portray their personalities, where Evidence is a little feistier, while Rakaa is very composed and calm. As a side note: There's a portion of the video with Dilated in the studio rapping into camera... that's me on the camera." - Beth Fladung (Respect Mag Issue 4)

[respectmag-1]

Jay-Z New York City, 1997

"This is a shot of Jay-Z I did in '97 for Reasonable Doubt. It was at the tail end of grunge, Onyx was around and everyone was grimy. And so I told him, 'I want to shoot you in this grimy warehouse.' And he said, 'It's not me.' Even in '97, he knew exactly who he was as an artist. But you can tell that it's an old photograph because he's wearing a White Sox hat. So what's up with that? He always had that vexed look on his face. 'I know what direction I'm going, and you're not going to force our bullshit on me.'" - Matt Salacuse (Respect Mag Issue 4)

[respectmag-1]

Russell Simmons New York City, 2009

"I think this moment is really special. It was the night of Puff's 40th birthday party, and he'd hired Al Green to perform. The crowd went nuts, including Russell Simmons. This dude, like, invented the game, and here he is being a straight-up fan like the rest of us." - Justin Jay (Respect Mag Issue 4)

[respectmag-1]

RZA New York City, 2003

"I had requested that we go to his house for the shoot, and I had all sorts of ideas in my head to document him in his personal space. When I got to his place, it turned out to be totally empty, minus a recording studio and a pile of books and DVDs. I took a bunch of photographs, and then his lady showed up with his young daughter, who was hungry, and he found some ramen in the empty kitchen and made it for her. This one of him, eating what his daughter couldn't finish, ended up being the more personal of the images, which is why I liked it best." - Beth Fladung (Respect Mag Issue 4)

[respectmag-1]

?uestlove New York City, 2004

"I took this photograph on assignment, to shoot a day in the life on tour with the Roots. After a long day of sound check, record shopping, shoe shopping, eating,hanging with Rosario Dawson, followed by a preshow rest, ?uestlove started to clean up before the show. This shot of him washing his face was my favorite of the day." - Beth Fladung (Respect Mag Issue 4)

[respectmag-1]

Pete Rock New York City, 2003

"I've often been limited on how much time I have or where I can shoot an artist. I was given a bit of time with him in the location that the interview took place, and I had to make do with what I had. I wanted to play with the photographic medium a little bit and had decided to shoot one portrait with a whole role of film. I had Pete sitting still, not looking at the camera, which I felt lent quietness to the image and fit his personality really well." - Beth Fladung (Respect Mag Issue 4)

[respectmag-1]

M.I.A. New York City, 2007

"My friend had shot her for spin the week before and asked me if he could shoot her at my apartment. Of course I said yes. And Billie, my dog, had very bad gas that day; it was a rare occasion. And the smell was terrible throughout the whole house, and you couldn't escape it. It was pretty awful. So M.I.A. came over the second time to do my shoot and stepped in and said, 'Oh, no, not this fucking dog again!' But she was very cool. and willing to try things and do whatever I needed." - Matt Salacuse (Respect Mag Issue 4)

[respectmag-1]

P. Diddy, D'Lila Star Combs & Jessie James Combs New York, 2006

"[This] may be my favorite photo of him ever because of the importance of the moment. The twins had just been born two or three hours earlier, and this was the first time he was seeing them. Here he is, Sean Combs, without the sunglasses and the 'celebrity.'" - Justin Jay (Respect Mag Issue 4)

[respectmag-1]

Kobe Bryant Newport, California, 2005

"I shot for a Nike campaign, but it was never used. It was right after legal dramas. Kobe lives in Newport , and the two of us ended up driving [there] from the Staples Center. On the way, we were rapping about real estate and marriage, and I saw the church and said, 'Do you mind if we go in?' And he said 'Sure.'" - Justin Jay (Respect Mag Issue 4)

[respectmag-1]

Kid Cudi New York City, 2010

"My friend and coworker, Brody Baker, directed Kid Cudi's 'Pursuit of Happiness' video, and I was on set to help out and document the video shoot. I noticed Kid Cudi smoking in a corner right in the middle of absolutely amazing lighting. I remember he said he was Ohio, which is where I'm from. Super-friendly guy." - Angela Boatwright (Respect Mag Issue 4)

[respectmag-1]

KRS-One New York City, 1996

"I had a friend who interned at Rawkus [Records] and told me that they needed extras for a video shoot for a Lyricist Lounge show with KRS and Zack de la Rocha. I didn't want to get in and shoot. Sometimes while shooting live performances, when people are constantly in movement, you just need to shoot and shoot until you get it... and in the days of film, you had to wait to find out [if you did]." -  Beth Fladung (Respect Mag Issue 4)

[respectmag-1]

Snoop Dogg & Black Mama (Dog) Los Angeles, January 31, 2008 "I don't want to say anything against Snoop Dogg, because obviously he's, like, an icon, a legend. But for a guy named Snoop Dogg, he's got to learn how to deal with his dogs better. He's got to watch The Dog Whisperer, because these dogs, they're the ones in charge. In most of our pictures, the dogs are pulling him. I know he's the top dog in the world of hip-hop, but in his home, I think the dogs are the top dogs." - Chris Buck (Respect Mag Issue 2)

[respectmag-1]

X-Zibit & Mister Cartoon Spotlight Tattoo, Los Angeles, December 2002 "Top back, smashin' in a California fashion / Even the strong get chin-checked, tested and blasted / Wrapped in plastic, dumped out for weak reasons." - "Don't Ya Dare Laugh" (2009) - Estevan Oriol (Respect Mag Issue 2)