Here I Am: Photographs by Lisa Leone
The Bronx Museum of the Arts will present a solo exhibition by the Bronx-born photographer Lisa Leone. Here I Am: Photographs by Lisa Leone will feature a series of rarely exhibited photographs, shot between 1986 and 1995, of hip-hop icons including Nas in the first studio recordings for what would become his iconic debut album Illmatic, Snoop on the set of his first video, and Grandmaster Flash at a RockSteady reunion, and Biggie, among others. Leone’s photographs document the pivotal period of hip-hop’s rise and capture the figures who forged the path for the genre. Here I Am: Photographs by Lisa Leone is both a direct documentation and celebration of hip hop’s iconic figures. Depicted is their energy, individuality, and intimate moments that serve as intimate glimpses into this culturally critical period, charting the rise of a Bronx-born artistic movement originally started by local youth and ultimately becoming a mainstream global force.