A TIME BEFORE CRACK

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A Time Before Crack

Jamel Shabazz's 3rd major release.

Review by Che Kothari

A Time Before Crack
Photography by Jamel Shabazz
Hardcover – 151 pages
Publised by PowerHouse Books

Imagine digging up a hole in Prospect Park and discovering a time capsule with a note that was tagged “Open this to find the realness. Fab 5 Freddy. 1980.” And when you opened it, out spilled cats with the freshest styles, rocking Gazelle sunglasses, Adidas kicks, bomber jackets, with beats busting out of the boombox’s they carried upon their shoulders, striking poses with so much style it makes you start busting out poses yourself. Flipping open Shabazz’s third release “A time before crack” is like that, nothing short of a historical gem, a photographic encyclopedia highlighting the life and times of an Afro-American culture coming of age in New York. In this book Shabazz pays homage to the originators of a culture that we currently call hip hop. He showcases the people who did not see this stuff on TV and mimicked it, but developed it through their own deep roots and unique visions of style. In a time that so much of hip hop is defined and created through media outlets like Much Vibe, BET, VIBE, The Source, this book is a refreshing thing to get your hands on, to regain your soul and trust in hip hop, to know the roots of the culture came from the streets and minds of regular people who did not want to sell anything to you.

This book is an extension of Shabazz’s first legendary release “Back in The Days”. It seems he wasn’t finished, (and to be honest, I don’t think he ever will be)…there was too many classic images in his archives, so he went back to unearth another moving historical document. This book is much more than just a hip hop book, it is a cultural record to be passed on to future generations, to teach young people about past times, real people, and real life. Shabazz is a true-school street shooter, and his interests in people, how people interact, and how they live in their community comes through in the photo selection of this book. You can see an excitement in the people who have been selected to have their image immortalize. Shabazz has a unique ability to pinpoint characters with substance from a sea of the ordinary. And not only is he able to pinpoint them, he is able to gain their attention and trust and do a spontaneous street shoot. He understands what a subjects style is and finds appropriate poses, backgrounds, or situations to put them in. He is not a fashion photographer, but some have deemed him as the most prolific hip hop fashion photographer of his time. This book helps prove that point. As KRS One says, in A Time Before Crack “The REAL hip hop is over here”.

Rating: 4.5/5

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