15 Rap Photographers Every Rap Fan Should Know

Surely you're familiar with the cover of EPMD's Unfinished Business or Wu-Tang Clan's epic debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). While the images of Erick Sermon and PMD sitting atop two cars and the Clan posing menacingly in hoodies and masks have been permanently seared into our brains, we sometimes forget about the artists behind these iconic photos.

Beginning in the 1980s, many photographers focused their lenses on the hip-hop scenes emerging out of New York City and Los Angeles. Out in the City of Angels, photographers like Glen E. Friedman captured the city's skateboard culture, eventually moving on to shoot Run-DMC, Public Enemy, LL Cool J, and so forth. New York, on the other hand, boasted legends like Ernie Paniccioli​ as well as Danny Hastings, who shot the famous Wu-Tang cover. More recently, Cam Kirk and insider lensman Derick G have also established themselves as premier hip-hop photographers.

For those who aren't familiar with these names, scroll through and educate yourself on these 15 Rap Photographers Every Rap Fan Should Know​.

Susan Cheng is a writer in New York. Follow her @scheng_

Best known for: Beckman took photos documenting the formative years of the punk bands in New York City and the U.K., the underground hip-hop scene, as well as L.A. gang life.

Twitter: @janettebeckman

Instagram: @janettebeckman

A self-described “documentary photographer,” Janette Beckman began photographing the Clash, Sex Pistols, the Ramones, and many other punk bands from the '70s and '80s when she lived in the U.K. However, the British photographer is also no stranger to hip-hop. In 1982, she moved to New York, where she shot legends like Afrika Bambaataa, Run–D.M.C., Salt-n-Pepa, and the like. EPMD's Unfinished Business cover? Yup, that was Beckman's photo.

Best known for: He took game-changing photos of skateboarding culture, shot and created album covers for a number of punk bands, and worked with Run-DMC, Public Enemy, Ice-T, LL Cool J, etc.

Twitter: @glenefriedman

Instagram: N/A

As a kid, Glen E. Friedman spent most of his childhood skateboarding throughout West Los Angeles. Then, in his junior year of high school, his friends began landing feature stories and photo shoots in magazines as top skaters. Friedman felt the images depicted in these magazines failed to embody the essence of the sport, and that's when he decided to pick up a camera. He later became one of Skateboarder's youngest staff members, eventually moving to shoot punk shows and befriending the Beastie Boys. Since then, he's taken portraits of Run-DMC, Public Enemy, Ice-T, LL Cool J, and the like.

Best known for: Cross photographed Los Angeles' hip-hop scene in '90s, created the album art and photos for artists such as Q-Tip, Eazy-E, DJ Shadow, and J Dilla, among others, published It's Not About a Salary… Rap, Race and Resistance in Los Angeles, and made the 2007 documentary Brasilintime.

Twitter: N/A

Instagram: N/A

Even if you aren't familiar with Brian Cross (better known as B+), you've likely seen some of his work before. Originally from Limerick, Ireland, Cross made his way to the United States in the early '90s, enrolling in the California Institute of the Arts. While studying photography at CalArts, he started a photo essay titled It's Not About a Salary: Rap, Race, and Resistance in Los Angeles, documenting the city's flourishing hip-hop scene through both interviews and images. In the past, he has photographed and created album art for a number of famous artists including Q-Tip, Eazy E, Damian Marley, DJ Shadow, and J Dilla, among many others. He and fellow photographer Eric Coleman make up L.A.-based production company Mochilla. Cross also recently shot Complex's Kendrick Lamar cover.

Best known for: Hastings created the covers of Wu-Tang Clan's Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, Nas' I Am, Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., among many others. He also shot a slew of music videos for the likes of Raekwon, Don Omar, Prince Royce, Jeru the Damaja, and more.

Twitter: @dannyhastings

Instagram: @dannyhastingsphotography

Danny Hastings has been taking photos of some of hip-hop's greatest acts since before Wu-Tang Clan became the legendary group it is today. In fact, it was Hastings who photographed and designed the cover of the Clan's debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, which helped pave the way for his career. The Panamanian-Mexican photographer initially moved to New York City to study engineering. He subsequently found his calling in photography. Since then, he has shot and designed over 150 album covers for the likes of Raekwon, Nas, Mobb Deep, and many others. He's also directed a slew of music videos.

Best known for: Elderkin shot Kanye West's first set of publicity photos, in addition to the photos to the rapper's Glow in the Dark Tour book. He also made an award-winning film, Bouncing Cats.

Twitter: @nabildo

Instagram: @nabildo

It's hard to believe that Nabil Elderkin, who is one of the most highly sought-after photographers in the U.S., failed photography in high school. “I was terrible,” he admitted to The Weekend Australian Magazine. “I was experimenting with the first digital cameras that were out there, and Photoshop—doing really horrible compositions.” Today, his client list includes everyone from Kanye West to Rolling Stone to Universal Music. Elderkin got his big break in the industry through a bit of resourcefulness. After hearing one of Kanye West's mixtapes and realizing “www.kanyewest.com” was still unregistered at that time, Elderkin purchased the domain name. Soon after, Roc-A-Fella Records reached out to Elderkin, asking how much he wanted for the domain name. Elderkin named his price: a meeting and photo shoot with Yeezy. Not only did the photos from that shoot end up becoming Kanye's first set of publicity photos, but Elderkin went on to shoot the rapper's Glow in the Dark tour, publishing them in a eponymous book. He also shot our August/September 2012 cover, featuring G.O.O.D. Music.

Best known for: Powell was the Beastie Boys' unofficial photographer. He captured images of NYC's subculture and emerging hip-hop scene, including portraits and snapshots of Slick Rick, Run-DMC, Big L, Public Enemy, and Method Man. He also had his own show, Rappin With the Rickster, which aired from 1990 until 1996.

Twitter: @rickypowell

Instagram: @thelazyhustler

Ricky Powell is often referred to as “the fourth Beastie Boy.” It's a fitting title considering how much time Powell spent with the hip-hop group as their unofficial photographer. After befriending the Beastie Boys, Powell shifted the lens of his Minolta AF toward New York's burgeoning hip-hop scene. In addition to his now iconic photos of the Beastie Boys, Powell has also photographed the likes of Run-DMC, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, and Method Man. At the same time, his images also showcase the grittiness of New York in the '80s as well as the city's downtown scene.

Best Known for: Sue Kwon documented NYC culture in the '90s and took photos of hip-hop legends such as Wu-Tang Clan and Biggie, published in her book Street Level.

Twitter: N/A

Instagram: @suekwon_

Sue Kwon began her career in photography at The Village Voice, covering trends and shooting images to go alongside stories. “This to me was far more interesting than assisting fashion photographers—it gave me great practice in shooting organically on the streets,” she told New York Press. Through her job at the paper, she landed gigs taking photos of hip-hop's biggest names, including the likes of Wu-Tang Clan and the Notorious B.I.G. Besides music photography, she also captured poignant images of New York City in the '90s, documenting everything from shoeshiners to strippers, photos she eventually published in her 2009 book, Street Level.

Best known for: Oriol has photographed a number of celebrities, athletes, and musicians. As a street photographer, he captures images of L.A.'s gritty street culture and gang life. He also directed music videos for the likes of Travis Barker, Blink-182, and more.

Twitter: @Jokerbrand

Instagram: @estevanoriol

Estevan Oriol first started taking pictures after his father, famed photographer Eriberto Oriol, gave him a camera. At that time, Estevan was a hip-hop club bouncer and tour manager for rap groups Cypress Hill and House of Pain. “My family didn't have much growing up, so I think that's what gave me my drive,” the Los Angeles-based photographer told Complex. ”Stand for something or fall for everything.” Since then, he's made a name for himself as one of L.A.'s most prolific street photographers, having documented both the city's glitzy and gritty. His portfolio includes photos of famous celebrities, musicians, and athletes, in addition to L.A.'s lowrider culture and gang life.

Best known for: Since 1993, Posey has taken portraits of many O.G. rappers including the Alkaholiks, Method Man, Busta Rhymes, Common, etc.

Twitter: @CarlPoseyPhoto

Instagram: N/A

Whether it's within the three minutes he's been allotted with DMX or a brief moment with a passerby in New York's Meatpacking District, Carl Posey is all about finding truth within the time he has. “What strikes me again and again is the fact that we are all the same,” he explains on his Facebook page. “The rock stars [I photograph] may initially like to give you as little time as possible, but even they can be slowed down when a cool environment is created.” In the past, he has taken portraits of Method Man, Boogiemonsters, Dr. Dre, Aaliyah, the Notorious B.I.G., and more; he's also worked with a number of publications, including Rolling Stone, Vibe, XXL, and Spin.

Best known for: He documented and captured portraits of emerging rappers from the 1980s through the mid-1990s, took pictures of 2pac at the height of his prominence, and also shot the cover of Coolio's It Takes a Thief and Warren G's Regulate…G Funk Era.

Twitter: @photomillermike

Instagram: @mikemillerphoto

Michael Miller first got into photography to pick up girls, he told KCET in an interview last year. He and a fellow lensman “were after one thing, and it [was] to date models.” Apparently, he was pretty good at it, for his fashion photography caught the attention of record labels like EMI. Eventually, he segued into shooting music artists, ranging from the Go-Go's to 2Pac.

Best known for: Since 1989, Paniccioli has been the chief photographer of Word Up! magazine. He's captured photos of many hip-hop artists including Queen Latifah, 2Pac, the Notorious B.I.G., Eminem, Public Enemy, etc. He shot the cover of Public Enemy's Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black.

Twitter: @brotherernie

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“My work shows them as larger than life, but also as part of life,” Ernie Paniccioli explained to The New York Times last year. “It three-dimensionalized a lot of these people. And the artists themselves have always let me be up close and personal. There never been dichotomy between the photographer and the artist. It’s a circle.” That more or less sums up Paniccioli's approach to taking pictures.

A born and bred New Yorker of Native American ancestry, Paniccioli first picked up the camera in the 1970s. A lover of street art and culture, he'd document graffiti murals, B-boy battles, and rap concerts, eventually befriending the guys of Public Enemy, to whom he was especially close. Since then, he's photographed Public Enemy, Queen Latifah, 2Pac, the Notorious B.I.G., Eminem, and many more. The chief photographer for Word Up! magazine since 1989, Paniccioli has had work featured in a plethora of publications including Vibe, Rolling Stone, Newsweek, and The New York Times.

Best known for: Modu has been snapping pics for The Source all throughout the '90s and is currently the director of photography for the magazine. He's taken some of the most iconic photos of the likes of 2Pac, the Notorious B.I.G., Snoop Dogg, O.D.B., and more.

Twitter: @chimodu

Instagram: @chimodu

It takes skill to be able to portray music artists as real people and not just one-dimensional celebrities, yet Chi Modu makes it look effortless. Just see his now-iconic picture of Biggie stunting in front of the World Trade Towers as proof. From day one, Modu has had a knack with the camera and with making his subjects feel at ease. That's why he was able to capture such candid images of rappers like 2Pac, Snoop Dogg, Mobb Deep, Biggie, and more. As the director of photography for The Source, Modu shot more than 30 covers for the hip-hop magazine.

Best known for: Mannion stands out for his creative photo shoots; for instance, he's shot Lil Wayne in an astronaut suit and DMX covered in blood. He also made the cover art for Jay Z's Reasonable Doubt.

Twitter: @JonathanMannion

Instagram: @jonathanmannion

Mannion got into photography after working with greats like Richard Avedon, Steven Klein, and Ben Watts, which helped him realize his passion for both the craft and hip-hop. Since then, the New York lensman has taken some of the most memorable images in hip-hop history, from pictures of R&B princess Aaliyah to Jay Z's Reasonable Double cover. One thing that sets Mannion apart from many of the hip-hop photographers out there is that he pushes boundaries and takes his photo shoots to a whole other level. In the past, he's managed to convince DMX to cover himself in blood and pose for the camera. He's also gotten Lil Wayne to don an astronaut suit for a shoot with XXL.

Best known for: Derick G is the behind-the-scenes photographer for YMCMB crew. A videographer and photographer, he's worked with Drake, Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, Birdman, and more.

Twitter: @Derick_G

Instagram: @derick_g

Videographer and photographer Derick G goes by “MR EXCLUSIVE” on Twitter. That's because he's pals with all our favorite rappers, namely the Young Money Entertainment crew. Whether it's at the filming of a DJ Khaled music video or Nicki Minaj concert, you can bet Derick G will be on the scene, firing away. Dude got his start in the entertainment industry while driving to South Beach, during which he saw a bunch of production trucks. It turned out to be the set of DJ Khaled's “We Takin' Over” music video. Since then, he's worked with the likes of Drake, Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, and others.

Best known for: Cam Kirk's photos are unique because they're candid and reveal a different side to his subjects. He has worked with Young Jeezy, T.I. Bun B, Estelle, ScHoolboy Q, Curren$y, etc.

Twitter: @TheCamKirk

Instagram: @thecamkirk

Cameron Kirkland, better known as Cam Kirk, has snapped candids of some of the biggest names in recent hip-hop history. The Atlanta-based photographer and filmmaker started off as a club promoter, later becoming famous for his behind-the-scenes shots and images of music artists going about their daily lives. His portfolio is impressive because it shows a different side of the lifestyle of the rich and famous. He's been published in Fader, Spin, MTV, and more.