All My Favorite Rappers Are Dead
“Phife” 2022, 20”x24” Acrylic on Canvas
I can’t remember a time without Hip-Hop in my life. The cinematic masterpiece Breakin’ formally introduced me to the culture. It was a very formative experience for me and I immediately started drawing bubble letters and dudes in Adidas sweatsuits pop-locking. I can look back through my sketchbooks and see Hip-Hop everywhere, from the outfits I gave my characters to full page graffiti burners. It’s always been an undercurrent in my work and the soundtrack of my studio.
This year Hip-Hop turns 50 and me, 47. A cultural movement that emerged in the South Bronx in the 1970s is now the most popular music genre in the world. I’m still a fan, probably now more than ever. I’m buying new music constantly and I absolutely love it. I got my wife into it, got my kids into it. We’re a fucking Hip-Hop family.
A couple years ago my very best patron commissioned a painting for her son's birthday. A portrait of Juice WRLD. Juice was known for his emo-influenced rap style, which combined elements of singing and rapping. His lyrics dealt with themes such as mental health, drug addiction, and heartbreak. He was open about his struggles and fans felt deeply connected because of it. Tragically, he died at 21 years old, due to an accidental drug overdose. But the portrait wasn’t really about how he died, it was about how he lived.
I completed the commission inspired. I needed to paint more portraits, there are rappers I miss dearly as well. So I decided to do a series of portraits and call it “All My Favorite Rappers Are Dead” which actually comes from a bar by my favorite dead rapper Mac Miller on his song “Gees” where he says:
“All the best rappers are usually dead
But I'm the poison that left a widow Juliet
In the studio with candles lit and Buddha heads
Coming up with all the coldest shit, take your Sudafed”
Hip-Hop and rap specifically has given me hours of enjoyment and endless inspiration. I want to commemorate these poets and celebrate their legacies and the impact they had on their fans and communities. This series will feature portraits of 18 rappers spanning the genre from the beginning to current, from underground to mainstream, from east coast to west. Each portrait will be set against a solid background and when viewed together will form a rainbow spectrum. There will be prints and live shows but I’m still figuring it all out, stay tuned.
