In pictures: The unseen world of US hip-hop and Deutschrap

Hip Hop: Unconscious, Conscious (2024)12 Images “Hip hop started in kids’ bedrooms and youth centres, now it’s everywhere – in the charts, the way we talk, the way we think about a better future,” says David Bortot, co-curator of a new exhibition at Fotografiska Berlin documenting the rise of hip-hop in both US and Germany. Titled Hip Hop: Unconscious, Conscious, it’s the story of a culture becoming aware of itself, morphing from expression out of necessity to intentionality, fully aware of its power in the world. “You almost can’t believe these images represent the same culture,” Bortot continues. “The 3D montage of rapper Joey Bada$ by Sam Balaban and Farid Issa is a far cry from the purity of Jean-Pierre Laffont’s impressions of early 70s Bronx. But, when you look closer, when you really take in the energy and attitude behind these images, you start feeling a common thread.” Members of the New York street gang Savage Skulls speak to local police on July 20th 1972, The BronxPhotography Jean-Pierre Laffont Comprising an incredibly broad range of images, from early pioneers like Wu-Tang Clan and the Beastie Boys to contemporary stars like Kendrick Lamar, Unconscious, Conscious is a comprehensive chronicle of...