Normski...UK old school hip hop royalty

UK b-boys

If you were in the UK around the late '80s and '90s you know Normski, aka Norman Anderson, is! I knew him as the hip hop photographer and first worked with him for the Victoria & Albert Museum "Street Style" exhibition in 1994.

His photos captured the burgeoning UK hip hop scene and the first wave of touring US mega rap acts (Beastie Boys, L.L. Cool J., Run DMC, Public Enemy.) Read more in this Vice Magazine article.

Tonight, Normski has a one night show at east London's hip The Book Club. Old school heads will be treated to a selection of his '90's photos and a DJ set covering 90’s house, hip hop, Brit pop, indie, techno and club classics. UK stylee!

Public Enemy

Hijack

British B-Girl...

London in the house! Where were you in 1982? I'm not talking about Vashtie's hip club in New York, I'm asking if you were in London in 1982 when Grandmaster DSt performed? I know Janette Beckman was there because I saw her pictures from that era at her book launch at Taschen, CA 90210 (aka Beverly Hills).

Now I have to admit, I didn't know Janette was English. "Where are you from, I can't place the accent...," she said. "It's easy..." I replied. "Bristol, London, Los Angeles!"

Uptown, Downtown  Beckman's photos really capture the '80s hip hop scene in its infancy and are firmly rooted in East Coast America. I read that she moved to New York in 1982. By that time, the downtown scene was in full effect and folks like Fab 5 Freddy were bridging the uptown/downtown gap. F5F was key to getting the first hip hopper downtown: Afrika Bambaataa (who's photographed in Beckman's book) played Mudd Club, Negril, Danceteria. Then Grandmaster Flash went to play to the honkys too ;) Not sure if Janette hit the South Bronx parties like Malcolm McLaren did to capture her art though.

Punk Rock, New Wave and Soul I also read that Beckman started working for coolzines The Face and Melody Maker snapping punk and rock bands which led to her first book in 2005 for Powerhouse Books, "Made in the UK: The Music of Attitude 1977–1983."

Doraemon  Beckman said,"nice t-shirt," looking at my WrongWroks "Doraemon" shirt. "Let's swap t-shirts," I said to Janette as I spotted her dope Acapulco Gold collaboration t-shirt. Here's an interview about the Acapulco Gold collaboration.

Fatseagulls? Imagine "a blog about the world of t-shirts" ~ yes it exists and I found it as I was looking for the fresh Acapulco Gold t-shirt.