Hip-hop isn’t just music—it’s a movement, a culture, a visual language that has shaped generations. Few understood this better than Bill Adler, who, during his time as Def Jam Recordings’ director of publicity in the 1980s, worked with photographers capturing hip-hop’s rise.
These photographs became more than just promotional tools—they became history. In 2003, Adler opened the Eyejammie Fine Arts Gallery, dedicated entirely to hip-hop photography. Even after its closure in 2007, the images lived on, finding a permanent home in 2015 when The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture acquired 400 Eyejammie photo prints from 59 photographers.
Something about the culture’s astonishing vitality and visual appeal began catching the eyes of these photographers in the Seventies, even before anybody began making rap records,” Adler says. “And the quality of those images ultimately played a huge role in the promotion of hip-hop globally.”
Now, on March 22, 2025, The Art of Hip Hop in Miami’s Wynwood Arts District will reintroduce these images to the world in an immersive and interactive exhibition unlike anything before. More than a gallery show, this is a journey into hip-hop’s past—where moments we remember only through photos come alive once again. “We need to teach the next generation about history in a way they want to learn it – in an environment that authentically conveys important cultural information that also looks cool on their TikTok page,” says Allison Freidin, co-founder of The Art of Hip Hop.
The experience goes beyond the frame. A 1986 white Mercedes 560 SEC, reminiscent of Rakim’s legendary “Benzeeto” from his 1988 photoshoot with Michael Benabib on Bleecker Street, serves as a striking piece of hip-hop nostalgia.
Curated by Alan Ket, the exhibition features images from photographers whose work has never been shown in Miami or in The Art of Hip Hop’s previous pop-ups in Austin, TX, and Seoul, Korea—with the exception of Janette Beckman. The collection includes portraits of the pioneers who built this culture: Sylvia Robinson, Run-DMC, Flavor Flav, Bun B, Cypress Hill, Eazy-E, Dondi White, Slick Rick, T.I., Pitbull, Biggie Smalls, Snoop Dogg, and David Banner, alongside reggae legends like Lee “Scratch” Perry, whose sound laid the foundation for hip-hop’s earliest beats.
The exhibition features work from Harry Allen, Michael Benabib, Adrian Boot, Julia Beverly, Brian Cross, Al Pereira, Sebastian Piras, Ricky Powell, Peter Rickards, Jack Thompson, Val Wilmer, and Janette Beckman—photographers who captured not just faces, but the raw spirit of hip-hop.
Monster Energy’s commitment to music, art, and culture makes this exhibition possible, with the 1986 Koenig Widebody Mercedes 560 SEC on loan from The Bunker, Miami’s only hurricane-proof automotive storage facility.
This is more than an exhibition. It’s a homecoming for hip-hop history—a reminder of where we’ve been, told through the images that made us remember.
Event Details:
Saturday, March 22, 2025 | 7–10 PM
The Art of Hip Hop
299 Northwest 25th Street, Miami, FL 33127
For tickets, click here.