An experimental space with a mission to bridge social and cultural gaps within the field of contemporary art, by working with and providing resources for under-represented artists.
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14th December 2019 - 23rd March 2020
Just a Small Introduction to The G-Funk Era, the first line of Snoop’s first verse on his debut album ‘Doggystyle’ introduces us to the future of the funk Snoop Doggy Dogg. The track samples the crunchy guitar bass from the Parliament Funkadelic song ‘Aqua Boogie’. This set the tone for 1993 - 1996 where West Coast (and even some East Coast) rap groups would sample the smooth bass lines and high pitched saw wave on moog keyboards (aka the West Coast whistle) that paved the way to a new sound that dominated the music billboard charts and formed a new emergence that would define groups such as NWA, Above The Law and Compton’s Most Wanted.
This show aims to be the first exhibition displaying works by some of the West Coast rap scenes’ original pioneers. The exhibition presents Ronald ‘Riskie’ Brent, Henry ‘Hen Dog’ Smith and Darryl ‘Joe Cool’ Daniels who were behind some iconic album covers and visual representations of hip hop culture during the early to mid 90’s in the US.
Henry ‘Hen Dog’ Smith conceived the original Death Row Records logo in 1992 the first record label known for giving its artists and staff members an emblematic medallion symbol of belonging to the label. Darryl ‘Joe Cool’ Daniels, a cousin of Snoop Doggy Dogg, illustrated the debut album Doggystyle (1993) which featured a cartoon image of Snoop Doggy Dogg and his mentor Big C-Style. The album cover gave visual recognition to Snoop Doggy Dogg, which together with the solid production provided by Dr. Dre elevated the album to one of the most influential hip hop records to date. Ronald ‘Riskie’ Brent worked with Tupac on his final album cover Makaveli: The 7 Day Theory and contributed to the conspiracy theories surrounding the fake death of Tupac.
All three artists created groundbreaking visual identities for Death Row Records and for the hip hop music industry as a whole, but they have never been recognized by the broader contemporary art scene. This exhibition wants to bring these artists to the spotlight, helping to create a new market that can support these typologies of work, forging new relationships with wider audiences.
The project factors into Harlesden High Street’s ethos of bridging cultural gaps, not only bring an audience to the artists, but introducing the homogenous sectors of the art market to the artists outside of their scope.
The exhibition also includes works by Chi Modu, Lawrence Hubbard, Stacie Ant, Keresztesi Botond and Willem Weismann
Special thanks to John Freeman and Marvin Watkins for their contributions to the exhibition
Lounge Area
Joe Cool
Make sure you have your weapon on safety, 2019
Installation Shot
Wall installation: graphite pencil on wall
Wall piece: White Marker pens on Acrylic glass (20 x 20 inches)
Snoop Doggy Dogg
Dogg Father Tour Jacket, 2002
Navy blue dickies polyester blue jacke
Joe Cool and Ronald 'Riskie' Brent
Tha Doggfather, 1996
Airbrush, acryllic and oil on Canvas
Lounge Area Install Shot
With Diggy Doc Bench (by Anon)
Chimodu ft Stacie Ant
Ali C on The Venice Shoreline, 2019
3D Lenticular Print
A1/59.4 x 84.1cm
Chimodu ft Stacie Ant - Ali C On The Venice Shoreline (Left), Stacie Ant - Selling That Good St Ides (Right)
Selling That Good St Ides, 2019
Window installation with neon lights, various liquors, including St Ideas 40.oz Malt Liquor
Left Side Of The Room - No Warning Shots (Install Shot)
Hen Dogg
Tha Dogg Pound - Dogg Food Back Cover, 1995
Ronald 'Riskie' Brent & Hen Dogg (R.I.P.)
All Eyez On Me, 1996
Acrylic, spray paint on canvas
180 x 140cm
Queen Bee
You Left Out The G, Cuz The G Ain't In You, 1995
Airbrush on prom dress
Left Side Of Room - Crip Corner (Install Shot)
Joe Cool & Riskie Brent
Sir Dogg, 2014
Acrylic, Airbrush on canvas
90 x 120cm
Joe Cool
187 Eat A Dicc Daryl Gates, 1994
Marker pen on C-type print on giclée paper in
welded metal box museum frame with floating glass
162 x 133 cm
Various publications and resource library
The Lady Of Rage - Record Report in The Source July 1997
Willem Weismann
Jammin' Screw (R.I.P. DJ Screw), 2019
Bleach on cotton t-shirt
Keresztesi Botond
Robosnoop, 2019
Acrylic, oils, spray paint on canvas
120 x 100cm
Khalil Joseph ft Ice Cube & St Ides
We Don't Want No 8-Ball , 2019
St Ides Malt Liquor 40 oz and Vinyl 12" record
in a repurposed refridgerator, with 3D printed plastic
food and milk
Joe Cool
St Ides Liquor Promotional Poster, 1995
Courtesy of Anthony Allen
Press
Kuba Paris Article