He was known as the Lazy Hustler. Or as the Fourth Beastie Boy. And wherever he went, he always carried his camera with him. A street photographer and influential chronicler of hip-hop (and New York as a whole), the legendary Ricky Powell passed away at the age of 59.
A trailblazer in hip-hop photography, Powell created his own style by producing iconic and most notably non-staged photographs of some of the all-time greats including the Beasty Boys, Public Enemy, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, and Madonna. And while some of his contemporaries became international superstars, Powell always stayed true to himself … as well as his infamously low-tech camera equipment.
The list of mourners reads like a who is who of hip-hop royalty. He will be dearly missed.
RIP Ricky Powell
