What you need to know
Hip-hop has always existed at the intersection of different art forms.
For Danny Hastings, his passion for photography came from his childhood in Panama to the heart of New York City in the early 1990s, when hip-hop was undergoing a genre shift.
Although the then-up-and-coming rappers are now considered some of the OGs of the game, Hastings told PEOPLE at the time,
“I grew up in a poor family in Panama. My family…no one took money from the family. Now, my colleagues, my cousins, we’re all professionals, we’re all working, but our family comes from a poor family. But it was a good, honest education,” he shares.
“We were raised on good principles. We were well taught to respect people and accept everyone. And that’s one of the things I noticed when I met people like Naz, for example.”
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“I went to his house, and his house was so beautiful. It was a bonnet, it was a Queen Bridge project, but his mom had a nice mantel on the table, a little crocheted thing she had under the lamp, a plastic one on the couch, you know what I mean?”
Hastings continued, “What all of this tells us is that inside the house was a place filled with love. Outside it was crazy. But outside that is what people see, inside the house is a special place filled with love.”
Their partnership resulted in some memorable moments. The two recently came together to shoot the cover of Light Years, Nas, and DJ Premier’s joint album, which will be released on December 12th.
Throughout his career, Hastings has photographed some of hip-hop’s biggest acts, including Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Cypress Hill and De La Soul. Those moments are captured in his new photobook, Legendario, Act I: Rough, Rugged and Raw. The first in a three-part photo retrospective by the renowned photographer, the book includes interactive QR codes that reveal behind-the-scenes stories, alternate shots, and a deeper look at the sessions that shaped hip-hop history.
Hastings tells PEOPLE that his background and the relationships he built early in his career continue to foster his creativity to this day.
“That’s how I gravitated toward rappers and developed great friendships with them, and then I got on the phone and was like, ‘Danny, hey, I’m doing a show, come on over.'” So we were looking at each other in the same place, eye-to-eye. When I filmed Wu-Tang’s 36 Chambers, ODB didn’t have the money to take the ferry back to Staten Island. So he said, “Hey, can you find me $5?” “Hey, this is 20.” “Bang, okay, good boy.”
Hastings explained, “I was working for them and they were brand new. They didn’t know what was going to happen.”
“It was like right before they became millionaires and they might have $2,000 back next week. But at that point, it was like, ‘Oh, it’s real now, boy, let me ask you something…’ and I was like, ‘Of course, no problem.'” It was all about love, and that respect was and still is between them. It’s still there. ”
Hastings never picks favorites, but he values the relationships that have resulted in continued collaboration and appreciation on all sides.
“Obviously, Wu-Tang. All the Wu-Tang brothers, for me they have a special place in my heart. Nas, Nas is such a visionary. Eminem – every time I work with Eminem, it’s just magic. Gang Starr, DJ Premier. Well, DJ Premier is one of my good friends and whenever we link up, we also make magic happen.”
Hastings enjoys “making connections with real fans” by introducing works from this era to past and present fans through his books.
“I’m just sharing this book with people around me, and I’m getting a lot of support from that. And it’s self-published. It’s not funded by a big, big company. I’m the one who actually buys the book, assembles it, and packages it. So you get the Danny Hastings experience from the get-go,” he says.
“And I hope it inspires people. And it’s also…I’m writing a legacy and putting it on paper for people to know what I’ve done, because now if you don’t do it yourself, you’re erased and you’re forgotten.”
He continued, “Things are changing rapidly, super fast. If you accomplish something, put it out there. If you write a song, put it out there. Don’t hold on to things, just put it out there. Make sure people can get your work, because it feels really, really great.”
“I hope my book will inspire many young creators, and I also hope it will bring great memories to some of the people who lived through this time, because it will bring them back.”
“Legendario, Act I: Rough, Rugged and Raw” is now available for purchase.
