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Obituary

Ricky Powell, Pioneering Photographer Who Captured Hip-Hop Culture in the 80s and 90s, Has Passed Away

4:40 PM PST on February 2, 2021

[dropcap size=big]I[/dropcap]conic photographer Ricky Powell has passed away at the age of 59. Tono Radvany manager & business partner confirmed with Complex on February 1st. Powell captured and documented the early days of Def Jam Records in the early 80s and 90s. His vision and style for portrait photography is considered a pillar of hip-hop and rap culture.

Here is just a handful of some of our favorite portraits taken by him.

Ricky Powell photographed at CONTACT HIGH: A Visual Story of Hip-Hop opening night at Annenberg Space for Photography.
Jean-Michel Basquiat & Andy Warhol
Laurence Fishburne
Kenny Scharf. Oops Excuse Me. NYC. 1986
Mike Tyson circa 1988
Run DMC in Paris, 1986.
L.L. Cool J
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