Strolling Down Memory Lane

"Let me take you on a journey through Carmel City"
-Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth

This weekend, I took a stroll down memory lane. I met up with an underground blogger and we rolled across the bridge to the land of Brook otherwise known as Brooklyn. Specifically, the old hood with it's slate covered sidewalks and rows of brownstones. Just one block over from my first New York apartment, a five story dilapidated walk-up (think of the movie Barefoot in the Park), was an inconspicuous art gallery owned by Russell Simmons' brother, where a photography exhibit by Jamal Shabazz was being shown.

I wasn't familiar with Mr. Shabazz's work prior to attending the exhibit but I quickly became a fan of his photographic style. Underground and I enjoyed reminiscing about the "back in the day" hip-hop urban styles that are a trademark of Mr. Shabazz's photos. It was an interesting retrospective about the roots of hip-hop culture. It would be interesting to use his work to do a comparative analysis of the evolution of hip-hop culture over the course of the last twenty-five years. Of course there have been theses, dissertations and journal abstracts exploring the different aspects of hip-hop, but I am specifically interested in the evolution of the fashion trends -- going from phat gold chains and medallions to bling-bling as hip-hop culture merged with high fashion couture. It causes one to wonder, has hip-hop been watered down in order to fit in with mainstream culture? Mr. Shabazz's exhibit certainly stimulated a gnawing hunger for food for thought and his body of work is a preeminent source for documenting this cultural journey.

After viewing the Shabazz exhibit, we headed up to Fulton, turned left onto Washington Avenue and headed towards Prospect Park to view another photo exhibit by fellow blogger Laylah Amatullah Barrayn. Her photos are on display along a wall in an eclectic little import store. Visit her blog for a sampling of her international travels captured in black & white and sepia tones.

We headed down Flatbush and detoured at the Atlantic Terminal Center for
a late lunch and cocktails. The host quickly seated us at Houlihan's and we waited and waited and waited (maybe why they are called the wait staff) for a server to take our order. Eventually we wound up with an inefficient girl who mumbled inaudibly. While we waited we agreed that we probably should have gone here instead. After eating our non-descript meal we headed downstairs for a little shoe shopping at DSW where Underground picked up a new pair of heels. We rode back across the Brooklyn Bridge and called it a night. It was a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon strolling down memory lane in the old neighborhood.
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Reflections: Photographs from 1980-2005
Photography by Jamel Shabazz

Danny Simmons' Corridor Gallery
334 Grand Ave @ Gates Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11239
For more information call (718) 638.8416
Direction: C train to Clinton/Washington

Exhibition will run until Feb. 25, 2006, every Saturday from 12pm -
6pm or by appointment.
www.jamelshabazz.com

BLACK AND TAN FANTASY
Photography by Laylah Amatullah Barrayn

On View: February 4 - 28, 2006

Calabar Imports
820 Washington Avenue (between Lincoln Pl. and St. Johns Pl.)
Brooklyn, New York 11238
718-638-4288
http://blackandtanfantasy.blogspot.com/

Directions to Calabar Imports:
2/3 Subway to Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum
B45 to St. Johns Place & Washington Ave.