In case you are looking for the intersection between Hip-Hop and Black magnificence, simply cease. There may be none. As a result of the 2 paths didn’t converge; like graffiti blessed subway trains on adjoining tracks, they got here up collectively as a result of Black ladies have at all times been on the forefront of vogue, make-up, and magnificence. Door-knocker earrings, leather-based jackets, blazers, and mid-calf boots, daring iridescent eyes and black-lined lips.
Hip-Hop vogue is Black ladies’s vogue; from the complete outlined eyelashes to the asymmetrical hairstyles.
Full cease.
They birthed the motion with the second, and now they’re reclaiming what has at all times been rightfully theirs. Suppose you created a Venn diagram between Hip-Hop and a few of the most iconic moments within the tradition. In that case, you’d have mad overlap between two names: Thembisa S. Mshaka and Ashunta Sheriff, who’ve joined forces to type Hip-Hop Magnificence Circa 1973, which debuted a photograph exhibition on December 5 throughout Artwork Basel 2025 in Miami.
The curation, in partnership with Gen Artwork, was a tribute to all of the Black ladies who’ve helped form a cultural phenomenon, particularly highlighting the contributions from photographer and Writer of A Few Good WMN Cheryl Fox, and Mazi Smazi, a multi-disciplinary artist, featured within the NY Instances.
“Let’s get again to the essence, as a result of the essence is the imagery. We stated we’re going to deliver this to the world stage and we’re simply going to take it to the artwork world. And so right here we’re,” Thembisa Mshaka, co-founder of Hip-Hop Magnificence, stated on the opening evening. “We knew that we had nice photographers between the 2 of us, as a result of we’ve accomplished a lot marketing campaign work, editorial work, album packages, we knew we had individuals who had archival paintings and we stated, ‘let’s showcase that’ and that gave us one other method to assist ladies artists.”
The exhibition pays tribute to Hip-Hop’s lineage by way of portraiture, archival nods, and immersive design, mixing retro sensibilities with futuristic power—identical to the tradition it celebrates. Utilizing LED shows, cutting-edge codecs, and AI-assisted portrait work that enhances moderately than replaces human artistry, Hip-Hop Magnificence connects eras whereas staying true to the craft.
In the long run, Hip-Hop Magnificence Circa 1973 isn’t simply an exhibit—it’s a reclamation, a reminder, and a revival. It restores Black ladies to the middle of a tradition they helped construct, framing their fingerprints not as footnotes however as foundations. As the photographs glow throughout LED partitions and archival reminiscences pulse with new life, the message is unmistakable: Hip-Hop has at all times worn a Black lady’s face. And now, with their tales elevated to the artwork world’s predominant stage, the world is lastly being requested to look—actually look—on the ladies who formed the fashion, the sound, and the soul of the tradition.
