Ricky Powell, hip-hop photographer who captured New York culture, dies aged 59
The Guardian
Photographer Ricky Powell, who captured images of New York’s cultural greats and had a close relationship with the Beastie Boys, has died of heart failure aged 59.
His manager Tono Radvany announced the news, saying: “I just want to let everybody know he was a very special man, and he will be sorely missed.”
Powell was born in New York in 1961 and lived in the city for all of his life, mostly in Greenwich Village. He began taking photos in 1985, and developed an instinctive, off-the-cuff style; he described himself as “an iconic photographer, by accident”, taking “pro photos on a hang-out tip”.
In 1986, he got his big break by going on tour with the Beastie Boys and Run-DMC, having previously attended high school with Beastie Boys member Ad-Rock. This developed into further work for the burgeoning Def Jam label, including images of LL Cool J, Public Enemy and Eric B & Rakim.
He was immortalised in a Beastie Boys song Car Thief – “Homeboy, throw in the towel / Your girl got dicked by Ricky Powell” – but also focused on subjects beyond the hip-hop scene, photographing Andy Warhol, Madonna, Sofia Coppola, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Vin Diesel and more.
His manager Tono Radvany announced the news, saying: “I just want to let everybody know he was a very special man, and he will be sorely missed.”
Powell was born in New York in 1961 and lived in the city for all of his life, mostly in Greenwich Village. He began taking photos in 1985, and developed an instinctive, off-the-cuff style; he described himself as “an iconic photographer, by accident”, taking “pro photos on a hang-out tip”.
In 1986, he got his big break by going on tour with the Beastie Boys and Run-DMC, having previously attended high school with Beastie Boys member Ad-Rock. This developed into further work for the burgeoning Def Jam label, including images of LL Cool J, Public Enemy and Eric B & Rakim.
He was immortalised in a Beastie Boys song Car Thief – “Homeboy, throw in the towel / Your girl got dicked by Ricky Powell” – but also focused on subjects beyond the hip-hop scene, photographing Andy Warhol, Madonna, Sofia Coppola, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Vin Diesel and more.
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