Hip Hop Chronicles – interview with Joe Conzo

Joe Conzo is responsible for some of the most amazing photographies marking the Hip Hop culture in different stages of its evolution. Joe Conzo’s photos are included in the documentary “From Mambo to Hip Hop: A South Bronx Tale”, the book “Born In The Bronx: A Visual Record of the Early Days of Hip Hop” (2007), but maybe his greatest success is the permanent publication at Cornell University.

Thanks a lot for accepting this interview. It’s an honor for us to have your thoughts and experience published here. Tell us, please, how did your career begin? You witnessed and captured those years when the Hip-Hop culture established and became a strong movement. Share some more about this?

I picked up a camera at a very young age. My stepfather, being an amateur photographer, put a camera in my hands. I was a shy kid that used a camera to break down those barriers of shyness. In high school, I went to school with some guys that would become legends and pioneers of this culture we call Hip Hop. Some of my earliest images weren’t calling it Hip Hop yet. The term Hip Hop came later on. It was about the next Jam, the next Friday night, where the next Jam was going to happen. It was a very innocent time.

Being a kid in those years, all that situation around the country, the gangs, the escape of society, what was the feeling during those days? Did you ever know where it all would go?

With all the gang violence going on and drugs, there was a lot of family unity. Gangs were getting tired of killing each other and started a gang truce. There were organizations like the United Bronx Parents started by my grandmother to make sure kids would have meals year-round and schools where teaching bilingual education. So with everything going on in The Bronx, changes were being made.

We would never know exactly how it was because it’s difficult to explain but still let’s try. What was the real attitude to the Hip-Hop culture from society? What did your parents, friends, those who were not involved in that movement, think about it? And how do they start to react to this after 10-15 years?

Just like every NEW thing in New York, Hip Hop was just going to be a fad and go away, it wasn’t supposed to last this long and become bigger than Rock and Roll. So for the people that weren’t involved in the beginning they were surprised on where it started and where it is now!

All those photos you took back then, have you ever faced a problem with the police? You always had to be near all the jams, bombing from the graff artists etc. How did you know where to go to make a golden shot? 

I had no problems shooting my pictures back then and even today because I was just taking pictures of my friends who I grew up with. At the time I didn’t know that some of my images would become golden shots. I just tried to take pictures that would tell a story of what was happening at the time.

Tell us more about Cornell’s Hip-Hop Collection and how you felt when your photos were added there? Do you know how it was established and were there any issues with that?

The Cornell Hip Hop Collection started right after my Born In The Bronx exhibition toured the world. We, Johan Kugelberg and I wanted a permanent home for the exhibition and asked so many places and nobody wanted to do it on our terms. Cornell agreed and to this day it has the largest collection in The World and it is accessible to everyone to do research and see the items. I’m so proud to be the first to have my archives there!

Almost every moment in those years was special. But if you go back and start to think about it, what was the most memorable moment in your career and why?

The most memorable moment for me was doing my book with Johan Born In The Bronx and having my archives at Cornell. Now my work will live on for hundreds of years and my legacy will be around for my grandchildren to see. That for me is priceless!

You have seen a lot, been to many places and you are not a kid anymore. Tell us how the culture changed during all these years? What are the good and bad changes according to you?

Seeing the culture change through the years has been good even if you don’t like it. Hip Hop had to evolve in order to survive. Seeing Hip Hop all over the world these past years is awesome, seeing the new flavours added to it in all the different countries is great!

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What was the hardest thing to do to keep pushing your photography in the Bronx those days? It wasn’t easy for sure but tell us your story, please. 

For me the hardest thing was trying to make a living from my work, it was hard! That is why I had to get into the medical field and make a living. I never gave up on my dreams of becoming a great photographer and travelling the world, it just took 30 years to happen. Never give up on your dreams!

We really want to hear from you some tips that can make the young generation understand this culture better. Should they be only b-boy, mc’s, graff artist, DJ’s or there must be something more and deep?

The young generation should follow their hearts! They can be B-BOYS/B-GIRLS and graph artists and a photographer! They can want whatever they want! Just knowing your History of whatever you want to do to me is the most important part, history!

There are many so-called OG’s from the beginning that we all know, but for sure there are those that Deserve To  Be Known and nobody speaks about them. Those who were ‘first’ and started this movement. Please, share some names that made a significant impression on you. 

Being with The Cold Crush brothers have made the most impact on me. Through them I have met so many Pioneers and Legends. MC Coke La Rock, Herc’s first MC is one of the nicest people and so humbled. He is somebody an OG that does not get the credit he is due. 

Joe Conzo

www.joeconzo.com

You can follow Joe Conzo on Instagram here.

Core Team is thankful to Joe Conzo for this interview and support to our idea of spreading valuable knowledge.

*Used images and videos are taken from the web or given by the interviewed person and belongs to their respected owners.