Taji Ameen
Clayton Patterson's Music Week
For this week's Mahal, I got to talk music with legendary Lower East Side photographer, Clayton Patterson. Over the decades, he has documented just about every memorable show in Lower East Side and today is still getting out there and seeing relevant...
Hanging with Slick Eastwood
For this week's Mahal, I was invited to see Slick Eastwood perform his comedy act in Bushwick, Brooklyn. A few days later, Slick and I met up again in Downtown Manhattan to lurk the streets and discuss his creative process.
The Serra Brothers
For this week's Mahal, I got to chat New York City skate history with the Serra brothers. I first met Ivory and Shelter when I was 10 at Riverside skatepark. Soon, I discovered Ivory's photographs of just about every New York Legend from A to Z and...
Spring Roll
For this week's Mahal, I got my film developed. The winter has stretched far and deep into the crevices of New York City. However, now that frostbite is no longer at its peak, the lurkers have finally returned to the streets. As tradition dictates...
After Hours with Black Dave
For this week's Mahal, I met up with skateboarder and rapper Black Dave for an After Hours session. We started our evening off at the Studio at Webster Hall for his live performance with the rest of the Stone Rollers crew. Afterwards, we hit the NYC...
Ben Kilpatrick's Tri-Coastal Photography
For this week's Mahal, I got to talk with Ben Kilpatrick about what it is like to travel the country, photographing on and off his skateboard. Check out some of his most recent work and read our conversation about how NYC and LA inspire different kinds...
Cheney Orr's Fleeting Youth
For this week's Mahal, I got to meet up and talk photography with Cheney Orr. When he is not traveling the Middle East, “hunting for light,” he can be found tramping around New York City, documenting its youth and culture. Take a look at some of his...
Hanging with Al Rogers
For this week's Mahal, I met up with Baltimore rapper Al Rogers and New York City shredder Eby Ghafarian to cruise the Lower East Side and pregame the release of Al's first ever LP, 'Almost.' Al got his start by reciting poetry then graduated to...
Clayton Patterson and the History of Tattooing in NYC
For this week's Mahal, I met up with Clayton Patterson to discuss the history of tattooing in New York City. He has been photographing the tattoo scene both in New York City and around the world for over three decades and just recently hosted the book...
Taji's Mahal - Costa Rican Roll
For this week's Mahal, I decided to get our last roll of film from Costa Rica developed to reminisce about the fun times we shared with my aunt and her friend Hitch last month. I think it's safe to say that Costa Rica is the happiest place in the world...
Taji's Mahal - Hanging with the Bossman
For this week's Mahal, I headed out to Crown Heights in Brooklyn to hang out with up-and-coming musician HOA Bossman. We cruised the neighborhood with local skaters Andy Millien and Aaron Warner, checked out where the Bossman lays down his tracks, and...
Erotic Images by Robert Zash
For this week's Mahal, Vito Fun invited us to Robert Zash's Valentine's Day showing of his erotic images. It was a one-night only event, jam packed with beautifully lit photographs, colorful collages, and a leather-clad man.