Taji Ameen
The Eramatics Are Teenage Rappers with Classic Hip-Hop Souls
For this week's Mahal, I met with the super fly trio the Eramatics. TahJmall, Ziiion, and Lexington bonded in middle school over their mutual love for music and being knuckleheads. In between skipping class and staying out late, they discovered their...
Simon J. Heath Talks About His New Movie 'Ten Men Talk New York'
This week, Lower East Side legend Clayton Patterson invited me to the screening of Simon J. Heath's new film, Ten Men Talk New York. A tale about what New York means to ten of its natives, the film doesn't fall short of its title. I caught up...
Rilgood Is Brooklyn's Self-Proclaimed King of Nigeria
For this week's Mahal, photographer Cheney Orr and I hooked up with our friend Rilgood—a rapper who calls himself “the King of Nigeria.” Rilgood immigrated from Nigeria to New York and since then has established himself as a musician known for his...
The Gonz Goes to Soho
To ring in the New Year, I hit up Soho's snow-covered streets with Mark Gonzales. Whether he's on a bike or a skateboard, the Gonz shreds like no other. This week, I was privileged to shoot a video of him skating in the streets and to ask him some...
Latrice Jackson Paints Realist Portraits of Celebrities
Like many painters, Latrice Jackson is obsessed with capturing every detail of the human form in her portraits. However, instead of painting nude models she found on Craigslist, Latrice creates portraits of celebrities like Bill Cosby and Eve.
Corduroy the Fox Raps About Animals and Emma Stone
For this week's Mahal, I walked around Chinatown with the fly musical artist Corduroy the Fox. In the rap world, Corduroy is best known for writing 1,000 words about why Pigeons and Planes should post his song “The Foxes.” Here are some poses Corduroy...
This Artist Paints Pictures with His Own Blood
Years ago, Axel played exquisite corpse at dinner parties hosted by the late Salvador Dalí. The game taught Axel that he could paint with his own blood, and he's used his blood as paint ever since.
Watch the Gonz's New Short Film '08NOBEL80'
A few nights ago, I received a late night phone call from artist and skateboarder Mark Gonzales a.k.a. the Gonz. We made plans to meet at midnight at Astor Place. Over the next few hours, the Gonz shot footage of us riding skateboards and bikes through...
The Public Fruit of Erin Albrecht
For this week's Mahal, I caught up with photo extraordinaire, Erin Albrecht. Unlike most photographers, Erin never shoots parties, fashion shows, or other events. Instead, she only captures moments from her own life.
Elena Maria Garcia Is Sick of People Asking if She Speaks Mexican
For this week's Mahal, I spoke to the Cuban American comedian Elena Maria Garcia about her new one-man show, Do You Speak Mexican?, about her experiences as a first generation American in South Florida.
Traveling Across America with the Infinite Daps Tour
Alongside filmmaker Adam Sauermilch, I spent ten days on a bus, documenting RL Grime, Baauer, Ryan Hemsworth, and Jim-E-Stack on their Infinite Daps Tour.
Jumping Around with Ninjasonik
This week on the Mahal, I'm speaking to my favorite musical group, Ninjasonik, and premiering the music video for their homage to House of Pain's rap classic “Jump Around.”