Spirit Behind the Lens
Regular price
€31.99
A
visual journey through 30 years of Black youth culture, hip hop, and
underground creativity, by Britain's foremost chronicler of Black working-class
life.
Spirit
Behind the Lens unveils, for the first
time, the extraordinary career of Eddie Otchere, one of hip-hop’s most iconic
and enigmatic photographers. Through personal memoirs and a rich archive of
mostly unseen photographs, Otchere offers an unparalleled insider’s view of Black
youth culture in Britain over the last three decades. From the energetic Jungle
scene of the mid-90s to the Wu-Tang Clan in Kentish Town and his explorations
of rural Britain, Otchere's work pulses with material memory, capturing both
the vibrancy and struggle of life in urban social housing.
This
book is more than just a retrospective of Otchere’s stunning photography—it is
a tribute to the creators and innovators of Black culture across hip hop, drum
& bass, UK Garage, film, poetry, and sports. With his unique ability to
convey the raw emotion and beauty of each moment, Otchere chronicles the rise
of icons such as Goldie, So Solid Crew, Dizzee Rascal, and many more.
Key Features:
- A
comprehensive collection of Eddie Otchere’s 30-year career as a photographer
-
Features iconic and unseen images of Black British culture and global hip-hop
legends
-
Chronicles the visual identity of UK Garage, drum & bass, Jungle, and
hip-hop subcultures
-
Personal memoir elements woven into the narrative of Otchere’s photographic
journey
-
Showcases key moments in British Black culture, from music to social movements
- A
guide to the romance of film photography and darkroom techniques from a master
of the craft
Eddie Otchere is a photographer best known for his photographs of the seminal rappers and DJs of the mid 1990s and early 2000s. His celebrated works include portraits of Biggie Smalls, Blackstar (Mos Def & Thalib Kweli) So Solid Crew, Est’elle, Goldie, Omar and many others, as well as his official coverage of the Metalheadz: Blue Note sessions 1994 -1996. He has also worked with major brands, including Apple, Converse, Casio G-Shock, Leica and Spotify. Since 1993 Otchere’s photographs have been exhibited and published worldwide, including on the covers of major international magazines such as Urb, Lodown and Mixmag and on the covers of some of rap music’s seminal albums. He is the co-author of the cult classic novel Junglist (1995, reissued 2019).