Back in the 70’s, Joe Conzo’s pictures were part of Hip-Hop. 30 years later, they’re part of Hip-Hop history. Born February 6, 1963 and raised on the tough streets of the South Bronx, Joe was definitely at the right place at the right time. Strapped with a camera 24/7 during the late 70's and early 80's, he intimately captured the birth of Hip-Hop music and a culture that would forever change the world. Having gone to school with some of the pillars of Hip-Hop such as The Cold Crush Brothers, Joe was never too far from a classic shot. He would go on to be the Crush’s exclusive photographer and record some of the most candid and exhilarating moments of the pioneering rap group to date. Those photos and many others would soon grace industry flyers and posters raising the bar on Hip-Hop marketing and promotion. In addition to the Cold Crush, he documented other legendary rap groups like the Treacherous 3 and Fantastic 5 in famed venues such as The T-Connection, Harlem World, Ecstasy Garage and The Roxy. Many luminaries, like Kool Moe Dee of the Treacherous 3 and Rahiem of the Furious 5 consider Joe to be “one of the first Hip-Hop photographers”. But Joe’s photographic contributions to urban culture didn’t stop at Hip-Hop. Being the grandson of the late "Hell lady of the Bronx" Dr. Evelina Antonetty and son to the ‘confidant and historian’ of late "King of Latin Music" Tito Puente, had its perks. Joe Conzo, Sr., gave his son access to some of the most influential names in the world of Latin Music. Salsa greats like Hector Lavoe, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco were brilliantly shot by Joe as they shaped the face of Latin Music. Today, Joe is an 11-year veteran of the New York City Fire Dept., working as an EMT and presently rediscovering his love of photography. Joe’s work has appeared on VH1, in publications such as VIBE, The Source, Hip-Hop Connection (Europe), Urban Hitz (Australia), the books Hip Hop Immortals, Yes, Yes, Y’all and featured at the prestigious “Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture” in New York. Conzo concedes, “Photography has changed so much. No more darkrooms, no more chemicals, nothing but computers and digital cameras”. Joe might’ve made way for new technology and advanced hardware, but I guess that isn’t too bad when you’ve already made history. -James “Koe” Rodriguez
http://www.joeconzo.com/html/main.htm
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