Fab 5 Freddy (VLADTV) Talks Eazy E Skateboarding in Venice and Ithaka pics in Contact High Exhibit

See Video Here: Fab 5 Freddy (VLADTV) 

Talks Eazy E Skateboarding 

in Venice and Ithaka pics in Contact High Exhibit

On May 15th the legendary Fab 5 Freddy spoke to DJ Vlad (VLADTV) about the early days of YO! MTV Raps, his NetFlix documentary The Grass Is Greener and about Ithaka Darin Pappas' historic images of Eazy E, being hip hop's very first skateboarder being shown at the exhibit Contact High: A Visual History of Hip Hop (Curated by: Vikki Tobak) 

Full Interview at these links:

            Part 1 (Fab 5 on VladTV): youtube.com/watch?v=0ztlV...

   Part 2 (Fab 5 on VladTV): youtu.be/MCtqoFYBym0

Part 3(Fab 5 on VladTV): youtu.be/dXK4m4xaIhs

Part 4(Fab 5 on VladTV): youtu.be/8Wa-xktCN34

Part 5(Fab 5 on VladTV): youtu.be/2J0-3iVwJEM

  Part 6(Fab 5 on VladTV): youtu.be/uZw4bn_n1MU

Eazy E & Venice Skate Locals February 24th 1989 (A Historic Day in both Hip Hop & Skateboarding). Photos by: Ithaka Darin Pappas (Contact High)

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video:

Eazy E & Venice Locals February 24th 1989 

(A Historic Day in both Hip Hop & Skateboarding).

All photographs under federal copyright 

by © Ithaka Darin Pappas 

@_ithaka_

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Это был исторический день в отношениях хип-хопа и скейтбординга. Это был первый раз, когда известный рэпер публично одобрил скейтбординг (и даже признался и продемонстрировал, что он был скейтбордистом mesmo). До этого дня скейтбординг был в основном для панков ... хип-хоп не был чем-то увлеченным сообществом скейтбордов. Каким-то образом этот день подал зеленый свет между двумя мирами, что было нормально принимать друг друга. Это было начало пожизненного братства, поскольку все мы знаем, что эти две вселенные теперь движутся рука об руку, абсолютно неразделимы.

este foi um dia histórico nas relações do hip hop e do skate. Foi a primeira vez que um conhecido rapper endossou publicamente o skate (e até admitiu e demonstrou que era um skatista mesmo). Antes deste dia, o skate era principalmente para punks ... O hip hop não era algo abraçado pela comunidade de skate. De alguma forma, este dia serviu uma luz verde entre os dois mundos que era aceitável aceitar um ao outro. Foi o início de uma irmandade ao longo da vida, como todos nós sabemos que esses dois universos agora andam de mãos dadas, totalmente inseparáveis. 

これはヒップホップとスケートボードの関係において歴史的な日でした。 有名なラッパーがスケートボーディングを公に承認したのは初めてのことでした（そして彼がスケートボーダーのメスモであることを認め、証明することすらありました）。 この日より前は、スケートボードは主にパンクのためでした…ヒップホップはスケートコミュニティによって受け入れられるものではありませんでした。 どういうわけかこの日は2つの世界の間でお互いを受け入れても大丈夫であるという緑色の光を出しました。 私達全員が今これらの2つの宇宙が手をつないで、絶対に不可分に乗って乗っているのを知っているので、それは生涯の兄弟愛の始まりでした。

Eric "Eazy-E" Wright was a hip-hop visionary who never got the credit he deserved for turning rap into an international phenomenon (though 2015's Straight Outta Compton biopic went a long way toward rehabilitating his legacy). Well, he was a visionary in other ways, too. Decades before it became commonplace for every rapper to have a skateboard or two in his closet, Eazy was practicing kickflips with his young son on the streets of Compton.

At a time when skateboarding was dominated by white kids listening to punk - and the hip hop community disregarded anything related to skate or surf, Eazy E paved the way.

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/miranda/la-et-cam-datebook-contact-high-annenberg-story.html

Extremely Rare Photo of Eazy E Skateboarding by Ithaka Darin Pappas now on Exhibit at "Contact High" hosted by The Annenberg Space For Photography

“Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop,” at the Annenberg Space for Photography. A new group show organized by author Vikki Tobak looks at the work of photographers who chronicled the rise of hip-hop, with famous prints (like the iconic portrait of Biggie Smalls in a crown by Barron Claiborne) as well as unedited contact sheets and other images of key musical figures from the genre, including Eazy-E, Jay-Z and Salt-N-Pepa. Tobak is the author of the bestselling book on which the exhibit is based. Opens Friday and runs through Aug. 18. 2000 Avenue of the Stars, Century City, AnnenbergPhotoSpace.org.

#eazye #hiphop #skateboarding #ithakadarinpappas #NWA

General Admission Magazine: 

Tell us about the cover photo and how you got to that point with N.W.A?

Ithaka Darin Pappas: At the time I was working for Priority Records. I was their main freelance photographer during this period and I had photographed N.W.A. probably more than any other photographer. This particular day was a shoot for MTV and they were doing a little culture clash unite between this pop group Kris Kross and N.W.A. Kris Kross came down and we all met in Venice. Fab 5 Freddy did the interview, an old-school artist and hip-hopper from New York. After the Kris Kross bailed we all walked down to the skate area down there on the beach at Venice. Eazy grabbed some kid's skateboard and took off. I'd already been working with this crew for probably almost two years and I'd never even heard the word skate board came out of anybody's mouth, or surfing, or anything like that. It was a shock to me, and he'd obviously spent some time on a skateboard because he knew what he was doing. 

General Admission Magazine: He could skate? 

Ithaka Darin Pappas: Yes. He was confident on it. One thing we've learned from this photo is Eazy is a goofyfooter. (Ed’s note: Goofyfoot is the type of stance a surfer or skater is defined by) 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/ithaka/69363540

https://store.cdbaby.com/artist/Ithaka2

https://www.instagram.com/_ithaka_/?hl=en

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5225987/

https://thehundreds.com/blogs/content/ithaka-interview

https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ithaka

http://upmagazine-tap.com/en/pt_artigos/ithaka-2/

Iconic Image Of Eazy E Skateboarding by Ithaka Darin Pappas featured in Mass Appeal

MASS APPEAL: This week's @contact.high.project is pretty amazing. Vikki Tobak interviewed @_ithaka_ Darin Pappas on the time he photographed a bulletproof vest-wearing Eazy-E (RIP) riding a skateboard, circa 1989. The image has been stored away for decades and only recently surfaced. Also, the contact sheets and stories he shares are bananas. He recalls the day: "I think Eazy was wearing the vest for legitimate reasons. This was at the height of his fame and Venice was a bit rougher back in those days. Literally anything could have gone down that day. The skateboard wasn’t his own, he’s signed it for someone and I think kind of borrowed it without asking. I wasn’t even sure I should have been using too much film on the shot." Link in profile.

Eazy E, N.W.A and Ithaka Darin Pappas's Iconic Imagery (The General Admission Interview)

https://www.generaladmission.us/blogs/news/eazy-e-and-ithakas-iconic-photo

Eazy E, N.W.A and Ithaka Darin Pappas's Iconic Imagery

• Damien Fahrenfort
• December 16, 2016

We all have a friend like Ithaka Papas; he’s the one everyone's jealous of. The guy who picks up sports quicker than anyone. That friend who hears a tune once and can play it on any instrument and he also happens to tell the best stories all-the-while completely nonchalant about the said above. He's that guy that you want to hate on but you just can't. When I first met Ithaka six years back, he came over to my pad with a little point and shoot camera. He snapped a few pics while we were hanging out. I didn’t think anything of it. We later went surfing and I was blown away by his ability in the surf. I got to know him, and he was an unraveling onion. Each layer was a wild adventure; his life was coated with wonder. And, it wasn’t until the feature film Straight Out Of Compton landed in theaters that I learned Ithaka had spent two years with N.W.A. He had shot their album covers, editorial and more. Fascinated by our cover photo of Eazy-E in Venice I grabbed him for the real story and the back story on a few of his other favorite pics.
All photos courtesy of Ithaka Darin Papas/Tack Artist Group
GA: Tell us about the cover photo and how you got to that point with N.W.A?
Ithaka: At the time I was working for Priority Records. I was their main freelance photographer during this period and I had photographed N.W.A. probably more than any other photographer. This particular day was a shoot for MTV and they were doing a little culture clash unite between this pop group Kris Kross and N.W.A. Kris Kross came down and we all met in Venice. Fab 5 Freddy did the interview, an old-school artist and hip-hopper from New York. After the Kris Kross bailed we all walked down to the skate area down there on the beach at Venice. Eazy grabbed some kid's skateboard and took off. I'd already been working with this crew for probably almost two years and I'd never even heard the word skate board came out of anybody's mouth, or surfing, or anything like that. It was a shock to me, and he'd obviously spent some time on a skateboard because he knew what he was doing. 

GA: He could skate? 
Ithaka: Yes. He was confident on it. One thing we've learned from this photo is Eazy is a goofyfooter. (Ed’s note: Goofyfoot is the type of stance a surfer or skater is defined by) 
GA: Back then Venice was still pretty hardcore, we’re people excited to see Eazy, or was he getting a few scary looks? 
Ithaka: No, they were super excited to see him. But during that period there were a lot of gang conflicts here. A lot of these shoots that I did with N.W.A., we'd go to a place and there'd be a mixed reaction. I don't think anybody specifically from the band has ever been an affiliated gangster, but friends of theirs are and that ends up being a co-affiliation. Sometimes they'd go to these shoots and there would be some vibe from whoever. But generally speaking it was just excitement, it was a big deal, Eazy-E was down on the beach, he was signing autographs non-stop, and girls were screaming, they were big stars. 
GA: Anything else exciting happen that day?
Ithaka: Not really, that was it. We just went down there and everyone went their separate ways. I did another little shoot with Dre and DSC after this. These were good shoots because they were very informal so you could get good material and everybody in their element, that was my specialty, going where they were shooting a video, then doing a portrait session on the side, that kind of thing. It's hard to get everybody together in the same space, like, "Okay, we're going to have a photoshoot out of the studio." It's hard to get them together and focused for more than a couple minutes at a time.

GA: You also shot Eazy E's famous pool party from the movie Straight Outta Compton?

Ithaka: I did not shoot the pool party but I went to the pool party. Way better to participate in that one than photograph it [laughs]. That was pretty nuts, it was at some ranch up in Malibu. No holds barred, they put on a serious party. You know, the great thing about "Straight Outta Compton", you know I'm sure you know people that were even more involved than me might see subtle details that weren't accurate from my perspective, it was exactly the way I remember working with them, the portrays of them.

GA: Let's go through some other photos. Tell me about this one of Eazy on the train tracks.
Ithaka: This was on the east side of downtown LA. Once again, it was myself doing promotional portrait stills on the side of a video shoot, and in this case, this was the video for “100 miles and running”. This was when Ice Cube already left the band. This was the second N.W.A. album. So, this was towards the end of the project because Ice Cube had already left the band a few months before, so it just totally changed the direction of the project.

GA: What a bummer. This one of him here is my favorite of the four. He looks so young.

Ithaka: So, this was, I think it was November 1988. This was the first time I had ever met any of these guys. This was the record cover shoot for “We want Eazy” the single, which just had the song “Radio” on it. So, this shoot was mostly about Eazy. Everybody was there though, so also there's some shots of N.W.A from the day. This is at my apartment on Orange Street near Wilshire and San Vicente. So, this one it was a little bit more produced. I think I got 500 dollars for this shoot and I’m sure I spent more than 600 dollars shooting it. But I didn't care I was so excited to shoot them. (Continued below) 

Ithaka: I was a fan of these guys as well. I was a daily listener to K.D.A.Y. I knew the music very well before I ever even worked with N.W.A. or Eazy. So, it was like I knew what I was getting into and I wanted to do a good shoot, and one of the shots from this shoot had all five members, they gathered without their sunglasses, and the image is one of the images that has survived the test of time. Because it’s really rare to see everybody without their sunglasses in controlled lighting.
GA: I remember you telling me a funny story about the catering for the shoot?
Ithaka: Oh, yes. This was Clarity Records and the only records they had really done before this was the California Raisins. You know, the California Raisins?
GA: Yeah I saw it in the movie.
Ithaka: They went into hip-hop and they were treading lightly. Unsure of how it was going to turn out they didn’t want to spend too much money. So the catering for the shoot was four bags of Doritos and a 24 pack of Old English 800.

GA: It’s crazy how young they are here, man. They’re just kids. Eazy would have been what age?
Ithaka: He might have been 20, so let me think. Dre’s a year older than me, ’88, how old was I? So, I was 22, Dre was 23, Cube is like 20-21.
GA: Insane. Fuck, that's such a good photo.
Ithaka: Fun shit though, huh?

GA: Yes, it’s such cool shit, man. Okay last one, what about this one below. 

Ithaka: Yes, this was down at MacArthur Park. This was another segment for MTV. This was the record cover shoot for the single "12-inch", extended version of “Express yourself”. Which also had "A bitch is a bitch" on it. This was the cover of that. At the time MacArthur Park used to be a pretty rough neighborhood. I think they'd just drained the lake right before this. They found 700 guns in the lake, 3,000 knives, couple dead bodies. I don’t know what it’s like now down there now but I imagine a lot nicer. 


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https://www.generaladmission.us/blogs/news/eazy-e-and-ithakas-iconic-photo