Hip Hop

Hip Hop

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 60. Chi Modu; [Wu-Tang Clan].

Property from the Estate of Chi Modu

Chi Modu; [Wu-Tang Clan]

Wu-Tang & Friends, Staten Island, 1993

Lot Closed

July 25, 04:58 PM GMT

Estimate

2,000 - 3,000 USD

Lot Details

Description

Chi Modu


Wu-Tang & Friends, 1993, printed 2023

 

20 x 24 in. (image: 14¾ x 22 in.) silver gelatin print, signed “Chi™ The Estate of Chi Modu, Sophia A. Modu 7/7/23” on verso.

The Estate of Chi Modu

Method Man, Ghost Face, RZA, Raekwon, UGod, and Inspectah Deck of the Wu-Tang Clan photographed with friends by Chi Modue in 1993 at Stapleton Houses in “Shaolin” [Staten Island], NYC. 


Chi first picked up a camera while a student at Rutgers. After honing his skills at the International Center of Photography, he landed at The Source—the definitive magazine documenting hip hop culture. It was at Source that Chi developed relationships with Hip Hop's biggest icons before many of them were even famous, from Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. to Mary J. Blige and LL Cool J.


In addition to shooting over 30 cover photos at The Source, Chi was able to capture the musicians in candid, unexpected moments through his disarming manner and unique perspective. His photos include some of the most groundbreaking, memorable images of the era, including Tupac Shakur Smoking, 1994 and Notorious B.I.G. in front of the World Trade Towers, 1996. Now considered a global force in the world of photography, Chi not only chronicled and defined the most important phase of the Hip Hop movement, but he also was able to define the artists as individuals, emphasizing their real personalities over their often one-dimensional celebrity persons.