[Fab 5 Freddy]

From the personal collection of Fab 5 Freddy

Presented to Fab 5 Freddy in 2005 for his participation in the second annual VH1 Hip Hop Honors award ceremony, the present lot is a physical celebration of the long-abiding, widespread cultural impact of Hip Hop's greats. Hosted at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, the ceremony began in 2004 with the goal of emphasizing historically significant contributions to the genre over commercial success. One of the most influential figures of Hip Hop's golden age, Fab 5 Freddy, simply had to be an early receiver of VH1's new accolade.

Fab 5 Freddy, is a visual artist, filmmaker and Hip Hop pioneer. In the late 1970s, he was a member of the Brooklyn-based graffiti group, the Fabulous 5, who specialized in painting the sides of subway cars. His name was first introduced to the pop culture scene when Blondie name checked him in her 1980s hit "Rapture", saying "FAB 5 FREDDY told me everybody's fly." He went on to play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between the early rap and graffiti scene of New York's uptown, and the punk music and art scene of downtown. Freddy would go on to co-produce the legendary film Wild Style with Charlie Ahearn, and how the wildly popular MTV show Yo! MTV Raps from 1988 to 1995.