Johnny Nuñez

Courtesy of the photographer

A JUBILANT IMAGE OF NAS, TAKEN ON HIS 40TH BIRTHDAY

With the world as his studio, Johnny Nuñez captures his larger-than-life subjects uninhibited, free from fabrication or sets. Seen as an omnipresent force of photography, Nuñez quickly became a staple at every nightlife event, music video shoot, and concert; cementing himself as an institutional figure in the documentation of Hip Hop culture.

For the last 30 years Nuñez has built his artistic practice on capturing the world's biggest musical stars such as Nas, Lil Wayne, Run-D.M.C., Lil’ Kim, Beyonce and Jay-Z. In addition to his extensive portfolio of musical artists, Johnny has worked closely with some of Pop Culture's biggest icons like Naomi Campbell, Spike Lee, Oprah Winfrey, and LeBron James.

Seen smiling ear to ear, Nas, the visionary rapper from Queensbridge stands as the epitome of rap royalty. Photographed at the Dream Hotel in New York during Nas’ 40th birthday celebration. The man of the hour is shown surround by friends and family, such as his brother Jungle on the right and fellow rapper Maino to the left. As one of Hennessy’s first brand ambassadors, Nas shows his loyalty with a sizable bottle in his left hand, a size commensurate with the celebration. Several decades removed from the brash and rugged rapper we were introduced to in 1994, this iteration of Nas sports a bespoke suit and an opulent white boutonniere; a visual incarnation of his assent to success. Seven years later, Johnny Nuñez was acknowledged for his continued photography practice by a shout-out in Nas’ Grammy winning song “27 Summers” with lyrics “Premier movies with my man DeNiro And Johnny Nuñez got all the pictures”.