Obscur Jaffar, 2012

Obscur Jaffar and I met at the Waga hip hop Festival in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, back in 2009. I was only there for a week and a half, but it was enough to be completely blown away by an incredible and explosive hip hop scene. Hardcore hip hop was alive and well in Burkina Faso. I shot a different music video every day for a different group, criss-crossing the city on the back of scooters. About half way through this crazy week, I got asked to shoot the video for a massive posse cut combining two large local crews: OBC & Konkrete 53. This track had 7 different emcees on it, who were each filmed in different quadrants of the city. I've always loved posse cuts, and this one was epic. I loved everything about it. Each emcee had their own distinct style and energy. But I'll never forget the guy who had the second verse in the track. This was my introduction to Obscur Jaffar. We went to his home studio (HQ for Konkrete 53) to shoot the part. Obscur had a full-on ninja outfit, and his verse was unlike anyone else's.  I was blown away, and we stayed in touch. I took this photo in 2012 when he passed through DC as part of an arts exchange. 

This print was part of the “Comunidad, Communauté, Community” gallery exhibition at ReCreative Spaces in Washington, DC (July-September 2017). Signed.

[18in x 24in, Black & White photographic print with white border, matte protection for sun/time damage. Unframed.]