JAMES "KOE" RODRIGUEZ

Artist Featured in Upcoming Show
::FOTOGRAFFER::
curated by sienide

James “Koe” Rodriguez  
bio
James “Koe” Rodriguez has worn many hats in Hip-Hop culture, but perhaps the one that fits best is “visionary.”  With a history in Hip-Hop that dates back to his first Rapper’s Delight single, Rodriguez has cemented his stay and name in the culture ever since.  “I married Hip-Hop as a kid and never found a reason to divorce it,” concedes Rodriguez.  The Jersey City native’s creative works have appeared in published books, domestic and international publications, TV and film, and gallery group shows.  In addition, Rodriguez has acted as a photojournalist who interviewed and captured such notables as: The Cold Crush Brothers, Rock Steady Crew, Jay Z, Chuck D, Chris Tucker, John Singleton, Brett Ratner, Afrika Bambaataa, Walt Frazier and Lady Pink, to name a few.
In 2005, Rodriguez, in conjunction with Jan Larsen’s XPO Art Gallery, curated his first group photo exhibition in Brooklyn, New York entitled 3 The Hard Way.  The exclusive show featured the works of internationally renowned New York photographers/authors, Joe Conzo, Ernie Paniccioli and Jamel Shabazz.  3 The Hard Way proved to be a landmark gallery event as it represented the first time all three photographers displayed their timeless works under one roof.  That year, Rodriguez would go on to pen a powerful afterword in Shabazz’s highly acclaimed book A Time Before Crack before heading to Paris, France to help promote the film, Just For Kicks, in which he appeared.  Rodriguez’s other film credits include: Big Pun: The Legacy, Way of the B-boy and Mixtape, Inc., Planet B-boy, Bomb It! and All Out War (unreleased).
In addition to past and present lifestyle work with: Nike, Adidas, Sony, and Viacom, Rodriguez’s latest project is a compelling documentary film on legendary photographers, Joe Conzo, Ernie Paniccioli and Jamel Shabazz entitled 1 LOVE.  He is also working on his first book, tentatively titled, All For The Love with Brooklyn native, John “The Greek” Tsevdos, which documents the pair’s visual memoirs of the late 80s and early 90s New York graffiti movement.  Rodriguez concludes, “Independent of being a multi-disciplinary artist and an entrepreneur, I take pride in the fact that I’ve not only participated in true Hip-Hop culture, but helped in its advancement and preservation for nearly 30 years.”  Rodriguez lives and works in New Jersey and still owns his Rapper’s Delight single.