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Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop Hardcover – October 16, 2018

by Vikki Tobak (Author), Questlove (Foreword)
4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 869 ratings
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ONE OF AMAZON'S BEST ART & PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKS 0F 2018
AN NPR AND PITCHFORK BEST MUSIC BOOK OF 2018 PICK
ONE OF TIME'S 25 BEST PHOTOBOOKS OF 2018
NEW YORK TIMES, ASSOCIATED PRESS, WALLSTREET JOURNAL, ROLLING STONE, AND CHICAGO SUN HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE PICK


The perfect gift for music and photography fans, an inside look at the work of hip-hop photographers told through their most intimate diaries—their contact sheets.

Featuring rare outtakes from over 100 photoshoots alongside interviews and essays from industry legends, Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop takes readers on a chronological journey from old-school to alternative hip-hop and from analog to digital photography. The ultimate companion for music and photography enthusiasts, Contact High is the definitive history of hip-hop’s early days, celebrating the artists that shaped the iconic album covers, t-shirts and posters beloved by hip-hop fans today.

With essays from BILL ADLER, RHEA L. COMBS, FAB 5 FREDDY, MICHAEL GONZALES, YOUNG GURU, DJ PREMIER, and RZA 
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    288 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Clarkson Potter
  4. Publication date
    October 16, 2018
  5. Dimensions
    10.28 x 1.06 x 13.2 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0525573887
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0525573883
  8. See all details
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From the Publisher

Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop

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Jamil Gs’s photographs of Jay-Z.

Barron Claiborne’s photographs of Notorious Big.

Janette Beckman’s photographs of Slick Rick.

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(excerpted from Vikki Tobak’s introduction)

Photographs, like music, are imprinted onto our collective consciousness. Both define our individual and cultural identities and help shape how we view the world and ourselves. In the case of hip-hop, a medium that encompasses so many transformative moments from politics to race to style, both the visuals and the music become a part of us. It’s not just that one powerful song that has a way of getting under your skin, it’s also the visuals that equally captivate, and stick with us for years to come. It’s the union of hip-hop visuals and music that we honor in this book.

Contact High spotlights the photographers who have played critical roles in bringing these visuals onto a global stage. By tracing a timeline of almost forty plus years of hip-hop culture through contact sheets, one gets a rare glimpse into the creative process. Organized chronologically, Contact High stands as a visual archive of hip-hop-an intimate look at the making of the imagery that shaped the sound.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Through the contact sheets of more than 100 photo shoots, as well as interviews with photographers and essays from artists, this collection offers an intimate look at hip-hop, spanning almost 40 years. Since the book relies so heavily on interviews, it is conversational and easy to read but also incredibly enlightening for anyone wanting to learn about the history of hip-hop from 1979 to 2012. Those doing high school or early college-level research papers will find it useful. The images primarily depict hip-hop artists but sometimes include their friends and family, dancers, and fans, giving a wide view of the genre's influence on our culture over the years. The use of contact sheets, or the negatives from analogue photo shoots that were printed onto sheets for photographers to consider all their shots, adds interest. This volume gives readers a look into the process, rather than just focusing on the final shots that made it onto magazine ­covers. VERDICT A rich history both of hip-hop and photography, for all collections.-Emily ­Butler, Deerfield Academy, MAα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

"Vikki Tobak has put together narratives told by the very image makers who helped shape the culture, discovering fascinating stories and lessons on those sheets." — The New York Times

"...[A] wondrous tribute to the way hip-hop overturned not just the sound of culture but also ways of seeing...Contact High provides a fascinating prehistory of our present, a glimpse into a time when nobody quite knew where hip-hop could go." — The New Yorker

"Tobak’s best contribution isn’t just in the wealth of new images she offers but also in the simple act of assigning names to them. As MC Shan once rapped about his producer and DJ, Marley Marl: 'I’m gonna give the man behind the wheels some credit.' With Contact High, Tobak insists we extend the women and men behind the camera the same gratitude." — The Los Angeles Times

"Writer Vikki Tobak delivers a coffee table book for the ages, a feast of words and iconic hip-hop portraits spanning four decades...[Contact High] is not only a trip down memory lane, but a testament to the enduring power of hip-hop, a culture that's constantly growing, constantly changing and continues to inform the world we live in." — NPR

"[Contact High's] collection of contact sheets reveals the care and consideration photographers put into each frame, the unavoidable mistakes they made and how they coaxed a public persona from a private person." — The Washington Post

"A vivid timeline of a most American phenomenon." — CNN

"[A] unique perspective on the charisma, style, and swagger of some of the greatest rappers to ever spit verse." — Buzzfeed

"Contact High is an irresistible showcase for rap’s brightest stars, and a deeply considered meditation on the power of media in hip-hop culture." — Pitchfork

"Vikki Tobak’s great new book, Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop...[is] a long-awaited treat, a coffee table book of iconic photographs from hip-hop culture’s four-decades-long timeline — opening with images of New York innovators such as Kool Herc, Rocksteady Crew, Futura and Keith Haring, and Grandmixer DS.T, and closing on portraits of today’s greatest rappers, the likes of Kendrick, Nicki, Tyler and Gucci...Don't sleep. This one's a keeper." — AFROPUNK

"[Contact High] is a clever and multidimensional look at history, with images once relegated to the cutting room floor adding color and context to just how superstars — and the stories about them — were made." — The Fader

"Contact High celebrates the off beat moments of hip hop history—the quiet moments captured in a contact sheet, for instance, rather than the endlessly looped and meme moments we all know by heart." — PAPER

"Hip hop heads, film photographers, and music lovers will rejoice over this one." — Popular Photography

"[Contact High] is a visual homage to rap’s legend-making stamp on society... To be frank, it’s a read all rap-philes need to add to their reading lists." — Cools.com

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Clarkson Potter; Illustrated edition (October 16, 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0525573887
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0525573883
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.66 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.28 x 1.06 x 13.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 869 ratings

About the author

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Vikki Tobak

Vikki Tobak

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VIKKI TOBAK is an author, journalist and curator. She is the author of critically lauded books

CONTACT HIGH: A VISUAL HISTORY OF HIP-HOP Clarkson Potter/Random House, 2018)

and ICE COLD: A HIP-HOP JEWELRY HISTORY (Taschen 2022). Her work has appeared in

Complex, Rolling Stone, The FADER, ESPN’s The Undefeated, Mass Appeal, Paper, Vibe, i-D,

the Detroit News, The Library of Congress and more. Tobak is also the curator of the traveling

Contact High exhibition at the Annenberg Space for Photography, The International Center of

Photography, Manarat Al Saadiyat (MAS)in Abu Dhabi and MoPOP (Museum of Pop Culture).

Tobak and the exhibition were nominated for a Lucie Foundation Award for Curator / Exhibition

of the Year. She is a former producer and columnist for CBS, CNN and Bloomberg News. Vikki

got her start as a culture editor for Paper magazine before going on to work at Payday

Records/Empire Management working with groups including Gang Starr, Jay-Z, Mos Def, Show

and AG, Jeru and other hip-hop legends of the Golden Era. She has lectured widely about music

photography and contemporary culture at American University, The Schomburg Center, The

Kennedy Center, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit.

Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9 out of 5
869 global ratings
Great for music lovers
5 Stars
Great for music lovers
Great coffee table addition.
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Top reviews from the United States

henry henderson
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2024
Verified Purchase
If you like hip hop pics, get this book, you’ll love it!
One person found this helpful
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jazz
5.0 out of 5 stars It was just what I was looking for
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2024
Verified Purchase
Lots of good information for those who are interested in hip hop. Nice photos
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GS
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Gift
Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2023
Verified Purchase
Bought this for a friend who is DJ, amateur photographer, and hip-hop fanatic. He's still gushing about it is the perfect book for him. He said it speaks to his inner-nerd!
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Dream Fiercely. Dream Fearlessly.
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is tight! A great reference book as well.
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2019
Verified Purchase
Amazing photo history of the best times of hip hop. Ideas and beats were fresh and endless. I follow the author Vikki Tobak on social media as well as Contact High on social media, to see the star studded gallery shows around the world where these same music artists attend. This book is so relevant to hip hop history, fashion, photography and the birth of music videos. I’ve bought as gifts for friends of that era as well as kids who want to learn more of the culture.
5 people found this helpful
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Aish
5.0 out of 5 stars perfect!!
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2022
Verified Purchase
This book is one of the best books in our collection. Its study and has an amazing quality of photos. This was one of my bf's favorite Christmas gifts. I 100% recommend, I know it's going to last forever.
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Ronella Ellis-Wilson
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Must Buy
Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2019
Verified Purchase
This book is huge and beautiful! I am happy to have it in my collection. To have a photographic essay that serves as a chronological story book of hip hop is amazing. I want my children to know their hip hop history and this book makes that story easier to tell!
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Ruby
5.0 out of 5 stars Big book!
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2022
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Nice book book lots of content. Very colorful nice gift very pleased with my purchase
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Top reviews from other countries

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Lorenna Victória Marinho Lucena
5.0 out of 5 stars Livro perfeito
Reviewed in Brazil on July 18, 2022
Verified Purchase
adorei o livro, simplesmente perfeito!!! mas demorou muito para chegar :(
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TioBob77
5.0 out of 5 stars Para amantes de los libros del HH
Reviewed in Spain on August 14, 2023
Verified Purchase
Repaso por las fotos más icónicas del HH en un formato de tamaño considerable. No dudes.
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Jakob
5.0 out of 5 stars Eines der wichtigsten Werke das Hiphop und Fotografien vereint
Reviewed in Germany on May 31, 2023
Verified Purchase
Die Qualität des Buches ist Top und die Bilder eine Meisterleistung :)
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Oskar Raczka
4.0 out of 5 stars All is well
Reviewed in Poland on December 30, 2021
Verified Purchase
all is well, but unfortunately the badly secured product came damaged
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Oskar Raczka
4.0 out of 5 stars All is well
Reviewed in Poland on December 30, 2021
all is well, but unfortunately the badly secured product came damaged
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Camilo Castiblanco
4.0 out of 5 stars I was expecting it more to be focused on the photography, but its 90% the artists
Reviewed in Canada on May 15, 2020
Verified Purchase
Being a film photographer and a hiphop head, this was an absolute need. When I got it the prints were very nice, but I was atleast expecting more information on the photographers or atleast the film they used to shoot these artists. Instead all the texts are about the artists, which is very interesting, but I guess I was misleaded by the cover and title of the book, thinking it would be more photography based. Nonetheless, there is a huge variety of 80s, 90s, and 00s best hiphop artists, which is pretty amazing to have such a catalog.
2 people found this helpful
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