The Rebel Cultures Playlist
- Text by HUCK HQ
- Photography by Janette Beckman
Growing up in London during the birth of punk, photographer Janette Beckman shot some of the most influential characters of the era: from Sex Pistols and The Clash to Blondie and Boy George. Not that she had any idea how big they would become back then, mind you.
When hip hop came along in the early 1980s she rode the renaissance to New York and seamlessly became its visual guardian, shooting everyone from Run DMC and Public Enemy to LL Cool J and Eric B. & Rakim.
In this playlist we collect videos from the punk and hip hop artists Janette shot in their early years. Grab a copy of Huck 48 – The Origins Issue to read more about her incredible story.
Blondie
DJ Kool Herc may be the father of hip hop, but Debbie Harry rapping on ‘The Rapture’ put the fledgling scene on mainstream America’s radar for the first time.
Shane Macgowan, The Pogues
Shane Macgowan, frontman of Celtic punk band The Pogues appears in a typically-inebriated state on Dutch TV.
Run-DMC
Run-DMC’s collaboration with Aerosmith on ‘Walk This Way’ is one of the best music videos of all time. Period.
The Sex Pistols
The UK’s favourite safety-pinned philosophers cause drunken havoc on stale ’70s British TV.
Ultramagnetic MCs
The Bronx’s Ultramagnetic MCs are the cover stars for Huck’s Origins Issue, in a classic shot from Janette Beckman.
Joe Strummer, The Clash
Julien Temple’s 2007 documentary The Future Is Unwritten explores the Clash’s enigmatic frontman.
UTFO
Brooklyn’s UTFO (short for Untouchable Force Organization) were all over the ’80s rap game.
Dr Dre
MTV Raw uncovers a selection of early Dr Dre interviews from his NWA days.
Read the full article on Janette Beckman’s Rebel Cultures in Huck 48 – The Origins Issue.
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Kinship & Community — A new photobook and exhibition showcases the rich culture, history and community of African American folks in the Lone Star State, whose existence in the region predates colonial Britain.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Youthful joy & end-of-era poignancy at a London school prom
Leavers — For several years, Lewis Khan documented young people as they celebrated the last of their school days and the completion of their exams. The series is now collated in a new self-published photobook and short film.
Written by: Zoe Whitfield
Harry Gruyaert’s vintage, kaleidoscopic scenes of New York
A Sense of Place — For 50 years, the Belgian photographer and Magnum Photos member has been capturing NYC’s colourful chaos. A new photobook and exhibition showcase his unique, technicolour view of the city.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Inside Lower Duck Pond, the nicest town on the internet
/r/HaveWeMet — With a population of 2,500 and no fixed location, the subreddit is a space for roleplaying citizens to solve mysteries, host fictional events and ultimately connect. In an internet that’s often divided and toxic, Vicky Jessop hangs out in one of its most wholesome corners.
Written by: Vicky Jessop
A major Nan Goldin exhibition is coming to London
You Never Did Anything Wrong — Opening at the Hayward Gallery in November, the show will debut a new film from the artist and activist, alongside a slate of recent work.
Written by: Jack Dennison-Thompson
Sepia splashed memories of Britain’s ’90s squatting and free party scene
Bygones — Moving into a Hackney squat at the age of 19, Tom Hunter spent years living on London’s edges, while documenting the vibrant, creative community and culture that it enabled. Huck’s art director Sam White chats to him about the freedom that existed, the collectivism and what’s been lost over the decades since.
Written by: Samuel White
