+questions. answers
+art copyright 2006, Akintola Haniff
+akintola haniff. photojournalist. filmmaker
Nat Creole: Tell us a little bit about your background, what has shaped your desire to create and be such an active force in community building?
Akintola Hanif: Growing up in Brooklyn with a father who was a painter I was exposed to the visual arts at a young age. I was spray painting and airbrushing murals on walls, trains and canvas by the time I was 13. My inspiration comes from being a part of both the hood and the art world.
I don’t really consider myself an active force in community building. If I am, it’s by chance. I just want to give my people their deserved shine and continue to document our culture. I want to shake up the people who claim our culture but dwell elsewhere. Too many of our young kings are dying and too many of our young queens are lost. If we don’t do something our kids are going to continue to kill each other and a lot of others.
That’s my motivation. There is a distinct class separation gap that I’m trying to bridge.
NC: Documenting the world around you is a recurring theme in your bio, why do you think it’s been so important for you to record the story of your activities and the life transpiring around you on such a consistent basis?
AH: I feel that if I am not active in documenting the moments and times of our history, much will be forgotten. My camera is the perfect tool to capture the memories of the invaluable people, places and times I see daily.
So much beauty goes underappreciated while we bypass our finest. I want to use my skills and talents to be become a constant recorder of the forgotten men, women and children that we don’t often see in magazines and visual media.
NC: You have established relationships with some of the most serious photographers working today. What are some of the things that you have learned from them?
AH: I have a great friendship with Jamel Shabazz and Ernie Panicolli that goes beyond mentorship. As a Photojournalist, they are inspirations. The most important thing I’ve learned from them is that there is a real need for what I do. They have encouraged me to continue recording the history of our people and our times without compromise or apology.
NC: You are developing a project called The Bity that strikes me as a collaborative effort between you and the (Newark, NJ) community that you are filming, how is it that you were able to establish this relationship and receive so much access to the intimate corners of people's lives?
AH: I am the people whose lives I’m documenting in The Bity. I have been exposed to more things than the majority of people who live there, but there is very little difference in who they are and who I am. I have family that lived there. As a child I spent lots of days running around The Bity with my cousins, so people know me and have given me more access than they would have given an outsider. They know I have a genuine interest in who they are and telling their story. They can see I’m not just coming in to take pictures and be out. I’m not here to capitalize off their lives.
NC: Your mixed media short film Freedom or Everybody Dies received a strong reaction at the 2005 H2O Hip-Hop Odyssey Film Festival. I think “powerful” was the adjective commonly used to describe the piece. What was the motivation behind the work and why do the themes incorporated into Freedom or Everybody Dies and The Bity carry so much importance for you?
AH: Most of the time we don’t see the beauty, value or self-destructive tendencies within ourselves until all is lost. I just want to show the world how ingenious we are as a people – and remind ourselves of our greatness. I want these hipsters that are claiming hip-hop to acknowledge the people who are living and dying within the culture. I want them to take responsibility for critiquing, but not doing anything to aid in the development of our children. Too many young people are dying while we skip around SoHo. That’s why this is so important to me.
NC: As a cat that came up during the graffiti movement and earned his stripes during the early stages of hip-hop, you are pretty vocal about your issues with where the cultural form is now. What is your assessment of where hip-hop is today?
AH: I’m not a hip-hop historian, advocate or spokesperson. All I can do is give my personal opinion. Hip-hop has been replaced with what I call pop-hop. Most of the people that claim hip-hop are the exact opposite of what hip-hop is right now. Hip-hop is not retro sneaker wearing hipsters walking around in tight pants and fat laces celebrating b-boying and the 80’s. Hip-hop today is poisoning the minds of our youth. Things are a lot more violent and self-destructive now. There are some exceptions but they are few and far apart
NC: I know you are a busy man, what other projects are on the menu and what can we expect from Akintola Hanif in the near future?
AH: Right now, I’m working on a few short films for organizations in the Newark area including a drug and gang prevention piece for the Central Ward Boys and Girls Club. I’m also preparing to start filming for a short documentary that will look at the lifestyle of lesbians from all walks of life.
Later this year, I’ll begin work on several publishing projects. Two books, one that highlights my best subculture photographs and one that I’m working on with my business partner based on the lesbian film. We will also be publishing Hycide Magazine this year and planning future shows with other photographers. You can stay in tune with me and check for further updates on my website at www.akintolahanif.com.