Johnny Nuñez

Courtesy of the photographer

“HUSSLE & FLOW”

With the world as his studio, Johnny Nuñez captures his larger-than-life subjects uninhibited, free from fabrication or sets. Seen as an omnipresent force of photography, Nuñez quickly became a staple at every nightlife event, music video shoot, and concert; cementing himself as an institutional figure in the documentation of Hip Hop culture.

For the last 30 years Nuñez has built his artistic practice on capturing the world's biggest musical stars such as Nas, Lil Wayne, Run-D.M.C., Lil’ Kim, Beyoncé and Jay-Z. In addition to his extensive portfolio of musical artists, Johnny has worked closely with some of Pop Culture's biggest icons like Naomi Campbell, Spike Lee, Oprah Winfrey, and LeBron James.

The present lot captures Nipsey Hussle amidst a stage performance in New York at Irving Plaza in 2018. With mic in hand Nipsey stands confidently over the crowd appearing to be larger than life. True to his regal persona Nipsey is draped in gold jewelry as the bright lights behind give his face a golden sheen. Never missing a moment of his hometown’s history, Johnny captures Nipsey Hussle’s last stage performance in New York due to his passing in 2019. Johnny recollects that the printing of this photo was very emotional as he felt the weight of the artist he photographed. Johnny reminisced on the event that lead him to becoming a professional photographer which was the untimely death to Biggie Smalls' in 1997, an artist whom he was slated to work with soon. For Johnny, this was a wake-up call to pursue the world of celebrity photography more aggressively so that any chance to capture a timeless moment is never missed.

Over three decades since his start Johnny's impact on the Hip Hop world is more evident than ever. Johnny remains a constant force in the world of Hip Hop and continues to use his gift to uplift his community. Johnny continues to focus on his growth as an artist and in 2023 he will be touring a never-before-seen archival collection of his work, in addition to releasing the first book of his work by the close of the year.