Sarah Rose Sharp

Special to the Detroit Free Press

Detroit has a long history of innovative music, with roots in jazz and funk, multiple legacies in Motown, electronic and house music, as well as a wave of rock bands that created some of the definitive albums of their genres. All these and more directly influence yet another original sound: Detroit hip-hop. Opening Friday, a solo exhibition by photographer Jenny Risher celebrates this scene, with a comprehensive survey of portraits from Detroit’s underground to the biggest mainstream names.

“D-Cyphered: Portraits by Jenny Risher” features 81 images showcasing 230 figures from in and around Detroit’s hip-hop scene. Die-hard fans of Detroit hip-hop will be gratified to see that Risher left no stone unturned, working assiduously with a five-person crew of trusted advisers to assemble a time line and subject list that represent Detroit hip-hop in its full flavor.

“There’s never been anything purely documenting Detroit hip-hop,” said Detroit native Risher, a commercial photographer who works for advertising agencies and is a longtime contributor to Hour Detroit magazine. “I really had to start from zero. Luckily these artists are still alive to tell their stories — really, it’s the perfect time to do this, because the originators are still alive and still relatively young.”

As she worked her way through the scene, researching and seeking shoots with the artists whose names came up time and again, Risher continued to vet her master list. “Every person in this exhibit saw my list,” she said. “I asked, ‘Am I missing anybody? Is everybody here?’”

The end result includes heavyweights (Eminem, D12 Insane Clown Posse, Royce da 5'9" and Big Sean), more recent big names (Tee Grizzly, Danny Brown and Black Milk), niche fan favorites (Lola Damone, Sheefy McFly) and key longtime figures (Trick Trick). A few elaborately staged scenes feature multiple artists, such as the "Revolution Tribute," with Detroit Che, Alexis Allan, Ellie Sandiego, Reddbone, Mahogany Jones, Piper Carter and Lakia Nicole outfitted in Black Panthers gear.



The result is a beautiful gallery of artists, largely photographed in environments of their choosing. Some common themes arise — an entire series devoted to artists posing beneath cross streets in their neighborhoods, the inevitable wads of cash on display and the particularly Detroit preponderance of classic automobile culture. But there are some cheeky surprises, as well. Risher commissioned a custom airbrush backdrop (from artist Greg C. Brown) for her portrait of Big Sean, touching on a common aesthetic for Detroit hip-hop. In one of the more highly stylized shoots, she restages the iconic painting "The Last Supper." For the most part, though, these are straightforward images, tapping into the preexisting persona of hip-hop — a medium where artists are already image-makers.

Risher self-funded the project, producing dozens upon dozens of shoots by calling in favors, basking in the hands-on-deck spirit of close-knit Detroit communities, and leveraging some of the heavy hitters in her address book from her work on “Heart Soul Detroit: Conversations on the Motor City,” a 2013 compendium of portraits and interviews with some of Detroit’s most legendary names — from comedian Lily Tomlin to auto executive Lee Iaccoca to Heidelberg Project artist Tyree Guyton, and of course a whole host of music stars.

“I photographed Eminem for 'Heart Soul Detroit,' and after the book, we had a good working relationship,” said Risher. “So from that, I was able to get D12 and Danny Brown, and really the harder ones, like Big Sean, right off the bat, which completely helped. Because I pretty much started at the top, you know? And then Don Was, who had the first hit rap single out of Detroit, 'Flamethrower Rap' which was by Felix & Jarvis — and I already photographed him for 'Heart and Soul Detroit,' so I had his number in my phone.”

Risher constructed a time line that traced Detroit hip-hop from its inception in 1976 through the present day. Her documentation efforts began in 2015, but gained earnest momentum once the show was confirmed in January of this year. There is a politically powerful effect of canonizing a whole category of Detroit-born and Detroit-representative artists in one of the city’s premiere fine art institutions, and the exhibit shows the power of artists to impact perception and bridge milieus. Risher’s dedication to the project has been mirrored by the enthusiasm from her subjects.

“I think we just have so much rich music in Detroit, and it’s great that the DIA is celebrating that, because these artists are certainly grateful,” said Risher. Moreover, the museum intends to include images from the show in its archive, meaning this cultural record will be preserved, and showcase not only a subset of Detroit not usually featured at the DIA, but shine a light on some of the lesser-recognized participants in the scene.

"When I did the Leibovitz American Music exhibition (organized by the EMP in Seattle) at the DIA in 2006, I put all Detroit musicians who had become famous in the last gallery of the exhibition,” said DIA curator and head of photography Nancy Barr, who brought Risher back for this solo exhibition after her participation in the "Detroit After Dark" group show last year. “It sounds a bit simple, but it resonated with our visitors and this exhibition brought people to the museum who had never been here — all ages, races and social classes. Many came back more than once – the 'Detroit' gallery became a meeting place on Friday nights, with lots of pride and great energy. The same happened with 'Detroit After Dark.' ”

Barr says she knew Risher would have the “moxie” to pull of her ambitious project.

“Successful photography relies on photographers' ability to gain access and tell an illuminating story,” said Barr. “(Risher) worked hard to be sensitive to many issues along the way. I think she's done a great job, and our Detroit musicians – their great talent and Detroit pride is just overwhelming. It just all fell together in a very celebratory way. And I know there will be critics – there always are – but at the end of the day it's a genuine statement about life and culture that is unique to Detroit.”

That statement is realized at least partially because Risher was tireless in her efforts to shine a light on some of the lesser-recognized participants in Detroit's hip-hop scene.

“I realized that the record store owner, the manager and the promoter are all really important in the time line of Detroit hip-hop,” said Risher, “because there was a time where there wasn’t downloading, so you’d have the promoter to take the record to the record store, and the record store got it out there, and people actually came to the record store to buy them.” Also featured is a portrait of Ma Dukes, mother of legendary Detroit hip-hop artist J Dilla, underscoring the importance of family in the lives of these artists, some of whom trade off their tougher-than-life personas.

“That was one of the things I heard over and over again,” said Risher, laughing. “Everyone was like, ‘I’m bringing my mom.’ For me, that was all the reward I ever need, is for somebody that comes off so hard in a music video, and they’re bringing their mom.”

“D-Cyphered” promises to be a celebration of Detroit originals for those in the know, and a well-researched visual introduction to the scene for those curious to learn more about yet another vanguard scene in Detroit’s storied musical history.

'D-Cyphered: Portraits by Jenny Risher'

Opens Fri., runs through Feb. 18

Detroit Institute of Arts

5200 Woodward, Detroit

dia.org

Free with museum admission, which is free for residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties

Preview party

8-11 p.m. Thu.

Featuring music by Detroit hip-hop producer and DJ Nick Speed

Tickets are $25.

bit.ly/DCypheredOpening or 313-833-4005