When Bronx-born Lisa Leone visited Dubai the second time for her photo exhibition, currently on display at Dubai Design District and in partnership with Sole DXB, Savoir Flair sat down with the hip-hop photographer to listen to her tales about the fashion and music scene in the 90s.
Relive the movement with some of Leone’s anecdotes below, then capture the fashion vibes of hip-hop’s iconic voices — think Nas, Snoop Dogg, and Easy E — through your outfit with our shoppable picks below.
The Flair
“There was a certain style and there was connectivity and it felt more like a community. It was just like you were all hanging out. It was much slower then – no digital cameras, no phones. It was cool because you had time to absorb and think about things.”
The Feeling
“It was an amazing time to be there and be part of that culture and to be with the pioneers. I felt fortunate because there was an abundance of creativity going on. I think about all the pictures I didn’t take because, honestly, at that time I wasn’t thinking about it.”
The Famous Faces
“With Biggie, his rhymes were amazing and he was always nice to me. You just knew he was going to be something. Snoop Dogg was really quiet and shy back then – no one sounded like Snoop before.”
The Flow
“I love Kendrick Lamar now. I mean, how can you not? The current hip-hop scene is commercialized, but I don’t think it will ever be dead. As long as you have youth who have something to say, you’ll have hip-hop.”