SwitchThe Style Up

Switch The Style Up March 2 - 28, 2011 The Museum of Compemporary Objects12 West 53 Street New York, NY 10019(212) 708-9400

GoalGrowing up Jewish in the south was a very odd thing for me. Being Jewish in my mind made me different from everyone else my age. when I was younger I went to a all Jewish school from kinder garden to fifth grade. In the Fifth grade our teacher showed me a picture that crafted all of my interaction after that. The picture was of a local restaurant during the times of segregation. The restaurant had a sign on it that read “Whites Only, No Jews, Blacks or Dogs Allowed”. It was at that very moment that I started to feel different. I looked down at my skin and could not understand why I was not white. My skin was the same as all the white kids in the neighborhood but because I was Jewish I was not the same. Due to this feeling of disconnect

from the people around me I started to get into Hip Hop. There was just something about it that I really connected with.

With all my love for Hip Hop one major problem, the design. When Hip Hop started it had a very fresh and new look. As Hip Hop became more commercial it lost it sense of visuals. The visuals have became much more about abs sexy women and cars.

With “go head switch the style up” I enlisted five graphic designers to re design relics of yesterdays hip hop. Back in the days when will smith could sell a movie with nothing more than sun glasses and hit song. This Era Ii refer to is that of the late 90s to early 2000s. The content for the Show was all found at Thrift Stores in Maryland.

Thanks to these five designers we hope to show the world the Hip Hop and design go hand and hand.

- MoCO Curator Ronin Wood

Like most films from the year 200 “Turn it Up” stars with people break dancing. The movie stars Pras, J Rule and Jason Statham. During the film the main character has to tackle all sorta of obstacles. First of all the main charecotr played by Pras wants to be the biggest rapper of all time but before that he make a demo tape. In order to get the studio time he has to sell drugs for drug dealer Mr. B played by Jason Statham. See its not that simple during his road to fame his girlfriend gets pregnant and his mom dies. To top it off his manager commits a felony and steals a lot of money.

Turn It Up (VHS)

Director Robert AdetuyiCast Ja Rule PrasJason Statham Faith EvansStudioNew Line Theatrical Date September 6, 2000

Re-design by Darryl Friso

DMX is the kind of rapper that is always in trouble with the law. Listening to his music one could tell this to be true. The guy just always seem so upset and angry. I like to image that before he raps someone punches him in the face and says something mean about his mother. At The start of the song DMX yells “what these bitches want from a nigga”. The song features part where dmx just list names of females he has got with. this is just after yelling about having a wife. To top it off Sisqo is on the song to croon a more gentle opinion on the topic

What You Want (12” LP)

Artist DMXFeaturing Sisqo ProducerNokio Label Ruff RidersRelease date February 12, 2000

Re-design by Clare Maday

Profyle is a 90s RnB group consititing of four men. They sing songs about making love to women and then sing songs about the women when they cheated on. Something I cant avoid is how terrilbe the type on the album cover is for about two weeks I thought their name was ProLyfe. The F just looks weird and like an L and lets be honest prolyfe is a funny name. The RnB group genre in the mainstream is 100 percent dead ming Profyle a relic of the past. I guess that genre died with b2k.

Nothin But Drama (Audio CD)

Group ProfyleExecutive ProducerKedar Massenburg LabelMotownRelease date October 17, 2000

Re-design by Ted Nodine

Tupac is one of two of the dead presidents of hip hop the other being biggie of course. Where tupac differs from Biggie is his background. Tupac grew up in some of the worst homes with a crack addicted black panther mother. Yet still grew up interested in acting dance and poetry. Thug Immortal covers the legend of Tupac in a very vhs way. Watching this there is no doubt about what period it was made.

Thug Imortal (VHS)

Director George TanCastTupac ShakurSuge Knight StudioXenon Release date January 30, 2001

Re-design by Julio Tatham

When Wild Wild West came out it was a really big deal. There where ads every where and burger king was selling sun glasses just like Will Smith and Kevin Kline had on in the movie. The film is still most remembered for the hit rap song Will Smith made for it. “We going straight to the Wild Wild West”. Something people could not figure out was how a western movie had a gaint robotic spider at the end. Turns out the producer had some weird spider fetish and demanded the writers feature a giant spider at the end of the movie

Wild Wild West (VHS)

Director Barry SonnenfeldCastWill SmithKevin Kline Kenneth BranaghSalma Hayek StudioWarner Bros.Release date June 30, 1999

Re-design by Max Hagar

“I’m a tell you what Banks told me cause go ‘head switch the style upIf the niggas hate then let ‘em hateWatch the money pile up”

- Curtis Jackson aka 50 Cent