“Probably two percent of all photographers in those days were black”, Normski recalls how he became the man with the golden shutter in the age of hip-hop

Around the late 1970s, there was this new thing called hip-hop, a thing for young people that ultimately came from America to Britain. There were other movements, of course, but the hip-hop movement had all the cool clothes and the music was a combination of everything you thought you knew, but it was presented differently. So you stopped playing your parent’s records and you were able to get your own. Suddenly it wasn’t a record anymore, it was an object that was representative of our generation. That’s
when hip-hop caught me.

There was this mythical place called Covent Garden, where all the breakdancers were and lots of kids of all colors and cultures – you didn’t see that often at the time. For me, being a young black guy from London, I felt comfortable. I quickly realised that if I wanted to be part of the scene, I needed to do something to support it. 

Yes, in a way. Even before that, I used a basic camera to take pictures at gigs. I realised that having a camera gave me a unique perspective, almost like a passport to be with real photographers – I found that very exciting. I was becoming a photographer by learning from watching all these pros. But I was never really comfortable with that kind of fighting to get good shots at a gig. I kind of got bullied out of it – you didn’t have lots of black photographers in the 80s. I had good shots and created a portfolio, so in the late 1980s, I got my first job at a magazine and focused on portraits instead of live shots. I always enjoyed taking portraits and, with this, I became a part of the hip-hop crew for a night.

Probably two percent of all photographers in those days were black, so not very much. But there were some photographers of African and Caribbean heritage who paved the way. These people had already established as black photographers doing work to represent the black community. That was fortunate for me. I got a lot of support and I was comfortable because I saw guys that looked like they could have been my big brother or uncle. Something happened. Nowadays, a lot of young black people are leaders in a range of creative fields.

Back in the 1980s, photography wasn’t something that was encouraged in a state school or normal comprehensive school. If you were going to a private school and your family had money, then you probably could have immediately gone into the arts. 

In the beginning, I was never able to afford to go out and get films processed. I never had a dad’s camera to borrow. So, I went out and did some odd jobs to try and get a bit of extra money. Now, you can do photos a lot quicker with a lot less. You can buy a good camera for not much money, shoot non-stop for free, use a laptop instead of a darkroom and send pictures all over the world. Back in those days, you had to buy a camera, you had to buy film, and you had to ‘become’ a photographer. Now, you can even use your smartphone and act like a photographer…

I take that as a really beautiful compliment but I’ve never thought of it as a skill. It’s quite rewarding because he works and has worked with the best. I’d think that is because, at that moment of photographing, I’m all in with the person, kind of on a soul level. I’m not just there to photograph because a magazine told me to. I don’t treat them like they’re big superstars. I am like a friend and I think that that might be the thing. 

Some photographers are quite rough and direct people to create powerful images. I’m not good at being hard on people. If someone doesn’t seem comfortable, I want to know why. I often ask them ‘What would you like to do? Should we go outside? Where’s your favorite place to hang out?’. Then they’re leading the session and I can capture much more as they are offering much more about themselves.

That’s a big thing and that’s what I hate about press photography. Often the manager says something like, ‘You can’t go outside, we’re in a hotel, five floors up. You only have 20 minutes to photograph because we have another photographer lined up…’

That was the case when I was photographing Salt-N-Pepa. Instead of staying in the same room where every press photographer captured them, I wanted to do something different. I asked if I could take a photo of them doing their makeup in the mirror, as they just started getting ready. So, I squeezed into this tiny bathroom with the three rappers and to get the right angle to capture their reflection in the mirror, I had to squeeze right in a corner. It was kind of funny to get this shot and we had a great time. I took them out of being big superstars, I go and meet the people and that makes a big difference.

When I arrived for this shoot, another photographer just left with a big bag, lighting stands and more equipment. The press manager was asking me where all my stuff was, but I only had an Olympus 35mm, a couple of lenses and a flash. I never worked with a lot of equipment. There were times when I saw photographers with two camera bodies… two! I had my camera and lens, two or three films, that was it. And that’s enough, as long as you know how to deal with it.

And also the fewer people on set, the better. I don’t like having too many people behind or around me because then everyone tries to direct and half the people in front of the camera are looking at them instead of me. It’s essential to connect with the subject’s eyes and have their full attention.

It all started when I was noticed by a manager at one of their gigs. He was like, ‘What are you doing? Are you taking photographs?’. They came from America and didn’t have a photographer, so he asked if I would like to do that. I said ‘yes’ straight away. I ended up with a tour jacket on their tour bus. The rappers were all tired and jet-lagged. Then there was the moment when everyone was asleep. I sat there with some of the biggest rappers of the day and realised how weird and cool this was – Big Daddy Kane and others, all fast asleep. So after I photographed them at their gig, I took the chance to capture them asleep. The first lady and biggest mouth in hip-hop, Roxanne Shanté, was still in her outfit, wearing her jewellery. She sucked her thumb like a lot of humans do when they sleep – no matter what age, it’s a comfort thing. She still looks like a hip-hop queen, just showing her human side. 

As a photographer, the idea of creating something that will outlive us still makes me pinch myself. I had my work exhibited in established houses and museums to celebrate black British and hip-hop culture, but this book is probably better than anything. I’ve had my work featured in a few books before, but they were other people’s books, not mine.

I wanted to represent all of my work in a classy way, showcasing both the hip-hop culture and the crazy street stars. To be honest, some of my best pictures don’t even feature famous people. I wanted the book to treat each contact like a print so it’s visually clear for the viewer. I did this all before the era of Photoshop, creating photograms, multi-printing and montages, all in the darkroom by hand. These images deserve quality – and the publisher, ACC Art Books, has smashed it out of the ballpark. The entire team was amazing and supported me throughout the process, otherwise, I would have missed out on quite a bit by trying to do it all myself.