Back to the Lab

Author of bestselling "Behind the Beat," Raph Rashid drops a collection of photographs inside the home studios of prolific hip hop producers. Independent producers and DJs have been busy creating world class music in bedrooms, kitchens and garages for years. Meanwhile, photographer Rashid has traveled the globe, gaining access to these inner sanctums, one by one. The tremendous variety of set-ups and layouts used by in-home producers is artfully documented in the pages of Back to the Lab. Intimate photos of the creators amongst their instruments, gear, record collections and ephemera offer unprecedented access. Notes about the producers, their environment and "essential" releases round out this love-letter to the undergound. "To walk into a house and immediately be faced with a studio space rather than a living room is unfathomable to the average person. But when an individual is deep in their craft, the passion takes over... Hip-hop producers always find a way, and when faced with limitations they let their creativity shine through." Rashid has been checking his list since the publication of his bestselling Behind the Beat, making sure to document the old-school producers he'd missed, meanwhile keeping an eye out for fresh new talent. Featured artists and producers include: Alchemist, Ant, Babu, EL-P, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Jazzy Jeff, Kenny Dope, Lord Finesse, Oh No and many more.