Photograph of Busy Bee, Water Bed Kev, Starski, Ruby Dee, Master Rob and friend: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A color Polaroid owned by DJ Kool Herc depicting Busy Bee, Water Bed Kev, Starski, Ruby Dee, Master Rob, and a friend of theirs at T-Connection, a nightclub in the Bronx. All six men are show at full-length, with one front and center, crouched low to the floor, three behind him and two in the far back, all six holding a variety of poses with hand gestures and arm and legs in the air. Five of the men are wearing black and white clothes while the sixth one in the upper left corner is wearing a white shirt and shoes with brown pants. They all wear a variety of accessories, including hats, glasses, necklaces, bracelets, multiple belts and head bands.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1975
• Photograph by: Unidentified
• Subject of: Busy Bee Starski, American, born 1962
• Subject of: Kevie Kev, American
• Subject of: Lovebug Starski, American, 1960 - 2018
• Subject of: Master Rob, American
• Subject of: Ruby Dee, Puerto Rican, born 1960
• Subject of: Unidentified Man or Men
• Subject of: T-Connection, American
• Type: group portraits
• Type: instant camera photographs
• Medium: dye and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
• Dimensions: H x W (image): 3 3/4 × 2 7/8 in. (9.5 × 7.3 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (sheet): 4 1/4 × 3 1/4 in. (10.8 × 8.3 cm)
• Place captured: Bronx, New York City, Bronx County, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: DJs (Musicians)
• Topic: Hip-hop (Music)
• Topic: Nightlife
• Topic: Photography
• Topic: Rappers (Musicians)
• Object number: 2022.73.9
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: Unknown – Restrictions Possible Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.