Photograph of LL Cool J with DJ Bobcat, E. Love, and Cut Creator: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A color photograph of LL Cool J with DJ Bobcat, E. Love, and Cut Creator.

They are posed in front of a dark grey background. DJ Bobcat is to the far proper right side of the image. He is crouched down and is wearing a track suit with a red and white design on the front. The word [adidas] with the logo is in red on the proper left side of the chest. He is wearing a black baseball cap turned slightly towards the proper right. There is a Minnesota Twins logo on the hat- a red "C" with a white "T" going through it. He is wearing a thick gold helix chain necklace, with a similar bracelet on his proper left wrist. On his right wrist he is wearing a gold bracelet with an animal head on it. He also has two (2) gold rings on his left hand and a pair of gold rimmed wide-lens glasses.

LL Cool J is to the proper left side of DJ Bobcat. He is wearing a white sweatshirt with words and images that are mostly covered. ["HA] can be seen, but the rest is covered by his hand. He is wearing a red had with a white [KANGOL] logo in the center. The logo has a kangaroo above the word. He is wearing a gold helix chain and a second type of chain around his neck and several gold rings on each of his hands. His right hand and left arm and hand are resting on a large grey Conion boom box. The boom box is angled diagonally from the bottom right of the photo up towards the proper left side. His hands are on the proper left top corner of the boom box. Under the boom box part of his leg is visible. He is wearing blue jeans and white socks.

Cut Creator is to the proper left side of LL Cool J. He is kneeling, with his proper right leg on the ground and his proper left leg propped up. His left elbow is resting on his left leg. He is wearing a black, red, and white track suit with a black and red Fila logo on the left sleeve. He is the only one not wearing a hat and he has a small beard. He is also wearing a thick gold helix chain around his neck. E-Love is crouching behind the three others. He is between LL Cool J and Cut Creator, and has his proper left arm resting on Cut Creator's right shoulder. He is wearing a gold ring on his left hand. His right arm is extended and his hand is resting on DJ Bobcat's proper right shoulder. He is wearing a white long sleeved shirt with a gold and a black stripe on the proper left shoulder. He is wearing a thick gold helix chain around his neck and has a small gold earring in his proper left ear. He has a small goatee and is wearing a black hat.

The white border is thicker on the proper right side of the image. The back of the photo has grey text, repeated in diagonal lines. There is an inscription on the side, handwritten by Bill Adler.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1987
• Photograph by: Michael Benabib, American, born 1962
• Subject of: LL Cool J, American, born 1968
• Subject of: DJ Bobcat, American, born 1967
• Subject of: E-Love, American
• Subject of: Cut Creator, American
• Type: portraits
• Type: inkjet prints
• Medium: ink on paper
• Dimensions: H x W (Sheet): 10 15/16 × 14 1/8 in. (27.8 × 35.9 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (Image): 9 1/2 × 12 in. (24.2 × 30.5 cm)
• Place captured: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Actors
• Topic: Fashion
• Topic: Hip-hop (Music)
• Topic: Musicians
• Topic: Photography
• Topic: Rappers (Musicians)
• Object number: 2015.132.96
• 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: © Michael Benabib Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.