Photograph of Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, Mt. Vernon, NY: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

C.L. Smooth is on the proper right side. He is wearing a grey shirt, a green camouflage jacket, and a grey and red Chicago Bulls baseball cap. He has a beard and mustache, a ring on his proper right pinky, and is holding a brown paper bag in his right hand. Pete Rock is on the proper left side. He is wearing a black hoodie with orange and blue letters, a light denim jacket, and a baseball cap. He has a mustache and his hands are in his pockets. They are standing in front of store front with the metal door pulled down. There is graffiti on the door.

There is a white border around the image. It is thinner on the top and bottom and thicker on the two sides. There is a section at the top where the paper has worn away and has become see-through. The back of the photograph has light grey text repeated diagonal lines facing the left side of the paper. There are two yellow post-it notes at the top. There is an inscription by Bill Adler handwritten vertically down the left side in blue ink.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1992
• Photograph by: Michael Benabib, American, born 1962
• Subject of: Pete Rock, American, born 1970
• Subject of: C.L. Smooth, American, born 1968
• Subject of: Chicago Bulls, American, founded 1966
• Type: portraits
• Type: inkjet prints
• Medium: ink on paper
• Dimensions: H x W (Sheet): 11 × 17 1/16 in. (28 × 43.3 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (Image): 8 11/16 × 13 1/16 in. (22 × 33.1 cm)
• Place captured: Mount Vernon, Westchester County, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Hip-hop (Music)
• Topic: Musicians
• Topic: Photography
• Topic: Rappers (Musicians)
• Object number: 2015.132.107
• 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.