Mr. Ricky Powell, the iconic street photographer who documented New York City’s legendary entertainment and hip-hop scene, passed away on Monday. He had reached the age of 59.
Powell’s manager, Tono Radvany, confirmed the news to Complex, saying, “I just want to let everyone know that he was a very great man, and he will be sorely missed.” Powell was a member of the New York Knicks.
Due to his strong friendship with Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock) and the fact that the two went to high school together, Powell was regarded as an honorary member of the Beastie Boys in their early years. Def Jam Recordings, founded by Rick Rubin, handled and produced both the Beastie Boys and Run-DMC at one point in their careers. Powell was on the road with the band when they decided to tour with Run-DMC in 1986, and later became the label’s house photographer.
Powell was mentioned numerous times in the Beastie Boys’ song “Car Thief,” which appeared on the 1989 album “Paul’s Boutique.” “Like Ricky always said, you’ve got to toke and pass, Or Mookie’s going to’ kick your motherf—ing ass,” the band sings. Towards the end of the song, there was a second lyrical mention to Powell: “Homeboy, throw in the towel, your girl got d—ed by Ricky Powell.”
Powell’s photographs have appeared in publications such as the New York Times, the New York Post, Rolling Stone, The Source, and the Village Voice, in addition to his work with Def Jam. From 1990 until 1996, he presented a chat programme called “Rappin With the Rickster,” in which he interviewed everyday people as well as celebrities and pop culture figures such as Laurence Fishburne, Cypress Hill, Sonic Youth, Doug E Fresh, and Russell Simmons.
Powell, who lived in Greenwich Village, was well-known for his personal recordings of the downtown New York City party scene in the 1980s and 1990s. Powell was also an accomplished musician. He took use of his unfettered access to photograph artists such as Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, among others. Powell also published five books and was the subject of the documentary “Ricky Powell: The Individualist,” which was directed by Josh Swade and featured comments from actors Laurence Fishburne and Natasha Lyonne. Powell was also the subject of the documentary “Ricky Powell: The Individualist,” which was directed by Josh Swade and featured comments from actresses Laurence Fishburne and Natasha Lyonne.
Powell has stated in the past that he would prefer “shoot strangers in his Greenwich Village neighbourhood than multi-platinum hip-hop acts and Downtown art stars,” despite his access to celebrity status.
The photographer, Powell, remarked in an interview with Time magazine in 2016 that he “could say I’m taking photos of the topic,” but “I like to say to the subject, person or people,” “Look, we’re producing this image together, you be you.”
On Monday, Questlove, the Roots’ leader and Ricky Powell’s friend, expressed his sorrow by posting a message on Instagram: “Shout out to The Rickster for being our first tour guide.” In his letter, Questlove stated, “We were just a bunch of young cats in the game on our first American tour, and like the freshmen we were, Rick was the varsity cat who literally introduced us to everything.” “He told me the other day, ‘always save souvenirs, documents, and photos,’ and I’ve never forgotten it. Thank you so much, Rickster! “Take a Break In Breakbeats, Man.”