Because who doesn’t want Max B hanging on their wall?
Social media has turned rappers in jail into God-like symbols. They’re celebrated more than celebrities who are staying on the other side of the bars and as you can see with the recent release of Lil Boosie, an uproar occurs with any mention of their name. “Their kingdom is the internet, but hey didn’t choose to take the throne,” says Azikiwe Mohammed, a New York-based artist who created tapestries celebrating artists such as B.G., Justin Bieber, Boosie and Max B. “They were just put there.”
Mohammed -a fan of the mentioned rappers- designed these tapestries to start a conversation. Many people know of the jailed emcees, but most have never even heard a song from them (I can honestly admit the only song I have listened to from Lil Boosie is “Wipe Me Down,” and I am not ashamed). Inspired by an array of names, most notably Lil B & Gil Scott-Heron, the incarcerated rappers were revered through Azikiwe’s tapestries in his recent show entitled “Black Internet.”
When it came to the Justin Bieber tapestry, A.M. stated “He’s not in jail, but at the time that I made this, it looked like that might not have been the case. I made this pretty recently. He was really f*cking up. It seems like he’s cooled down a little.”
“These are humans. Our freedom is real and so should theirs be.”
So if these are some of your favorite rappers (or if you’re a Bieber fan), check out the tapestries plus more of Azikiwe Mohammed’s work at www.azikiwephoto.com. You’re sure to strike up an interesting conversation about the Biebs or whether or not Max B should be released with these hanging around…
…And maybe I’ll listen to another Boosie song.
-Kairi C. (@_findingforever)
