Mike Schreiber

takes photographs for ARISE. The New York-based lensman snapped all the backstage action at AMFW Lagos and he also captured Erkyah Badu for issue 11. Last year he released a book of photos, True Hip Hop, and he's launching it in London this week with a show at Shoreditch's Protein Gallery.

J: I don't really want to ask why you did the book, as it pretty obvious why someone would want to do a book of their photos. But why now? 

M: I did a show in 2009 with Alex Emmart from Mighty Tanaka gallery in NY and he suggested that I do a book, so I put a proposal together and submitted it to the publisher. They liked it and… boom! A book. Also, I haven't been shooting very much hip hop these days, so I saw the book as kind of a chronicle of that particular body of work.

J: What are your favourite pics in the book? (I know, they're all favourites, which is why they're in the book... but if you had to pick)

M: My favourite is the picture of Biggie's mum, Ms Voletta Wallace. To the general public Biggie is a larger-than-life icon but to her, Biggie is her son. She was a very nice woman. Very strong and very proud of her son. I like that portrait because I think all of those things come through in it.

J: Any juicy tales from when you were photographing them?

M: Actually they're in the book!

J: Any tales about... anyone?

M: Ha ha! Nope!

J: What makes a good photo for you?

M: I like photos – and all art for that matter – that conveys something truthful. Whether it's photos, music, movies, writing…I want to believe that what I'm saying has some kind of truth to it.  http://www.mikeschreiber.com/

Words Jane Fitzgerald