DEFinition: The Art and Design of Hip-Hop slideshow and discussion

Cey Adams and Bill Adler will be presenting a slideshow and discussion about their book DEFinition: The Art and Design of Hip-Hop this Thursday (Feb. 26) from 6 to 8 pm at Rush Arts Gallery in New York City. Fans of hip-hop design and music will have the opportunity to hear stories and ask questions about the designs and photos that appear in the book.

DEFinition: The Art and Design of Hip-Hop features a number of designs created for the Beastie Boys, including an unused Hello Nasty album cover that Adam Horovitz personally asked Ed Renfro to create.

At Adams's and Adler's book signing in Brooklyn last fall, which I attended, they shared stories about Sean Combs, Russell Simmons, Lil Kim, Beastie Boys, Run-DMC, Mary J. Blige and others that would be difficult to hear anywhere else. The two are truly privileged in their associations in the hip-hop scene.

For more information about the event, read the press release below.

One Night Event
Rush Arts Gallery / Chelsea
Thursday, February 26, 2009 from 6-8pm

Join the Authors of Definition: The Art And Design of Hip Hop, Cey Adams with Bill Adler in an informal conversation, slideshow and book signing.

Compiled by legendary designer Cey Adams, DEFinition: The Art and Design of Hip-Hop is the first serious survey of the visual work created under the banner of hiphop during the last 35 years. A boon to the eyes as well as the ears, hiphop -- according to DEFinition -- is a culture that has made its mark on everything from fine art to the label on a bottle of Hawaiian Punch, including fashion, automobiles, movies, television, advertising, and sneakers. DEFinition highlights the careers and artwork of such crucial hip-hop elders as Lady Pink, Haze, Run-DMC, Dapper Dan, Buddy Esquire, Spike Lee, and Snoop Dogg, as well as contemporary giants like Kehinde Wiley, Mr. Cartoon, Shepard Fairey, Dalek, Mike Thompson, Jor One, Claw Money, and dozens of others. Featuring more than 200 stunning photographs and illustrations as well as compelling essays by some of hip-hop's most seasoned voices, DEFinition illuminates the culture in a form that speaks to aficionados and newcomers alike.

Cey Adams is a hip-hop graphic artist whose career has taken him from bombing subway trains to designing album covers, stage backdrops, sportswear, and indelible logos. His clients include Def Jam Recordings, Bad Boy Records, Roca Wear, Adidas, Burton Snowboards, Coca-Cola, Moët & Chandon, Comedy Central, HBO, Warner Brothers, and many others. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Bill Adler was the original director of publicity for Def Jam Recordings and Rush Artist Management, where he promoted the careers of hip-hop legends Run-DMC, the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, LL Cool J, 3rd Bass, and Slick Rick, and many others. Between 2003 and 2007 he was the owner and curator of the Eyejammie Fine Arts Gallery, an exhibition space devoted to hip-hop's visual arts.