This Is Hip Hop: East Coast

This Is Hip Hop: East Coast

Featuring: André Leroy Davis

During the summer of NMAAM’s yearlong celebration of Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary, the East Coast was highlighted through the work of New York City native André Leroy Davis—celebrated Hip Hop illustrator, cartoonist, teacher, and writer.

Davis received critical acclaim for writing and illustrating The Last Word column for Hip Hop magazine, The Source Magazine, running from September 1990 through January 2007. His artistic influence extends beyond the column, having illustrated for major record labels, magazines, and entertainment outlets including Bad Boy Entertainment, Def Jam, MTV, Mad Magazine, Marvel Comics, and Topps Company Inc. He has also designed logos, album covers, mixtape art, and a wide range of graphic designs, first through the company he co-founded, Melanin Inc., and now via his own brand, Dré Designs.

A curated selection of Davis’ work was featured in the This Is Hip Hop: East Coast exhibition, accompanied by in-depth interpretations developed by Davis himself. His artwork has appeared in the 2003 motion picture Tupac: Resurrection – In His Own Words and the 2015 documentary Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives. His illustrations have also been featured on sports trading cards, comic book covers, and in books including DEFinition: The Art and Design of Hip Hop (2008), Chuck D Presents: This Day in Rap and Hip-Hop History (2017), and Encyclopedia of Black Comics (2017).

The exhibition honored Davis’ profound impact on Hip Hop visual culture, showcasing a career that has influenced generations of artists and fans alike.