A Conversation with Ernie Paniccioli

August 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the birth of Hip Hop, an influential music genre that continues to impact everything from popular culture to politics. Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo Valley Community College are partnering to recognize the historic milestone by bringing Ernie Paniccioli, the “Hip Hop Historian,” to campus. Ernie Paniccioli is the bestselling Author of “Hip Hop at the End of the World” and “Who Shot Ya?”. He first made his foray into the culture in 1973 when he began capturing the ever-present graffiti art dominating New York City. Armed with a 35-millimeter camera, Paniccioli has recorded the entire evolution of Hip Hop. Paniccioli, himself Native American, is known for his special eye for capturing people and communities ignored or misunderstood by mainstream America. Starting with snapping pics (a priceless history) of graffiti art in 1973 in NYC, he evolved to become the pictorial archeologist of Hip Hop, much like James Van Der Zee did for 1920’s Harlem and Edward S. Curtis’ monumental prints did for the Native peoples of North America. The Hip Hop community regards Ernie as a legendary Hip Hop photographer. Please join us as we honor a legend. The event is FREE but tickets are required.