This is one for you true backpacking, digging in the crates, B-Boy style, Stan Smith Adida/ Fila Suit wearing Hip Hop heads out there. Legendary Hip Hop photographer, Ernie Paniccioli is finally getting some of the credit he’s due and being emortilized in a new documentary film, directed by Dion Ashman. The Other Side of Hip Hop: The Sixth Element details the life, struggles, politics and work of this longtime Hip Hop Photo Activist.

Brother Ernie, as he’s called, has been photographing Hip Hop culture since the early 1970’s. Starting in a time when it was not fashionable to shoot Hip Hop Artists, he would eventually shoot everyone from Grandmaster Flash to Little Bow Wow.

I haven’t seen the film yet myself but hope to soon. It was recently honored by the Big Apple Film Festival as the Documentary of the year. You may be asking yourself who cares? but next time you flip through your favorite hip hop rag or look at some of your favorite old rap star photos check out the credits. More often than not, Ernie Paniccioli was behind it.