Yasiin Bey, aka. retired hip-hop star Mos Def, is working alongside advertising executive Free Richardson to open a gallery space in the South Bronx, New York City, called The Compound.
The gallery will aim to create a bridge between hip-hop and the art world, hosting a program filled with visuals arts, performances, and film screenings and potentially unearthing the next Jean-Michel Basquiat, KAWS, or Keith Haring, all of whom had ties to hip-hop culture.
The location was chosen due to its deep rooted links to hip-hop culture and the first exhibition will showcase the work of Jonathan Mannion, a photographer who’s worked with Jay-Z, Eminem, Busta Rhymes, and Nas. It will open in mid-August this year.