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Legendary Hip Hop Photographer Chi Modu Sues Notorious B.I.G. Estate


Chi Modu, legendary hip hop photographer, is suing the Notorious B.I.G. estate.

Legendary hip-hop photographer Chi Modu is suing the estate of Biggie Smalls following a court dispute that resulted in the estate calling him a “parasite.”

Legendary Hip Hop Photographer Chi Modu Sues Notorious B.I.G. EstateAl Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

 

In 2018, Modu says the estate wanted to use a 1996 picture he took of the Biggie posing in front of the Twin Towers, in New York City. Modu wanted $100,000 a year for the estate to license various pictures he took of Biggie. 

“I basically asked for a living wage for my work,” Modu told The New York Post. “Up until then, they were paying much, much less, so you see what’s going on.”

“The person who presses that shutter is the owner” of the picture, Modu said. “As copyright holder, I’m the person with the first right to exploit it. This is a fight for the artist, because artists aren’t earning a living wage.”

Notorious B.I.G. LLC sued Modu in California. The estate claims Modu used images of Biggie to sell snowboards without permission. Modu says less than two-dozen were sold.

Modu has taken iconic photos of Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dog, Q-Tip, Ice Cube and others throughout his career. You can check out a full gallery of his hip hop pictures on his website.

[Via]

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Snoop Dogg Remembers Biggie With Rare ’90s Throwback Photo


Snoop Dogg joins the millions of people across the world showing love to The Notorious B.I.G. recently with a super rare photo of the late hip-hop icon and Brooklyn legend.

Last Monday (March 9), many across the hip-hop community honored late rap icon The Notorious B.I.G. on the 23rd anniversary of his death. From Diddy and T.I. to even streetwear brand KITH, many showed love to Big Poppa by making sure his memory continued to live on. Although a week off schedule, Snoop Dogg also decided to share some B.I.G. love on IG with a rare throwback flick.

Snoop Dogg Remembers Biggie With Rare '90s Throwback Photo
Des Willie/Redferns

The photo, taken by seasoned photographer Chi Modu a short time before Biggie was killed in an as-yet-unsolved Los Angeles shooting, is a pretty rare shot of the Brooklyn icon. While not completely unseen — the image was used in a capsule collection Modu did with Berlin-based designer INAN back in 2018 — it’s still a great shot that Snoop gets major props for highlighting. The flick itself was liked by over 250,000 people, including Biggie’s former protégée and lover on the low Lil Kim. “Forever the king of East coast,” wrote one person in the comments, and were sure nobody would disagree with that statement. R.I.P. forever, BIG.

Take a look at the rare photo Snoop Dogg posted of The Notorious B.I.G. below, and make sure all you rap fans out there continue to keep him in your memories: