Photographs, like music, are imprinted onto our collective consciousness. Contact High spotlights the photographers who have played critical roles in bringing these visuals onto a global stage. Music photographers document key moments in teh culture and create iconic moments that define our individual and cultural identities and help shape how we view the world and ourselves. In the case of hip-hop, a medium that encompasses so many transformative moments from politics to race to style, both the visuals and the music become a part of us. It’s not just that one powerful song that has a way of getting under your skin, it’s also the visuals that equally captivate, and stick with us for years to come. It’s the union of hip-hop visuals and music that we honor in this book.

Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.