documents the beginning of the phenomenon, now known as Hip Hop. The publication of many of Cooper's photos in the early 80s disseminated the culture both at home and abroad.

Cooper is a documentary photographer specialized in shooting urban vernacular art and architecture for over twenty-five years. From 1977-1980 she worked as a staff photographer for the New York Post, leaving in 1980 in order to spend more time photographing subway graffiti and breaking. Tonight, Martha was looking just as young as the day they started. Well rested, looking cool to the max in a bombed out jean jacket vest, signed by the best of the best in the graf world. A gracious woman, signing flyers, posters, and books, like a young kid she would take to the floor to write extensive notes to fans, her camera swaying from her neck.

The line started forming at the door around seven amongst the throngs of people and personalities

international opposition culture, anywhere you go in the world you will see graf on the wall and hip hop as the language."

This opening more than anything else was inclusive and rejoiceful. At its root level, I imagine like Martha, these people are the classics. They were doing what they loved just for the love of it. It was an unbelievable energy and I for one don't want to let go of...

Ms. Cooper and I did have a chance to speak I asked her if tonight's reception was to her expectations, she said " To imagine that people will look at your work and one day have an attachment to it, it's simply amazing. To receive this kind of appreciation, there's no higher form of flattery." She glanced around an exceedingly crowded gallery floor, a sly smile crawled across her face as she touched her camera "after tonight, I can now die happy"

from the scene were in attendance, Martha was quoted saying "I've been a photographer for years and this, this is something else. It's like a crazy dream"

Martha Cooper has the reputation of being the first and foremost photographer of emerging Hip Hop culture in New York City. Her new book makes a significant part of her extensive and unique archive accessible for the first time. " Hip Hop Files: Photographs 1979-1984"

like Kool Herc, TC5 crew, Lee Quinones, Tops Crew, Charlie Ahearn, and the amazing breaker Crazy Legs with the two most adorable kids in toe all swelled into the space drinking Bacardi sponsored concoctions and talking up a storm. Doc1 playing dj for the night was taking the crowd back with jams like Apache and Eric B for President. Prompting James Top, from TV show "Inside of Graffiti" channel 57 (nyc public access), to break into freestyle and the youngsters to start battleling in the center gallery's floor.

Martha Cooper's dramatic photos stand as a testament

that held down the borough for over a decade said "She got it together and got it out there and the scene is thankful for that. Her work is break taking; there is clarity to it. When she choose to shot, what she was able to capture within seconds, she was like a historian making a documentary without knowing it." Echoing those sentiments was Soho gallery owner Jeffery Deitch "it's an amazing community, so strong, so vital, thirty years old and just as important today as it was when it begun. Hip Hop has now become a foundation of the