Hip Hop photographer Chi Modu exhibits work at BUDX Lagos

On Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd of December, photography, music, and beer lovers in Lagos revelled in the unique experience presented by Budweiser’s Electronic music lab, BUDX Lagos. Themed “Uncategorized with Chi Modu”, the 2-day exhilarating event saw the transformation of the venue, African Arts Foundation located in Victoria Island, into a whole new dimension of creativity and liveliness, as people turned up in numbers for the one-of-a-kind and all-encompassing event.

The event kicked off on Day 1 with Q and A session where guests got to know more about the pioneer hip-hop photographer and documentarian, Chi Modu, his iconic works and how he’s thrived and prevailed in the industry. Guests had the opportunity to view never-before-seen images of hip-hop legends Tupac, Eazy E, Notorious B.I.G, Nas, Snoop Dogg, alongside several other iconic images.

Day 2 started off with an inspiring workshop by Chi Modu titled ‘historical importance of visual imagery in today’s hip-hop, where he shared his views on the importance of capturing iconic images in the hip-hop world, using his past experiences. He got more technical about his photography style, the emotion behind each image and elaborated on the importance of visual imagery as a way of narrating the story of Hip-Hop.

This was followed by intuitive panel talks, themed: Hip Hop in a digital era. Moderated by a renowned female rapper, Sasha P the panel featured popular hip-hop recording artiste, Illbliss, fast-growing Nigerian photographer, August Udoh, palm wine music pioneers Show Dem Camp and multimedia production firm, Aje Films. Each panellist shared their views on the highs and lows of hip-hop in this growing digital era whilst giving solutions as to how the lows can be averted.

The incredible Budweiser “against-gravity” photo studio/ illusion room was an exciting space where guests were captured defining gravity at an upside-down Budweiser bar. This photo studio was extremely popular with guests, with many capturing their BUDX Lagos experience there. Guests had the opportunity to shop exclusive limited-edition pieces inspired by BUDX and Chi Modu by Nigerian streetwear brands Garm Spot and Waffles n Cream. The BUDX store was extremely popular amongst guest wanting memorabilia of the epic 2-day event.

Speaking at the event, Marketing Director West Africa, International Breweries Plc, Tolulope Adedeji, stated that BUDX is an electronic music lab which showcases emerging talent from the region as well as featuring series of masterclasses, seminars and interactive installations which gets behind the scene in engaging markets around the globe.

“Following a successful debut at Harrow park, Abuja, we brought the BUDX experience to Lagos for lovers of photography, music, arts and of course beer. Having the prolific Chi Modu exhibit his works for the first time in Lagos through this platform gave room for guests who were curious to meet the man behind the most iconic hip-hop images of the 90s to know what was going through his mind as at the time he was creating the images,” Adedeji stated.

On her part, Consumer Connections Manager- West Africa, International Breweries Plc, Olajumoke Okikiolu stated “The focus of BUDX is to unite both fans and artists in a collaborative and creative experience that celebrates the emerging electronic music culture. This initiative is a way to get closer to the music we love around the world”.

Okikiolu adds “Budweiser is the King of Beers that inspires socialization and fun.”

Following the great learning experiences, and one-of-a-kind photo exhibition on both days, guests were treated to an epic after party, with performances by Dremo, Poe and Mars and Barzini with epic DJ sets from Dj Aye, who thrilled the audience to a laid-back, sit-down, heal and appreciate set, Amaraworldwide, Dj Smallz, Dj Calix and Dj Yin, who all delivered unique sets that left guests vibing all night.

BUDX Lagos was curated by writer, photographer, and documentarian, Amarachi Nwosu’s new global media platform, Melanin Unscripted.

The BUDX experience was taken to an entirely different level at BUDX Lagos promoting photography whilst living up to its musical background and of course an unlimited supply of Budweiser!