Scope and arrangement
The Fab 5 Freddy papers date from 1952 to 2014, with the bulk of material being from the late 1980s to the mid 2000s. The papers trace his multidisciplinary career beginning with his early activities as a rap and hip-hop performer; work as a director of music videos; host of the influential Yo! MTV Raps show; production roles with the Pallas Records music label; film and television work; and as a speaker and panelist at events exploring hip-hop, graffiti art, and rap history and culture. The material provides an insight into his public personality and activities; business aspirations; and creative endeavors in the fields of writing and art, and includes some personal and family material. The collection illuminates aspects of Fab 5 Freddy's career and interests, rather than providing a complete record of his life and activities.
The material is arranged into ten series: Series I: Business Files: Series II: Media Projects; Series III: Notebooks and Day Planners; Series IV: Personal and Creative Files; Series V: Screenplays, Treatments, and Manuscripts; Series VI: Fliers, Invitations, and Passes; Series VII: Research Files; Series VIII: Printed Matter; and Series IX: Apparel.
The Business Files in Series I represent aspects of Fab 5 Freddy's career in the music industry as a producer at various record labels, including the label he co-founded. They also trace other business and creative enterprises mostly from 1995 to the 2000s, and include a run of files from his business partner, Roy Cormier.
Series II reflects Fab 5 Freddy's work as a music video director and his creative endeavors in film, television and other media as a director, producer, and in concept development. A portion of the music videos Fab 5 Freddy directed are represented in Subseries II.A. by production packets, story summaries, and administrative material. His work on other media projects is traced in correspondence, financial and administrative documents, and notes.
Subseries II.B. details some of Fab 5 Freddy's roles in film, television, and media events through production documents, correspondence, and administrative material. His work as a host on Yo! MTV Raps is reflected in a production binder and financial documents, while the fan mail demonstrates how influential and important the show was to viewers around the world. This Subseries also contains some financial and legal documents.
Series III and IV reveal Fab 5 Freddy's day-to-day movements and social interactions while providing an overview of the variety of concepts and ideas he was exploring at any given time. His writings and artwork demonstrate the creative aspects of his career. There are some personal and family financial and legal documents.
The Screenplays, Treatments, and Manuscripts in Series V are divided into two Subseries: projects that Freddy was developing, and screenplays by others. The Fab 5 Freddy Projects, contain multiple drafts, edits, and some correspondence. Works By Others make up the bulk of this material and include some scripts for acting parts Fab 5 Freddy played in film and on television.
The Fliers, Invitations, and Passes in Series VI provide an insight into club nights, parties, festivals, and other events happening in New York from the 1980s to 2014. Some of these include Fab 5 Freddy as performer or organizer.
Series VII contain Research Files made up of clippings and articles that reflect areas of interest and background material for writing projects Fab 5 Freddy was working on.
Magazines comprise the bulk of the Printed Material in Series VII, with both large runs of some titles that span several years, and a number of single issues of various publications. The Pringed Matter also houses art exhibition catalogs, booklets, pamphlets and other printed ephemera.
Several of Fab 5 Freddy's signature wardrobe items are present in Series IX. These include t-shirts, jewelry, sweatpants, sweaters, sunglasses, and four pairs of Reebok Afili'Art Collection Jean-Michel Basquiat sneakers.
The Fab 5 Freddy papers are arranged in nine series:
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1980-20148.75 linear feet (20 boxes); 195 kilobytes (17 computer files)
This Series presents an overview of Fab 5 Freddy's solo and partnered ventures from the 1990s to the early 2000s, the majority of which were undertaken with business partner Roy Cormier. They include administrative documents, casting files, correspondence, legal and financial records, production materials, fliers, and publicity packets. The overlap in Fab 5 Freddy's business operations has led to mixing of files for different enterprises. There is some blending of personal and professional spheres evident in the intermingled nature of the material. The files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Almost all of the Correspondence is incoming. It is a blend of professional and personal correspondence and includes letters, pro forma mail outs, business proposals, and some administrative records. The Financial files include details on royalties, other payments, and invoices. The emphasis of the Legal files is on contracts and agreements for media work, and are also concerned with ownership of the Fab 5 Freddy trademark.
Several of Fab 5 Freddy's and Cormier's enterprises are represented in the Music Industry Ventures files, including F&R Records, In the Middle Entertainment, and Pallas Records. These files were originally grouped together, and the file names and groupings have been preserved where they existed, and arranged alphabetically.
In the Middle Entertainment was an independent urban music record label founded by Fab 5 Freddy and Roy Cormier in 1999. They initially signed four acts; one group and three soloists: Ill Street, Tikki (Tawana Easley), Gee Pierce, and Mike Ransom. The files contain mostly administrative and financial documents generated in the production and promotion of the groups and their albums.
The Pallas Records files consist of an abundance of material relating to the Chicago rap group Crucial Conflict, specifically the release of their hit single "Hay" from the album The Final Tic, which Fab 5 Freddy and Cormier executive produced in 1996. There is some correspondence from Fab 5 Freddy to his contacts where he promotes the group and their single, and seeks support for the album launch.
The Roy Cormier files were generated by Cormier and his staff during a period he was managing tours for several musical artists, under the umbrella of a company called "The Concert Organization" (formerly known as "Da Joint"). They largely consist of financial records and correspondence related to travel itineraries and scheduling for major concert tours in European and American cities. The touring artists include Puff Daddy, Keith Sweat, and TQ. The files do not seem to have a connection with work that Fab 5 Freddy was involved in.
The Subject Files are composed of general office records. They hold business cards, administrative material, press and promotional packets, proposals for various endeavors, and travel records.
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1982-20104.67 linear feet (12 boxes); 19.13 megabytes (30 computer files)
The files in this Series reflect Fab 5 Freddy's work as a music video director; his creative endeavors in film, television and other media as producer, actor, and host; and his work developing concepts for screen projects. A portion of the music videos Fab 5 Freddy directed are represented in Subseries III.A. by production packets, story summaries, and administrative material. His work on other media projects is traced in correspondence, financial and administrative documents, and notes. Subseries II.B. details some of Fab 5 Freddy's roles in film, television, and media events through production documents, correspondence, and administrative material. His work as a host on Yo! MTV Raps is reflected in a production binder, financial documents, and fan mail. This Subseries also contains some financial and legal documents. The files are aranged in alphabetical order by the name of the project.
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1978-2000s2.08 linear feet (5 boxes)
The notebooks date from 1978 to the 2000s, with the bulk being from the 1990s. They contain prose fragments, project notes and ideas, contact details for acquaintances, and lists. Much of this content is similar to that in the Notes in Series IV - but with the addition of longer, more developed ideas for creative and business endeavors. There is a notebook with details of showings of Wild Style in 1983 (box 27, folder 5), and a college notebook from his period of study at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, 1978. There are two day planners. They are arranged chronologically.
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1980-20034.17 linear feet (9 boxes); 142.2 megabytes (206 computer files)
These files house personal Administrative and Financial material, creative output in the form of Artwork and Writings, incoming Letters, an expansive collection of loose Notes, and press clippings. They have been arranged alphabetically by subject.
The Administrative and Financial files contain a small amount of legal material from property ownership and leasing, vehicle registration and financing, and Fab 5 Freddy's birth certificate and passport. Included in the Real Estate files is legal, financial, and planning material from the renting, purchase, and renovation of property. Also present are architectural and design plans, city notices, and correspondence with construction and legal firms. There is a small amount of correspondence and other documents unrelated to real estate interspersed in these files.
The sketches, drawings, and paintings that comprise the Artwork represent a range of styles and appear to be mostly by Fab 5 Freddy, they date from 1980 to the 1990s. A number of works from 1984 to 1987 are signed and dated. Some of these pieces also have dedications. Recurring themes include disco balls and fruit bowls, and are reminiscent of the work shown at the Fun Gallery in the early 1980s. These pieces are mostly pen and pencil drawings, and paintings in gouache and watercolor. The files contain some works by other artists including a drawing by Francesco Clemente, two portraits of Fab 5 Freddy by B. Guillou, and a small plaster model of a torso.
The Family and Friends files contain administrative and legal documents relating to Fab 5 Freddy's private life, family members, and friends. There is a small amount of incoming correspondence, and some photographs. The Jean-Michel Basquiat file contains the order of speakers from Basquiat's memorial service, and the contract of sale of a portrait by him of Fab 5 Freddy. The Subseries also includes candid photographs of family, a polaroid of Freddy on a film set under the Brooklyn Bridge, some slides, and photographs of unidentified individuals. There are a set of travel photographs that do not appear to include Fab 5 Freddy.
The Letters, Postcards, and Greeting Cards are all incoming. They include documents from Fashion Moda's benefit exhibition art sale at the Ronald Feldman Gallery, 1985. There is a set of personal letters from the early 1980s that do not appear to be written from or to Fab 5 Freddy.
The Notes are a group of loose, unstructured notes and memos with names and phone numbers, lists, appointments, ideas, and casual jottings. There are fragments of prose writing, and ideas and concepts for films and music videos. They were created and collected over a span of decades, reflecting Fab 5 Freddy's day-to-day life, activities, and myriad interactions. The notes are frequently on small scraps of paper composed of receipts, wrappers, menus, envelopes, and other similar items. There are notes in handwriting other than Fab 5 Freddy's. The files are interspersed with letters, invitations, and other ephemera, including the invitation to P. Diddy's birthday party in Morocco, 2002 (the accompanying CD is not present). Approximate dates have been assigned for this material, and it has been arranged chronologically.
The Press files contain clippings with newspaper and magazine mentions of Fab 5 Freddy from the 1980s.
Examples of Fab 5 Freddy's creative writing pieces are grouped in the Writings Subseries by subject or type of composition.
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1989-200810.67 linear feet (26 boxes)
The Screenplays, Treatments, and Manuscripts are divided into two groups: Subseries V.A., written, co-written, or conceived of by Fab 5 Freddy; and Subseries VI.B., those written by others. The majority of this material falls into the second category, mostly consisting of screenplays for motion pictures. A small proportion of the screenplays in this series are for projects that were ultimately completed.
The Fab 5 Freddy Projects files contain multiple drafts of a script for a production that he was developing called "Change the Beat." These drafts show the evolution of the project's concept over a number of years. This Subseries also includes the contract, a royalty statement, typescripts, proofs, and final published copies of Fab 5 Freddy's dictionary of terms Fresh Fly Favor: Words & Phrases of the Hip-Hop Generation. Some of the scripts include notes and edits, and are interleaved with a small amount of correspondence with co-collaborators.
The Works by Others Subseries holds screenplays, treatments, and sripts, and also a small number of typescripts of published and unpublished book projects. These include a manuscript for the book YES YES Y'ALL: The Experience Music Project Oral History of Hip-Hop: The First Decade by Nelson George. The bulk of the material is from the 1990s.
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1980-20141.67 linear feet (4 boxes)
The fliers, invitations, and handbills in this Series advertise club nights, art exhibitions, concerts, album launches, and other happenings, mostly in New York City from 1980 to the 2010s. The early fliers, from the 1980s, publicize hip-hop, breakdancing and graffiti events at various venues both uptown and downtown, such as The Mudd Club, Club 57, and The Kitchen. Several of these line-ups feature Fab 5 Freddy alongside various DJs, MCs, break dance crews, and graffiti artists.
Of note are fliers for a "Hip Hip Hip Hop" event, featuring Fab 5 Freddy at the Mudd club (1980); a detailed flier for "Graffiti Rock," an event at The Kitchen which Freddy co-organized in 1981, featuring the Rock Steady Crew, artists Dondi, Duro, and Lee Quiñones, and photographs by Henry Chalfant and Martha Cooper; the "International Rap Night" event at Club 57, 1981; and a flier for an exhibition opening of works by Frederick Brathwaite at The Fun Gallery, 1981. A sheet of rap lyrics and photographs found with these fliers have been kept together in box 63, folder 1.
There are several fliers for various notable New York weekly party nights, such as for a Funkmaster Flex party at the Palladium (circa 1992-1997); for "Cafe Con Leche" Sundays at Club Expo (circa 1993-1999); and "Club Life" (1990s).
The backstages and all-areas Passes are from film and music festivals, and concerts. They are laminated and have lanyards attached. The material is arranged chronologically.
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1985-20120.67 linear feet (2 boxes)
These articles and clippings comprise research materials for articles written by Fab 5 Freddy, illuminating several of his enduring interests, such as the development of rap culture in Brazil; the dancehall scene; and the history of hip-hop. They have been arranged by subject matter.
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1953-201014.34 linear feet (36 boxes, 1 oversize folder); 36.66 megabytes (1 computer file)
This bulk of this Series is composed of magazine issues, alongside Art and Art Exhibition Catalogs, Ephemera, and Newspapers. The bulk of the material is from the late 1980s to the early 2000s.
The Art Catalogs include an exhibition catalog signed by Jean-Michel Basquiat and dedicated to Fab 5 Freddy. It is for Basquiat's 1984 show "Paintings 1981-1984" at the Fruitmarket Gallery.
Booklets, calendars, and other memorabilia make up the Ephemera. The Booklets include several treatises on subjects related to Black history and culture, and includes a self-printed booklet of poetry by Jack Walls dedicated to Fab 5 Freddy.
The magazines are issues of commercial publications. Many have cover stories or special coverage of rap and hip-hop artists, music and culture; Black personalities, artists, and business people; or contain a mention of Fab 5 Freddy. There are a large number of issues of Source magazine, The Fader, XXL, Interview, and Vanity Fair. The magazines have been arranged by title, and then chronologically within each title.
There are two themed groups of newspapers; Jamaica and dancehall related publications; and issues of the New York Times and the Daily Post from the period of the 2008 Obama election. The chronological files include clippings, photocopies and full issues of papers.
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1980-201310.13 linear feet (23 boxes)
Fab 5 Freddy crafted a visual persona by wearing signature apparel throughout his career. He frequently appeared in a pair of sunglasses and a hat, including while hosting Yo! MTV Raps. The clothing and jewelry in this Series document his image and is composed of t-shirts, jewelry, sweatpants, sweaters, sunglasses, and sneakers. Most of the items, except for the sneakers and some of the t-shirts exhibit signs of wear.
The jewelry includes beaded necklaces, pendants with African iconography, and bangles. Some of these pieces are referenced in the 1991 New Yorker profile of Fab 5 Freddy.
The t-shirts date from the 1980s to the 2010s. They include one Yo! MTV Raps branded shirt from approximately 1989, and two other MTV shirts from the same year. The collection includes rap and hip-hop artist shirts such as De La Soul, 2 Live Crew, and the Wu-Tang Clan; New York-based fashion labels such as Rocawear, and Acapulco Gold; and other streetwear creators such as PNB Nation, and Soul II Soul. There is a She's Gotta Have It movie t-shirt, signed and dedicated by Spike Lee. The t-shirts have been arranged alphabetically by the text printed on the t-shirt, or its graphic subject.
There are four pairs of unworn limited edition Reebok Afili'Art Collection Jean-Michel Basquiat sneakers in their original boxes. Each pair has a different design.
There are two pairs of Rocawear black and red sweat pants, and two Ecko brand knit sweaters.
There is a small assortment of artifacts that include a Playboy necklace souvenir, packaged shoelaces, a Sean "P. Diddy" Combs "Choose or Lose Vote or Die" Pin (2004), and a clothing patch [1980s].