MY RULES
Photographs by Glen E. Friedman
Contributions by C. R. Stecyk III, Shepard Fairey, Chuck D., Henry Rollins, Tony Alva, Ian Mackaye, Rick Rubin, Adam Horovitz, and many more
Think of any iconic image of Run DMC, Black Flag, Minor Threat, Public Enemy, and Beastie Boys, or the gravity defying revolutionary skateboarding legends Tony Alva, Jay Adams, or Stacy Peralta. It is almost certain that Glen E. Friedman was the man behind the camera. Since the mid-1970s as a young teenager, Friedman has been chronicling quintessential moments of underground and counterculture movements.
Glen E. Friedman’s My Rules serves as a history book for the three powerhouse countercultures—skateboarding, punk, and hip-hop. From the earliest days Friedman was present to capture the pivotal and defining moments in music and street movements that were largely unknown or ignored. The energy and rebellion comes through in these famous and some never-before-seen iconic images.
Designed in collaboration with celebrated street and graphic artist Shepard Fairey, My Rules is an
unprecedented window into these countercultures that were largely insular at their inception. Capturing the legends and heroes that became the faces that defined the eras, with his portraits of artists Fugazi, Black Flag, Ice-T, Dead Kennedys, Run-DMC, Minor Threat, Public Enemy, Bad Brains, Beastie Boys, The Misfits, and many more, as well as classic skateboarding originators such as Tony Alva, Jay Adams, Alan “Ollie” Gelfand, Duane Peters, Stacy Peralta, Lance Mountain, and a very young Tony Hawk.
Friedman reached out to some of his subjects to get in their own words what it was like to be at the crux of these cultural movements; these exclusive, often revealing words serve as an education and inspiration. My Rules is not only a remarkable chronicle of beautiful images and a primer about the origins of three radical street cultures recognized worldwide; it is also an artistic statement of inspiration for generations to follow.
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS : Glen E. Friedman ’s work has appeared in countless publications and exhibitions and is part of permanent collections, including those at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., among others. Shepard Fairey is a graphic designer. C. R. Stecyk III is the founder of Juxtapoz magazine. Henry Rollins is a musician and writer. Chuck D . is a rap artist and activist. Tony Alva is a world-renowned skateboarder. Ian Mackaye is a musician and record label owner. Rick Rubin is an award-winning record producer. Jay Adams is a skateboarding legend. Adam Horovitz is a musician. Ice-T is a musician and actor. Rodney Mullen is a skateboarding icon and industry leader. Jello Biafra is a musician and political activist. LL Cool J is a musician and actor. Jeff Ho is a surfing and skateboarding legend. Rakim Allah is a musician lyricist supreme. Duane Peters is a skateboarding icon and musician. Keith Morris is a musician. Darryl McDaniels is a hip hop artist and philanthropist. Lance Mountain is a skateboarding icon. Alan “Ollie” Gelfand is a skateboarding legend. Milo Aukerman is a musician and biochemist. Tony (Cadena) Brandenburg is a musician. Gary “Dr. Know” Miller is a musician.