Dobie: We Will Not Harm You Revitalizing a Lost Era in British Sound and Image

Dobie: We Will Not Harm You

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Dobie: We Will Not Harm You

Dobie: We Will Not Harm You

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Music & Dance

Dobie: We Will Not Harm You

Revitalizing a Lost Era in British Sound and Image

A once invisible republic of 1980s British b-boys, DJs and MCs is uncovered in an evocative black-and-white photo series by music production legend and photographer Dobie. Otherwise known as Anthony Campbell, the cult figure was on the scene to document London’s nascent hip-hop culture as it evolved in the mid-to-late 80s—a time when records from the US mingled with the ragga and dancehall already rumbling out of the sound-systems of the city’s Caribbean contingent. “Before the hip-hop thing, all these cats would have been going to reggae jams,” says Dobie. “That was the draw of hip-hop—with the crews of DJs, it wasn’t too dissimilar to what we were into anyway.” The artist’s photo work, however, began on the skateboarding circuit that centered around London’s South Bank area, where music tastes were of a different kind entirely. “The skaters then were into rock and punk, whereas I was into hip-hop,” he says. “It was convenient as on the other side of the river was where all the breakers and poppers used to be. I used to skate over the bridge and hang out to see what was going on.” Dobie’s career reflects the mash-up well, and he snapped for major magazines like Thrasher before his musical success took hold with his work on R&B group Soul II Soul’s breakthrough albums. In the years since, his collaborators have included Massive Attack, Tricky, Björk and Neneh Cherry, and this month sees the arrival of his new solo album, We Will Not Harm You. A playful mix of tumbling beats and fleeting samples, the release features cover art by long-time friend and Turner Prize-winning artist Chris Ofili. “We used to hang out in clubs,” says Dobie. “I didn’t know he was an artist until later—he was just a mate.” 

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Dobie: We Will Not Harm You