palabras ARACELI CRUZ

P. Diddy, Jay-Z, Russell Simmons, Beyonce, Damon Dash and the like, are hip-hop royalty, though they didn’t get crowned because of pure talent. Behind the ambition, dedication and strive for excellence lies image. The pimped out clothes and sparkling bling don’t mean a thing if no one sees it. The one person who has captured hip-hop celebs at their best with full access to their lives is photographer Johnny Nuñez.

His story is much like the rags to riches tales of the stars he captures on film. Nuñez, 36, whom was adopted by a Puerto Rican family, got started as a photographer by not wanting to work at soup kitchens for the rest of his life and asking God to give him one good idea that would help him succeed. And the life-altering idea was: Hip-hop greeting cards.

The venture took off, Damon Dash asked him to join him and photograph his excursions, and the rest is hip-hop history.

Now Nuñez is as busy as the stars he shoots, but once you got him, he’ll talk your ear off.

Do you have one picture that stands out among the countless photographs that you’ve taken?
Nas and Jay-Z. Jay-Z’s shirt had Notorious B.I.G. on it and it was not too long after Biggy’s death. It’s kind of like the hip-hop trilogy if you ask me.

Who are your favorite subjects to shoot?
Fat Joe. Swizz Beats. 50. I like comical people.

Speaking of Fat Joe, Latin celebs are getting major exposure right now, who are among your favorite Latin stars that you’ve covered?
I like them all…

Name a couple
Tego Calderon. Tru Life.

Have you ever been intimidated by the celebs that you’ve photographed?
Never intimidated, but there were a few artists that I was worried cause I didn’t know what their outcome would be. Old Dirty Bastard… god bless the dead. He was a very good guy, but you didn’t know what he could do.

What have been the best Latin parties this year?
Fat Joe’s baby shower…well it wasn’t a party, party, but it was beautiful, and the Stoli event. I know that was my party but still (laughs).

Name your top five Latin artists on your iPod?
Big Pun, Fat Joe, Jim Jones, Santana…who else? Well Jennifer…no

Who?
Well I work for Jennifer Lopez, but no. She’s a nice person, but I don’t like her music. I do like Marc Anthony…and, how many is that?

That’s five.
Oh, I like El General, that guy started it all (starts singing “Tu pum pum mami mami”).

Do other photographer’s give you a hard time about having more access than them?
All the time. I’ve had everything from having guns drawn on me, to them calling clients complaining ‘why you let him in…I can just as good of a job.’ But you know what…negative energy doesn’t put out positive energy. I just continue to congratulate and not hate.”

What do you make of all this paparazzi madness?
I’m an event photographer. A lot of people take the word paparazzi out of content. People don’t understand paparazzi is really like an annoyance and they violate people’s rights, by shooting them in uncompromising positions, doing things that some times they shouldn’t be doing and sending them to magazines and wreak havoc in that person’s life. But I on the other hand ask that person’s position and I build a relationship with them which allows them to invite me back.

What is your biggest accomplishment?
My biggest accomplishment is getting engaged to my fiancé. She is the center of my life.

What is next for the hip-hop photographer?
Owning a digital stock agency and employ not only people of color, but primary my emphasis on Latino and African American.