Gunner Stahl: "Print Isn't Dead, It's Alive and Well"
Inside the world of hip-hop’s top photographer.
Atlanta-born Jonathan Simmons, widely known as Gunner Stahl, was working at a Dick’s Sporting Goods three years ago. Now the 27-year-old photographer is a phenom in the music industry, widely-recognized for his raw portraits of famous rappers including the late icons Nipsey Hussle, Mac Miller, and Juice Wrld.
Stahl recently compiled an intimate selection of captures for his new book titled Portraits: I Have So Much to Tell You. The book features archival images alongside recent, spur-of-the-moment snaps of Lil Yachty, The Weeknd, Playboi Carti, Gunna and more. To celebrate the publication, the artist teamed up with Red Bull Music Festival Atlanta to launch a solo exhibition on November 1. The sprawling presentation featured large-scale displays of the portraits in his new book.
For our latest episode of HYPEBEAST Diaries, we caught up with Stahl in his Atlanta studio to discover the talent behind the viewfinder, his obsession with anime (preferably Gundam Wing), and whether or not print medium is dead in the days leading up to his show.
Watch the clip above and then check out our previous episode with the famed Supreme team skateboarder and artist, Mark Gonzales.
