Ornette Coleman doesn't like photographers front stage, either. He's shy, as you can see. Therefore, I left immediately after taking this shot. I knew I had a beautiful portrait, and I didn't want to bother him any longer than necessary.
Bass player Marcus Miller always dresses well and has a nice expression or a good pose in store for you. His macho bass guitar with the typical long neck and his magic fingers complete the shot.
R&B and rap have their own way of showing "sound" in a photo. You don't necessarily need to include instruments in the shot; just the outfits will do. Every style of music has its own style of dress. It's remarkable that Jay-Z chose to wear an oversized T-shirt, while in his video clips he's normally wearing a fancy suit.
The microphone technique of rap artists is not a photographer's favorite. They tend to keep one finger under their nose and hold the microphone against their lips. Consequently, on most shots you won't see a mouth—just a face and a hand. 50 Cent demonstrates this very well. Keep searching for that one shot where the mouth is visible. It's the only way.
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