Danny Hastings
Where are you from/where are you now?
I was born in California, Grew Up in Panama from 2 to 16, came to NY, lived there for more than 30 years, became a man in NY, had children there, and grew my business there. I’m from NY by now since I spent most of my life there. I moved to the Coachella Valley in California two years ago.
You are regarded as the official photographer of The Golden Age of Hip-Hop. Like many, I knew of your work before I knew your name. The artists you shot - Wu-Tang Clan, NAS, Raekwon, GangStarr, Cypress Hill, House of Pain, A Tribe Called Quest, Jodeci, Big Pun, Jeru Tha Damaja, Mobb Deep, KRS-One - provided the soundtrack of 1990's-era NYC, and as a result, the world. You & your camera gave everyone a bird's eye view into the culture. Can you walk the readers through an average day of 90's era Danny Hastings prepping for a photoshoot? Which is your favorite photoshoot from those days, and why?
Wow… it’s hard to pick a favorite photoshoot, I had so many great moments. My photoshoots were not just regular photoshoots where you meet with an artist and take portraits of them. Oh no. They were more complex than that. My photoshoots were album campaigns. It involved not just the artist, but labels executives from different departments, starting with Art Department, Marketing Department and Publicity Department. Plus you can add artist management to that equation. Obviously, the first creative input would come from the artist himself or herself. So, I had to build and take care of many minds on the creative. The first step before anything was to listen to the music. I had first access from the A&R department where I would get advanced CDs to listen to and come up with concepts for the album cover. I would then present that to the artist, and we’d go back and forth until we agree on a concept or a few concepts. My photoshoots were like producing music videos or mini-movies. There were a lot of pieces to move and a lot of people to hire, from photo assistant to glam squad, to photoshoot coordinator or co-producer, to stylist, set designers… I had like 20+ people up on a photoshoot at one point or another. As far as a favorite shoot, the entire 90’s to me were very special. They all have a special place in my mind and heart. So many good memories.
Fast forward a bit, and we find you as the most in-demand photographer for urban music & lifestyle magazines and the go-to-guy for major record labels looking to capture that 'lightning in a bottle' magic shot for their hip-hop roster acts. And then, almost overnight, the industry pivoted. Did you see any foreboding signs of the decline of the Golden Age?
Yes. I saw that coming beforehand and I had to evolve or dissolve. Technology had a big part in it, in my opinion. For me, I realize things were going to be very, very different when clients asked me to shoot digital and not film. They started to say things like, “Well, you can shoot a couple of rolls of film but that is it, and oh yeah, we need the album cover by tomorrow and you’ll get paid half your fee”. It happened just like that overnight. It didn’t matter if you were established because new photographers with the new digital cameras would shoot for half my fee and deliver faster. Obviously, some of them didn’t have my training and skills, but that didn’t matter. The name of the game after 2000 was about speed, and not so much about creativity. If you were half good, you were in. And I personally think that is still happening all across the board. In terms of music, I think Hip Hop artists turned their focus and began managing their careers a bit more ‘corporate’, more commercial; ultimately pushing “Real” Hip Hop further underground, and labels focused more on “commercial” Hip Hop. The sound changed. Now the labels were really in control of the business, dictating the faith of artists. It was about radio hits and moving units in stores. A lot of artists started to “water” down their creative process to get bigger markets. “The Crossover” was the goal and the music suffered with that. After 2000, we didn’t have that rough, rugged and raw energy like the 90’s. (Although) I was a big part of that (era), the new art directors wouldn’t even call me anymore. I had to reinvent myself. Evolve or dissolve.
As the industry changed, so did your business acumen. Going from photographer to music video director, and extending your talents into the Latino market. Working with other NYC-based Latinos like Marc Anthony, Aventura, Prince Royce, De La Ghetto, etc. might've been an advantage to you, based on a common regional lifestyle. But with Puerto Rican reggaeton giants Tego Calderon & Don Omar, and regional Mexican music star Gerardo Ortiz - were there any challenges in capturing the essence of their artistry in your video direction? Was your shared Latinidad the only common denominator between you and the artist?
After 2000, I still did some important work in Hip Hop, but they were spread out - maybe once or twice a year. I stayed busy with music videos and album covers for Latinx artists. I was able to provide artists like Prince Royce, not only an album cover but also music videos to go along with the marketing of the product. My visuals helped introduce these artists into the market and I was able to solidify a good clientele there. In terms of music: bro, there were no challenges for me in capturing their music. If anything, Hip Hop was more challenging! Remember I grew up in Panama. In Panama, we listen to everything. Panama is the center of the Universe. It’s where all cultures meet because of the Panama Canal. Panamanians have all kinds of influences. I have extensive knowledge of music. “La Fania” was part of our “Tocadisco” (turntable) culture. I am fluent in Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Oscar D’Leon, Salsa, Merengue from the Dominican Republic, Fernandito Villanova, Milly y Los Vecinos. We (Panamanians) are also big on Reggae, Calypso from the islands, and Haitian Music like Tabou Combo, and of course, we are also big on Rock.
Okay, let's be frank. When looking at the trajectory of your work, you cover LOTS of bases. Photography, music videos, film production, branded content development, creative writing, screen acting...a heavy skill-set, overall. What was the impetus or the key inspiration that pointed you down this path in the first place?
I think deep down inside… I am a ‘millennial’. Maybe I was the first ‘millennial’ (laughs). I’m 50 years old and generation X, but I feel like the way I operate is very ‘millennial’. You said it in your question: Photographer, Music Video Director, Branded Content Developer, Actor… That’s the way ‘millennials’ operate, I think: they express themselves in different mediums and it comes naturally. If you were a creative from my generation, it was not easy to move from medium to medium just like that. You couldn’t fully express yourself on different platforms. Technology helped change that, to have all these platforms at their fingertips. I think this was always in me, to be multi-disciplinary. When you are a creative person, you can do it all. Creativity is like a muscle: the more you practice, the better you become at it.
You packed up and moved out west, trading the Hudson River for the Coachella Valley. Your client base expanded once again, working alongside tv & film stars, as well as large brands like NASCAR, Sprint, Diageo. Although the west coast has a very large Latino presence community-wise, you found very little representation on the executive level of the film, television, and corporate brand industries. In fact, this issue still prevails, and calls for inclusion & equity have been renewed. If it were up to you, what changes would you like to see implemented before the end of the year?
I am appalled by the dismal representation of Latinx talent in front and behind the camera. Hollywood did our people so wrong - it’s really disgusting. Both Latinas and Latinos are victims of the evil stereotypes that permeate society. I can’t watch a movie without being conscious of this. It affects me to see Latinx talent having to do stereotype work because it’s the only thing Hollywood offers us. This is a complicated subject that, quite honestly, cannot get completely addressed here. What I can tell you is that I am not a man that complains too much - I am a man of action. I know the solution and the solution is for us to take control of our own destiny. So, I created a film festival from the ground up, to elevate our collective voice.
This leads me to my next question…because after writing, directing, acting, and producing films… you launched The Official Latino Film Festival - an annual LA-based festival celebrating the cinematic contributions of Latinx filmmakers in the U.S. The festival returned this past November, supported by longtime partners HBO Latino, Verizon Media, and Diageo. This year's event offered 100+ films for the viewing attendees and went full-on virtual. What inspired you to initiate such a huge venture? What categories & films really stood out & surprised you this time around?
Yes, the Official Latino Film and Arts Festival, now entering its 7th year! It’s the premiere festival from American Latinx talent. We focus on content that we are writing, directing, and producing here in the U.S. A game-changer. In the past two years, we have helped place directly to HBO 6 short films directed by American Latinx filmmakers and 10 short films indirectly, meaning HBO still licensed more of our selections, not just the award-winning ones. And that is what I do: I don’t talk about it - I *be* about it. I told you I became a man in NYC and Hip Hop made me, I can’t help it! (laughs) But the job is far from finished. This is a growing plan because what we need is not just a film festival, we need our own BET (Black Entertainment Television). See how Black Americans have their own network? Why was that created? It was created for the same reasons of misrepresentation that the Latinx community is going through right now. The lack of positive representation of Black America on TV back then was dismal, and only a handful of characters compared to a plethora of white characters on TV. So, they had to create their own channel, for the simple reason that Hollywood is not inclusive. That is my inspiration. BET is my inspiration. I think we need an American Latinx network to showcase programs, shows, and movies by our own community because Telemundo and Univision are not doing it. They say they do, but only for Abuelas and recently migrated Latinos that watch those networks. But they do not embrace the American Latinx community. They say they do, but ain’t no one from here watching those channels.
After nearly 30 years in the visual arts, music, and entertainment industries, you've accomplished so much, yet you still contain the adventurous spirit of that young Panamanian kid that landed in NYC's concrete jungle with a 35mm SLR in hand. What *hasn't* Danny Hastings done? But really, what would you like to accomplish in the next 10 years?
I’m on the grind constantly and I’m more focused than ever. For the next 10 years of my life, I’m focusing on a streaming platform for American Latinx content creators, producers, and talent. It’s called flickeotv.com. We just launched a Beta prototype of the website. This platform is going to grow tremendously in the next 10 years. This is the next chapter of my book.
What advice would you give to a young person from the diaspora who wants to do what you do?
Whatever the mind thinks of, it can achieve. Whatever. It all starts with the thought. If you can think it, you can be it. Don’t let anyone tell you that the dream that you have is not for you or you cannot accomplish it. That is only their perception of themselves. Practice makes perfect: work on your craft and share it with the world, like, NOW. Don’t wait - tomorrow is too late.