Respect The Shooter: Ajani Charles Speaks On Photographing Drake, Big Sean, Nas, & More

Nas

“This is a portrait of Nas holding one of my portraits of him backstage at Rock The Bells in Toronto. Nas was and still is my favorite living rapper, so it was an honor for me to share my work with him. This photograph was taken early in my professional career, so I was both starstruck and nervous while meeting him. I was grateful that his security and the Live Nation staff loved the portrait and made a point of re-introducing me to Nas. Soon after nervously handing my work to him, I was calmed down by the fact that he was blown away by the aesthetics of the framed image. On top of that, I also gave him a rare duffel bag filled with about $5,000 in menswear from one of my Hong Kong and L.A.-based fashion clients, N4E1. He loved the gear, he let me take a number of portraits of him, and with that my Rock The Bells mission was complete. Best day ever.”