Respect The Shooter: Darbe Rotach Speaks On Photographing LL Cool J, Missy Elliot, Pharrell, & More

LL Cool J

This is probably my most popular celebrity portrait. It was a commissioned shoot for Def Jam Records. I spent three days in Maui, Hawaii with a production crew as LL shot his video for “Paradise” deep in a tropical forest, at the bottom of a waterfall. The video featured Amerie and Gabrielle Union. I remember the production started off on a somber note. We had all received the horrible news that Jam Master Jay had been killed back in NYC, as we exited our plane. It was on everyone’s mind throughout the shoot. Being that we were in Hawaii though, our moods improved as the day wore on. On the second day, I was with members of the crew, on a bus, riding along a one-lane, tree covered roadway, when we came upon a lush wide open pasture. In the middle of the tall green grass was a big white tent. The bus stopped and everyone from the shoot joined in for a catered feast. There were stunning views of the pacific ocean, over a cliff in the distance. Everyone sat around listening to LL talk about his days in hip hop and reminiscing about Jam Master Jay. So THIS, is what it was like to work with a legend? I’ll never forget that weekend and will always appreciate Jana Fleishman and Def Jam for allowing me to be their photographer on shoots like that one.