“ORIGINAL JAMEL SHABAZZ SUPERMODEL” featuring LaRonz Murray. Episode#1(The Introduction)
Who is the famous JAMEL SHABAZZ SUPER MODEL you’ve seen in coffee-table books and exhibitions nationwide and abroad? As Jay-Z once rhymed, “Please allow me to re-introduce myself…my name is LaRonzMurray straight from the BK-NY”. And here’s my True Brooklyn Story…
Welcome to the blog that gives you a ground zero perspective of what it’s like being a JAMEL SHABAZZ SUPERMODEL capturing history in the excitement of New York City streets. I met influential photographer, Jamel Shabazz in the heart of Manhattan on the corner of 34th & 7th. It was late summer and it was during a time period I was constantly being stop by tourists asking to take my picture. I guess they were amazed by my locs and how they were styled. Or it could've been the charismatic “star quality” that resonated from my soul outwards. Personally, I always knew I was a born star. I also know presence and swagger are “key elements” when projecting "star quality". It is that special charismatic quality that draws people to you. I hypothesized this was the "thing" which captivated people's attention as they boldly asked to take my picture over and over again.
In fact, over 35 countries and cities requested my picture that particular summer. I was both humbled and amazed at the number of requests, stares and pouring compliments concerning my Brooklyn Hair Swagger. So, it was no surprise when Jamel Shabazz walked up to me and requested a photograph. The major difference between Shabazz and all the others was the fact he was a professional street photographer. He also promised to get me into magazines. We exchange numbers and soon we started doing photo shoots in and around lower Manhattan. Quickly, I became his primary muse and an Original Street SuperModel. As we built our foundation, I progressed into Shabazz’s “point man” recruiting female models as we traveled around Manhattan doing progressive photo shoots. We continued on to develop a successful photographer /model chemistry that would serve us well in our aspirations to reached new heights. Seemingly, almost every weekend we were shooting these captivating images and soon, just like he said, I ended up in magazines.
The first magazine we did was an international magazine called, JALOUSE. This was a very exciting shoot, because we were provided with a van and team of stylists dressing us for the shoot. It was a big departure from our weekend guerilla styled photo sessions where we changed in public bathrooms. I was one of many models recruited for the magazine photo session, courtesy of Shabazz and his associates. The early parts of the shoot went well as we posed for group shots featuring future Sports Illustrated and Victoria Secret’s Supermodel, Noemie Lenoir. As we progressed further along, I asked Shabazz to let me know when to change into my custom red velour suite I secretly brought along. Being the master strategist and chess player he is, Shabazz waited for the right moment to have me put on that infamous red out fit. I remember going back to the van and showing the stylist the buttah threads accentuated by my red velour shoes. The stylist was ecstatic and quickly added a super fly playa playa “gold medallion” to coolly fit around my neck for added visual effect. I grabbed my shades and headed back to Shabazz for more shooting.
His genius took flight as he quickly paired me up with another female model wearing matching red and continued shooting. I was feeling extremely good falling into my element of producing “fly poses” with an equally fly female on my side. Yeah, this was the beginning of show time like we were at the Apollo. Moments later, budding French Super Model Noemie Lenoir arrived in our cipher with a sexy reddish colored outfit styled to match my velour fly ness. Shabazz and I exchanged a quick glance confirming it was finally show time for real. Within a blink of an eye, the whole styling team was watching us as Lenoir and I started posing against the urban steel gated backdrop. Suddenly, we became the stars of the photo shoot as everyone watched us posed street style captured by the lens of Shabazz. Remarkably, those photos ended being a featured full page spread.
After the Jalouse experience, I went on to appear in a number of notable magazines, coffee-table books, ad campaigns, Fashion Week, the New York Times, Amsterdam News, and city-wide exhibitions. I was always immersed by Shabazz’s statement of “one day, it’ll all make sense”, because years later various photos from those shoots ended up in the most prestigious coffee-table books in the art world. As well as, touring exhibitions featuring my imagery captured in complete “fly ness” by the photographic lens of the great Jamel Shabazz. Thank you for allowing me to re-introduce myself…I am the Original Street Super Model, LaRonzMurray. ~ Excerpt from the forthcoming multi media experience, “34th: HERALD SQUARE” (working title). Thank you for traveling inside the mind of a JAMEL SHABAZZ SUPERMODEL.
