Where They At collection

The Where They At project was begun in 2008 by photographer Aubrey Edwards and journalist Alison Fensterstock, with the assistance of a grant from the Greater New Orleans Foundation. It collected over 50 photographic portraits and audio interviews with New Orleans rappers, DJs, producers, photographers, label owners, promoters, record store personnel, journalists and other parties involved in the New Orleans hip-hop and bounce scene from the late 1980s through Hurricane Katrina, as well as ephemera including original fliers, posters, vintage photographs and an extensive collection of record, CD and cassette tape scans. In a multimedia exhibition form, Where They At was presented at the Smithsonian-affiliated Ogden Museum of Southern Art, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Austin’s Birdhouse Gallery and SXSW festival, Minneapolis’ Soap Factory, New York City’s Abrons Art Center, and the Direktorenhaus in Berlin, Germany. It currently lives in online form at wheretheyatnola.com.

Materials donated to the Amistad Research Center include 19 digital audio interviews and 37 electronic interview transcripts. The transcripts have been printed and are housed in two boxes (.6 linear feet). Interviewees present within the Where They At collection include: 5th Ward Weebie, 10th Ward Buck, BG, Bust Down, DJ Captain Charles, Cheeky Blakk, Devious, DJ Jimi, DJ Mellow Fellow, Dolamite, Don B, EF Cuttin, Gary Holzenthal of Odyssey Records, The Ghetto Twiinz, Gregory D, Ice Mike, Joe Blakk, John & Goldie Roberts, Josephine Johnny, Kilo, KLC, Lil’ Pimp Darrell, Loren K. Phillips Fouroux, Lucky Johnson, Mannie Fresh, Mia X, Henry “Palomino” Alexander, Partners n Crime, Sthaddeus “Polo Silk” Terrell, Leroy “Precise” Edwards, PxMxWx, Raj Smoove, Sess 4-5, Take Fo’ Records, Tim Smooth, Travis Lyons, Tre 8, Vockah Redu, and Wild Wayne. Although the individual interviews are undated, interviews for the project were conducted between 2008-2010.