Originally a designer for Kronick Magazine, Paul “Animal” Chan couldn’t help but notice a lack of impressive stock photography when he was creating the layout. So, he picked up his father’s Nikon and set out to capture anything better than the repetitive shots he saw scattered throughout C and D tier mags – leading him to his first shoot with the Wu-Tang Clan.

Thus began the career responsible for some of your soon-to-be favorite photographs in hip-hop history. Through a perfect mixture of having rare accessibility, serendipity, and pure talent, Paul has developed the portfolio of any rap fan’s dreams, whether it’s his shot of Lil Wayne at 14, a young Neptunes duo, Akon before anyone knew who he was, or running into Q-Tip on the street.

To celebrate his infamous collection and the perks of being ready to shoot, Paul will be putting his photos on display at Kinfolk 94 at 94 Wythe Ave. Brooklyn, New York, on Monday, July 20th for his brand new show, “OFF SAFETY.” Presented by The Hundreds, Be Street, Elsewhere, and Pugilista. If you’re in town for Agenda New York, we’ll see you there.