Norman ‘Normski’ Anderson was born in Northwest London in 1966 and became a documenter of British youth culture in the 1980s and 1990s. Normski was part of the UK hip hop scene during this period and his photographs record the styles adopted by hip hop artists like the London-based Silver Bullet Posse.

Silver Bullet Posse were the crew behind British rapper Silver Bullet (born Richard Brown, pictured crouching in the centre) who had success in the late 1980s and early 1990s, later touring with American hip hop group Public Enemy. His popular 1989 single ‘20 Seconds to Comply’ was inspired by an altercation Silver Bullet Posse had with the police at Notting Hill Carnival. Normski took photographs of the rapper for the single’s record sleeve.

In this photograph the posse are posed on the lookout against the modern backdrop of the iconic Lloyds building in London’s financial centre, which was completed in 1986. The branded trainers, baggy trousers and baseball jackets worn by members of the posse recall the African American ‘B-Boy’ style, which became popular in Britain following the success of American hip hop artists like Run DMC and the Beastie Boys. The camouflage clothing, berets and sunglasses worn by other members of the posse mimic the black militant look made famous by Public Enemy.

The black militant style became a popular expression of black consciousness, which Normski replicated in an outfit he put together with hip hop clothing retailer Four Star General for the fashion exhibition ‘Streetstyle, From Sidewalk to Catwalk, 1940 to Tomorrow’ held at the V&A in 1994-5. He created two other B-Boy looks for this exhibition and all three remain in the V&A collection.

The V&A acquired seven photographs by Normski as part of the Staying Power project. Staying Power is a five year partnership between the V&A and Black Cultural Archives. The project aims to explore black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s through photographs acquired by the V&A and oral histories conducted by Black Cultural Archives.