2021

After the uncertainty of 2020, 2021 became a year of rebuilding momentum and giving Muhammad’s expanding vision a more permanent home.

His work had long grown from a studio in Spanish Lake, but as the music and community around him expanded, he invested in a larger space near Jefferson Avenue. I documented that transition through recording sessions, rehearsals, portraits, creative meetings, unfinished rooms, and the people helping shape the space into something larger than a traditional studio.

That year also brought one of our most ambitious collaborations: the artwork for Muhammad’s GREAT EP. After hearing the unreleased music, I wanted to create an image that matched its scale and confidence. I found a deteriorating building downtown with the Arch and skyline behind it, and we carried in furniture, lighting, and props to build an entire world around the project.

While unloading, I stepped on a nail that went through my shoe and into my foot. I finished the shoot and received a tetanus shot the next day—a ridiculous memory, but one that reflects how committed we were to making the idea real.

At the time, GREAT existed as its own EP. It would later become part of the larger BEGREATFOOL album, released in 2024, making these photographs the beginning of a world that continued developing for years.

As live events returned, I also photographed Muhammad at the Seoul Taco Block Party during a night headlined by Busta Rhymes. Between those larger moments, we continued making portraits, working in the studio, experimenting, and strengthening a friendship that had grown far beyond any single project.

Looking back, 2021 was a year of foundations: a new creative home, a project whose full meaning would take years to unfold, and a growing community gathering around Muhammad’s vision.