Jonathan Mannion Captured Hip-Hop History on Instagram During the #DefJam30 Anniversary Concert at Barclays Center Last Night

The famed photographer took over the Def Jam Records Instagram and posted epic portraits all night.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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The Def Jam 30th Anniversary concert went down at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn last night, and it was a pretty big deal. Celebrating 30 years can only happen once, so the label and just about everyone affiliated with the squad came out to show love and look forward to the decades to come. To document and share the event with the world, Def Jam put legendary hip hop photographer Jonathan Mannion in charge of their Instagram account, and the backstage shots he shared of Method Man, Ja Rule, Irv Gotti, Gabrielle Union, EPMDStalley, Rick Ross, Ashanti, Big Sean, and others tell the story of just how special and electric the night was.

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After the takeover, Mannion shared a bonus shot of Rick Ross on his own Instagram with a message of gratitude for the experience and for previous experiences with the label: "It's been an honor to have worked with @defjamrecords for over 16 years with nearly complete coverage of the entire 30 years worth of artists! I'm humbled by the love and respect that I received tonight! Hip Hop is alive and well!"

To see more of the photos that Mannion took, head to the Def Jam Records Instagram page.

[via Twitter]

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