Featuring exclusive prints of some of hip-hop’s biggest names including Jay-Z, Kanye West, Drake, Nas, Lauryn Hill, P Diddy, Usher, Outkast, Snoop : Lion, Nicki Minaj, and Kendrick Lamar, this one-of-a-kind exhibition will pay tribute to hip-hop culture at Thirteen in Braamfontein.

Partnering with avant-garde artists is a Hennessy tradition, and aligning with members of the communities in the countries where the brand operates, has been key to Hennessy’s success and South Africa is no exception. Hennessy was one of the first major alcohol brands to align with an artist, speaking to the brand’s understanding of being for the people and being a brand that the people could mould into their own personal preference.

Widely known for producing eight of Jay Z’s album covers and recently, the Beats by Dre ‘Straight Outta’ campaign, Mannion combines his love for rap music and tenacity for constantly finding different angles, and turns passion and personality into capturing some of the most iconic portraiture to come out of hip-hop culture.

“My goal was to photograph all of the up-and-coming rap superstars of the time. No one had done it before,”explains Mannion about his artistic approach. He goes on to add, “My work is very intimate. Through my photos, I want people to feel like they are sharing a genuine moment in the lives of the international superstars I shoot.”

Through his unique encounters, Mannion has over the past 20-years produced over 300 album covers for some of the biggest names in the hip-hop music industry. Through the Beyond the Covers exhibition, the portrait photographer gives a behind the scenes look at hip-hop artists and icons of their generation’s previously unseen images from his photo shoots. The exhibition is a selection of some of his favourites - images he would have chosen for iconic magazine and album covers if given the call.

Steeped in a history of craftsmanship and refinement, Hennessy continues to remain relevant to its customers in South Africa. Having previously partnered with home-grown talents through the Hennessy Artistry series, today the brand is even more appealing to the local market. While this has seen the majority of the market has based in the financial hub of Gauteng, the brand is enjoying massive growth in other regions like Kwazulu Natal, Western Cape, Eastern Cape and the Free State.

“It’s so much more than just our business model that has driven our success in Africa,” says Pascal Asin, regional managing director for Africa and Middle East at Moët Hennessy, who has been supervising the Hennessy brand forward in Africa for more than a decade. “It’s about adapting the legacy of our brand in such a way that it is culturally relevant to the local market, while retaining its iconic essence.”

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