Sacha Jenkins, Renowned Director and Hip-Hop journalist, Has Passed Away
His impressive career is represented by dozens of projects, several artistic directions and multiple decades. Born in 1971, Jenkins was raised in New York City, to which he moved from Philadelphia in the late 70’s. In 1988 he published “Graphic Scenes and Xplicit Language,” one of the earliest magazines dedicated to graffiti art, while in 1992 he founded “Beat Down,” which was described as “America’s first Hip-Hop newspaper.” Two years later he would go on to co-found “Ego Trip” alongside Elliott Wilson, a publication which left a significant mark, despite only releasing 13 issues during a 4-year period.
This was just the tip of the iceberg, as throughout the years, Jenkins would publish several books, direct notable documentaries, spearhead multiple TV shows for VH1, and play in several bands. Some of the highlights of his career include co-writing Eminem’s autobiography, “The Way I Am,” working on the TV adaptation of a hit comic, “The Boondocks,” and writing and producing an off-Broadway play, “Deez Nuts: A Musical Massacre,” about a journalist who interviews The Beatnuts.
He wrote and edited for some of the biggest Hip-Hop publications, including Vibe, Rolling Stone, and Spin. Many of his books were focused on graffiti art, which was a huge influence in his early life. He directed the 2021 film, “Bitchin’: The Sound and Fury of Rick James,” the 2023 Biz Markie documentary, “All Up in the Biz,” “Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues,” and many more. His work on the docuseries, “Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men,” earned him an Emmy nomination for best writing for a non-fiction program. At the time of his death, he was the creative director in Mass Appeal.
May he rest in peace.
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