Bender was a former KOTD champ with battle videos that had amassed hundreds of thousands of views. It was what he was known for the most, but his skill set extended well past his lyrical wizardry.
Not as many people are familiar with his work as a portrait artist, but it’s really something any fan of Bender’s should take a moment to appreciate.
It’s interesting to see his style develop – from his earlier portraits to his more recent work – and also seeing who inspired Bender to draw them. Who had enough impact or influence on Bender to compel him to take the time to create. There’s a lot of fallen hip-hop and music legends, as well cultural influencers like Stan Lee. Bill Murray, Bob Marley, Rick James, Venom, The Warriors, The Sopranos, and so much more.
It’s his love for this type of work that makes the new Bender mural in Ottawa the perfect type of tribute. Now we just need to make sure that part of the wall is preserved in Bender’s honour.
We picked some of our favourite hip-hop related portraits to share with you. Click here to view his portrait portfolio.
2Pac
Notorious B.I.G.
Big L
Big Pun
Black Thought
De La Soul
Eazy-E
Gucci Mane
Ice Cube
JAY-Z
Method Man
Nas
ODB
Public Enemy
Raekwon
Slick Rick
Redman
Sean Price
