Mel D. Cole, (35) is a self-proclaimed connoisseur of turkey burgers and an avid Buffalo Bills fan that hails from Syracuse, NY. The self-taught lensman has made his home in and around the boroughs of NYC by consistently capturing all the city has to offer from the glamorous to the gritty.

Picking up the lens over seven years ago, he has found himself at the forefront of the NYC photography scene thus making resounding noise internationally via his website Villageslum.com.

He has become known as the “house photographer” for the legendary Roots Crew and has been pinpointed by Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson as his favorite contemporary photographer. Cole’s vision has caught on with a variety of media outlets and personalities (print/online) having shot for Nike, Puma, Heineken, Wieden+Kennedy, Shepard Smith, Okayplayer.com, Epiphany NYC, URB Magazine, Respect Magazine, Vibe Magazine, ID magazine, Burton Snowboards, mogul Sean “P.Diddy” Combs, Etnies Skateboard, RapRadar.com, Magma (Japan), 10Deep, Leroy Jenkins Ltd. and countless other lifestyle brands, musicians and music outlets.

Cole obtained his BA in Multidisciplinary Studies (Cinema and Cultural Studies & African American studies) in 2001 and he currently calls Jersey City, NJ home along with his beautiful dog, Dutchess.

Here, Cole is profiled on the day of his Mel D. Cole/Villageslum x Etnies Sneaker Release Party Presented by LTD Mag Live video by Creative Control.

And here he is interviewed by Tone. Here's what Tone says about Cole: My one time adversary stops by the loft to rap about how he started, the photo game and where his seemingly endless well of energy comes from.

MEL D. COLE from TONE on Vimeo.

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