Small Town Hip Hop

"When Jared Soares decided to document the hip-hop scene in Roanoke, Virginia, he wasn’t entirely sure it existed. But he was passionate about hip-hop music, and wanted to see if it could thrive even in a small town mostly known for bluegrass. He also wanted to try doing a long-term photography project for the first time.

Soares, then a photojournalist at the Roanoke Times, didn’t have to look too far. After stepping into a corner store, he saw CDs for sale at the counter. Most were bootleg copies of mainstream hip-hop artists like Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy, but among them he found three local albums, with contact information listed on the back. He started calling: The first line was disconnected, the second played waiting music, and the third connected him to Terrance Palmer, who designed cover art for a lot of area artists.

“I kind of explained what I wanted to do. He said, ‘I hate talking on the phone. Can you meet me in person?’ I said, ‘When?’ He said, ‘How about now?’ ” Soares said."

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