“The Last Word” from The Source: André LeRoy Davis’ contributions to Hip Hop and comics

ABSTRACT

André LeRoy Davis is best known as the creator of ‘The Last Word,’ a series of one-page comic illustrations that were featured on the last page of The Source magazine. They were published non-stop in countless issues of this Hip Hop periodical from September 1990 to January 2007. This article is a compilation of edited excerpts from an interview session conducted during the winter of 2020. It was held shortly after the Schomburg Center’s Annual Black Comic Book Festival in Harlem, New York. The conversation focuses on how André’s experiences during his formative and adult years inspire his comic art content. We discuss his family’s origins in Barbados; his experiences growing up in Brooklyn, New York; the Hip Hop culture within the High School of Art & Design when he was a student; his earliest experiences as a professional freelance artist; and the evolution of his creative process.

KEYWORDS:

• African American
• Barbados
• Brooklyn
• caricature
• High school of art & design
• School of visual arts

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).