Lawrence Watson was born in Hammersmith, London, in 1963. In 1979 he left school aged 16 and undertook an apprenticeship at a darkroom in Old Street. He then graduated to a darkroom at London Weekend Television, and whilst there developed his portfolio in the evenings at the weekends and began contributing to the New Musical Express. In the early '80s Lawrence was commissioned to document the emerging New York hip-hop scene and his portraits of legendary artists from that era include Run DMC, Eric B, Rakim and Public Enemy. Lawrence's interest in music has led him to work with such legendary bands and musicians as Paul Weller, Morrissey, Oasis, Pulp, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Orbital, Issac Hayes, Pet Shop Boys, Jesus and Mary Chain, Neneh Cherry, Ian Brown, Grace Jones, New Order and George Clinton.