Hip-hop historian, OG graffiti artist and industry veteran Fab 5 Freddy is getting some recognition in the art world for his mixed media pieces. The former 'YO! MTV Raps' host was recently honored as the first artist-in-residence at the Cosmopolitan Hotel's P3 Studio in Las Vegas.

Freddy's work -- a mixture of boxing and striptease scenes -- is featured throughout the hotel's luxurious properties and in a site-specific gallery exhibit. The exhibit is titled 'Crystal Punch,' and, while varied, mostly centers around these images of athleticism. Most pieces start with an original piece of photography that's then altered digitally and printed before being adorned with Swarovski crystals.

"These pieces are about light and the movement of the viewer, part of a narrative set on a Kabuki-like stage where these boxing gladiators are newly illuminated, a reflection of the gloss on their lifestyle and sport," explained Fab 5 about a series of featured artwork. "And the crystals add glow and power to these iconic women set on the same stage."

Freddy was actually one of the first graffiti artists to show his artwork in an official gallery. He's generally also considered influential for pairing the uptown hip-hop community with the downtown arts world in Manhattan in the late '70s, creating new avenues for collaboration and inspiring some of the more interesting early hit songs in the genre such as Blondie's 'Rapture.'

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