10 Graffiti Artists Who Could Have Saved Chris Brown’s Cover
The artwork for Chris Brown’s post-beatdown album Graffiti was released earlier this week (pictured above), and it looks like we might have spoken too soon with the Worst Album Covers Of The Year post we did a few months ago.
The cover is kinda reminiscent of something Prince might do, but since the album is entitled Graffiti, and it features Chris Breezy using an aerosol can, it might have behooved him to hire an actual graffiti writer to help illustrate his cover. In fact, big names from the graf world have been designing album art since the dawn of hip-hop. Check out 10 artists who could have helped Chris Brown’s Graffiti look less corny…
ARTIST: HAZE
ALBUM: Beastie Boys Check Your Head
• NYC graf icon Eric Haze is well known for creating iconic logos for groups like EPMD and Public Enemy, as well as the often-imitated lettering on the Beastie Boys’ third album. Today, his name can be found on everything from furniture and G-Shock Watches to T-shirts and Nike Dunks.
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ARTIST: DOZE
ALBUM: Rock Steady Crew “Uprock” (single)
• This graf legend was an original member of the Rock Steady Crew known for being “The King of Characters.” He also did artwork for the b-boy supergroup’s early 12″ single covers, including 1984’s “Uprock” and 1983’s “(Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew.”
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ARTIST: FUTURA 2000
ALBUM: UNKLE Psyence
• This ’70s graf icon first hit the music world when he designed a 7″ single cover for The Clash in 1981. In more recent years, he’s created a regular partnership with seminal British label Mo’ Wax, regularly producing album art, including the haunting 1998 debut from trip-hop outfit UNKLE.
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ARTIST: EWOK
ALBUM: Company Flow, Funcrusher Plus
• This writer, known for his big murals, was just a Pratt student from Upstate, NY when he did this iconic underground rap LP for the early Rawkus Records group. A decade later and he’s one of the most respected names in the game, popping up in galleries around the world.
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ARTIST: CEY ADAMS
ALBUM: Method Man and Redman Blackout
• The legendary creative director from Def Jam was originally a graffiti writer in NYC before going corporate. Since then, he (along with his company The Drawing Board) has designed countless ill album covers, including 3rd Bass’ The Cactus Album, Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet, DMX’s It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot, and many more.
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ARTIST: REAS
ALBUM: Artifacts Wrong Side of Da Tracks
• Todd “REAS” James has had his hand in tons of dope multi-media projects over the years (including Complex’s 2008 Lupe Fiasco cover story!), but one of his early commercial projects was doing the “Artifacts” train piece for the first single from the graf-friendly Jersey rap group.
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ARTIST: KEO
ALBUM: MF Doom Operation Doomsday
• KEO aka Lord Scotch aka Blake Lethem has a storied history in the hip-hop world, which we chronicled in our 2008 feature on his life. In more recent years, he’s re-established his rep with some great cover work, including the debut solo album from the kid formerly known as Zev Love X.
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ARTIST: MISTER CARTOON
ALBUM: Snoop Dogg Malice in Wonderland
• You probably know him as the L.A. tattoo artist who’s inked up everyone from 50 Cent to Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé, but his roots are in graffiti. After years of doing memorable artwork for Cypress Hill, he recently completed the sexy cover for Snoop’s latest album.
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ARTIST: DONDI
ALBUM: Malcolm McLaren Duck Rock
• British music impresario McLaren was alllll over downtown NYC’s hip-hop art fusion on his experimental 1984 album, which features the seminal track “Buffalo Gals.” In addition to collaborating with The World Famous Supreme Team and artist Keith Haring, he got a real graf O.G. Dondi to do the “Duck Rock” lettering you see on the boom box speakers.
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ARTIST: KAWS
ALBUM: Kanye West 808s & Heartbreak
• You already know we love KAWS, who designed our most recent Clipse cover. In 2007, another one of the iconic artist’s fans asked him to create inside artwork and a special iTunes cover for his controversial auto-tune album.
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BONUS ARTIST: BANKSY
ALBUM: Paris Hilton, Paris
• Although he’s not exactly a “graffiti writer” by traditional standards, British street artist Banksy has done some album artwork of his own…sort of. In 2006, he slickly inserted his own subversive messages into 500 copies of Paris Hilton’s debut album and put them back in UK record stores for unsuspecting consumers to discover.
g November 4, 2009 at 2:06 pm
his cover looks like a fag spray painting ready to beat a girl with a guitar. captures him amazingly.
th!z November 4, 2009 at 2:52 pm
that album cover literally blinded me with fury. thank god there has been some public acknowledgment of how.. disgusting it is. i plan to go over every single chris brown poster they put up in brooklyn
swizzy November 4, 2009 at 3:32 pm
dondi!
KILL November 4, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Ewok wouldnt do a sell out like Chris “punch a bitch eye out” Brown first of all, and 2nd you used the fake Ewok’s picture and the wrong side of the Album. Do your research better.
the enablist November 4, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Um, Dondi passed away a while ago. You could’ve taken Tracy 168 who designed the Wild Style cover. Good looks on EWOK though
spud November 4, 2009 at 5:48 pm
you guys forgot about SKAM!!! from Toronto…deadstock.ca
JasonBurnz November 4, 2009 at 7:40 pm
Zephyr did the wildstyle cover. and banksy isnt exactly doing “graphic design gigs” like album covers. more like turning down million dollar offers from celebs.
oh, and chris brown is so wack (or in graffiti terms: toy) im embarassed to even talk about him.
save it for the birdz.
Jensen Malono November 4, 2009 at 7:52 pm
Kinda dope about Ewok, but you failed misserably with thse 2 wong images. you got the front of the Co Flow cover, when he did the back artowrk, and the piece is the fake Ewok, not Ewok 5MH. LOL Try again bud. May I suggest using his website next time.
mr-ewokone.com
vazquez November 4, 2009 at 9:54 pm
banksy is a bad ass. all of his work has some depth into it, unlike mark ecko’s fake tag on the Air Force 1
Pilooski November 4, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Banksy’s about as deep as a kiddy pool. Corporate made “art” to look like 1 guy, get outta here you sheeple consumer. Matter of fact its very similar to Marc Ecko, you just dont know any better.
Also that’s not the EWOK you’re talking about editor, shame on you.
smh
Jensen knows the drilly
melissa November 4, 2009 at 11:44 pm
i think the cover is hot& new… ppl need 2give up the hold rihanna thing.
Ike Turner November 5, 2009 at 12:02 am
Lemme beat the shit out of you, see what you think about giving it up. LOLLLLLLL
Gucci November 5, 2009 at 3:45 am
True Story
SCRT77 November 5, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Y’all forgot ESPO, he did Tommy Guerrero’s “Soul Food Taqueria” – http://www.tommyguerrero.com/img/albums/soulfoodtaqueria-lg.jpg
anibal November 5, 2009 at 5:15 pm
yall got your ewoks mixed up ewok 5mh did the co flow cover i believe and you got a flick of ewok hm from minneapolis
97 pockets Phat November 6, 2009 at 3:32 pm
LOL, cant believe dude made the Ewok mistake, I would assume everyone knew the difference.
beatjunkie November 7, 2009 at 12:14 am
*hAzE!*
Dboo November 9, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Why is there a Klondike add in the Ewok link? and you mixed the ewok pic up.
Sine November 10, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Fuck that shit, Rihanna and Chris were fighting, the bitch wunt sitting in a corner simply getting punched, fuck it tho, the cover is wack & Chris Borwn can’t sing. Rihanna’s aiite, but my chick is hella hottter than she…
Mark November 10, 2009 at 4:17 pm
You forgot DUG1 who has a company called Morning Breath Inc. They did album covers for AFI, Jay Z, De la soul and were even nominated for a grammy for the AFI cover!!! WEST COAST!!!
steven November 11, 2009 at 11:27 am
good list. reas did alot more classic record covers then that artifacts one but your biggest blunder is with the EWOK photos. how you gonna put the fake ewok2 photo and the WRONG album artwork image. then again what should i expect from such a subpar “culture” magazine.
Icon November 13, 2009 at 1:54 pm
i think you guys forgot to mention mear http://www.formatmag.com/art/mear-one/
Biggie November 13, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Tical!
R00FÜ$ November 13, 2009 at 3:23 pm
http://www.vimeo.com/3035056
Streetsdisciple November 13, 2009 at 3:53 pm
^^^That ones good but watch this one http://vimeo.com/6925154 Ewok an Pose burn
Top Flite LustreKote November 13, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Yea I like the color schemes ewok does. He always come correct. In the other video ewok and pose switch tags out in Tokyo. Ironlak paying the bills! http://vimeo.com/7527531
rs November 16, 2009 at 8:34 pm
“his cover looks like a fag spray painting ready to beat a girl with a guitar. captures him amazingly.”
G I agree.. What the fu**
I could have helped him greatly. Even for free for how sad this cover is.
Crook November 17, 2009 at 10:20 am
Wow what a fag..he looks like a reject from the matrix who decided to play the guitar.chris brown sould just go back to beating rhiannas ass because hes the only thing hes good at.u wanna know he reason why those artist didnt do his album cover? because they are under the roof of real hip hop n not mainstream crap like chris brown.
Tommy G November 18, 2009 at 8:50 am
EWOK gots so much style. All his walls come alive. AUGOR JAES POSE also kill it. http://vimeo.com/5497768
Ohg November 18, 2009 at 8:59 pm
LOL his pants are crazyy tight!!! LOL Son could have got Revok or Ewok but they wouldnt F*** with this fool. Weezy to busy painting around the world http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyTBcdl7QQk
Ohg November 18, 2009 at 8:59 pm
And Revok wont fuck wit spandex wearin niggas he busy doin big things http://vimeo.com/7566485