No Idea's Original: 20 Rap Album Cover Clichés

Hip-hop loves using the same concepts over and over. We break down exactly which ones get abused the most.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Where do rappers get their inspiration from? Each other, apparently. When it comes to album covers, hip-hop has a tendency to run with the same ideas—over and over again. From the classic LP artwork that we'll remember forever, to the new jacks rehashing a proven formula, certain album cover concepts are wildly pervasive within the genre. Off the top of your head, you can probably think of more than a few examples of MCs standing in front of cars, flaunting jewelry, smoking, or any number of overused and abused themes. We started thinking about it and came up with a list of our own. Here are 20 Rap Album Cover Clichés. No idea's original.

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Standing in Front of Expensive Cars (Because I'm Flourishing in Life)

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Rocking a Suit (Because That's What Gangsters Do)

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Stacks of Cash! (Because I'm Rich Now)

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Fire! (Because These Raps Are So Hot!)

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Baby Pictures (Because Everything on This Album Is Real and Has Been Brewing Since Birth; Also, Awwwww)

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Look.At.My.Chain. (Because Nothing Says Wealth Like a Hunk of Metal)

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A Close-Up (Because My Face Sells Things)

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Chilling in Outer Space (Because I'm So Far Beyond Everyone Else)

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No Shirt! (Because Only a Square Conforms to Society's Clothing Conventions)

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Gallivanting With Scantily Clad Women (Because I'm Having So Much Sex Right Now)

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Ice Grills (Because Ain't Nothing Sweet Over Here)

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The "I'm Not on the Cover" Cover (Because I'm an Artist)

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Big Cats (Because I Have Money to Do Exotic Shit Like That, Ya Dig?)

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Smoking (Because, Face It, It's Cool)

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Guns (Because Blowing Up Didn't Make Me Soft)

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Look.At.My.Shoes. (Because Rap Money Keeps My Kick Game Fresh)

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Drinking (Because the Party Never Stops)

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Using the American Flag (Because I Have Things to Say About the State of Our Nation)

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Coordinating an Animal-Themed Moniker or Album Title into the Art Direction (Because Everyone Loves a Visual Pun)

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Animated (Because a Regular Photo Is So Basic)

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