If you went to buy Yeezus from iTunes, you probably noticed the unorthodox banner accompanying the release. Although most big name musicians have bumpers made from graphic designers on steroids, Kanye West's new album is accompanied by a simple drawing that looks like it was done in pencil in five seconds. The person behind the artwork is none other than New York-based street artist JIM JOE.
Many people who live in the East Village in NYC have seen his works scrawled on concrete, though he doesn't show his face. He's built up a buzz on the streets and online; people have even made a cult around him. Sometimes the Montreal-born artist simply declares his presence with his name written all over the streets, but he is also known to create funny works like his one that reads, "NOT LONG IS HOW LONG THIS TAG TOOK ME." A quick Google search will reveal what we're talking about.
Apparently JIM JOE created the illustration that appears above for Kanye and his collective of developers DONDA. The drawing is noticeably similar to the striking photo taken of Kanye for his New York Times interview, photographed by Nick Knight. Maybe Kanye is dedicated to bringing street artists into the forefront, and they should be. We'd love to see some of the best graffiti makers living it up like rappers, yelling "Hurry up with my damn croissants!"
[viaTheLocalEastVillage]
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