This is a pretty creative idea inspired by The Guardian’s round-up of classic album covers in Google street view. Any rap fan is familiar with these famous album covers from Nas’ Illmatic to Warren G’s Regulate…G Funk Era. So Mass Appeal took on the mission to discover the exact location of where these covers were shot with captions that give some information about the area. For example, Big L’s Lifestylez Ov Da Poor And Dangerous was shot in front of The United Fried Chicken on the corner of 139th and Lenox. And it was inspired by the television series, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.
Read a preview of the article below, and head over to Mass Appeal to check out the whole thing.
1.
WARREN G. - 'REGULATE…G FUNK ERA'
Album Photo Credit: Michael Miller
On the corner of E 21st Street and Lewis Ave in Long Beach, CA, Warren G featured his old neighborhood on his debut album cover. Inspired by the rap group 415 (Richie Rich, D-Loc and producers DJ Daryl and J.E.D.) Warren G formed the rap group 213 with Snoop and Nate Dogg here.
2.
LL COOL J - 'BIGGER AND DEFFER (BAD)'
Album Photo Credit: Glen E. Friedman
Mr. Smith uses his former high school, Andrew Jackson, in Queens for his sophomore album. It was closed down in 1993 and later reopened as the Humanities and Arts Magnet School in its place.
