This Graphic Designer Created the Hip-Hop Emojis You Need in Your Life

It's pretty obvious that emojis are the language of the future. The little digital characters are everywhere, and we couldn't be happier about it. With emojis for tacos, synagogues, and eye-rolls possibly on the way this year, we will soon be able to completely ignore the keyboards on our phones and have entire conversations with the little icons. Of course, there are times when smiley faces and eggplants aren't enough, but there are talented people out there like Frank Lepkowski who are working to fill that void.

We came up with lists of Kanye emojis that we wish existed and other very necessary icons, but @Frank.gl has taken the hip-hop emoji game to a new level, designing rap emojis (#RapMoji) inspired by everything from lean bottles to "bruh." Lepkowski explained the project and his process to us via email: "I began by blending preexisting Emoji with rap imagery and phrases. By doing so I’ve studied what defines the Emoji visual style and have since started creating original RapMoji that draw purely from rap imagery."

"Rappers love telling stories with Emoji," he added. "They co-opt these things and make a language all their own. Think of every time Chief Keef fires off a tweet, or when you scroll through the comments on a rapper’s Instagram. Emoji are already a staple in the rap community. I’m creating Emoji that reflect the rap world."

Check out a few of our favorites in the list below, and head to Frank's Instagram to see more.