Album Artwork: The Growth, I Am We, and Blues People
Brief:
Each of the above artists were looking for album artwork designs that were simple, yet eye-catching. These artists wanted their individual character and personality to translate well through their album artwork.
Approach:
Aswad Creative’s goal for each design was to invoke the viewer to think, analyze, interpret, and purchase the music of each artist based solely on the album’s artwork. Each graphic was designed to leave the “clutter” out that’s prevalent on the artwork of many Hip Hop albums. We believed that less “bling” would bring about more integrity in the design. Additonally, we based the designs on the theme of the music on the albums. Therefore, “The Growth’s” design shows a Weldon Merrial deep in thought, which is reflective of the albums introspective mood. I Am We, is an album based on the concept of “Sankofa”, which means to “go back and fetch it”. The I Am We artwork displays the Sankofa bird, which symbolizes looking back and learning from the past in order to impact your future. The Blues People cover displays a picture of the historical “Uptown Theater”, a theater where Blues, Jazz, and Soul Legends once performed on a nightly basis. The theme of the Blues People album is to show that Hip Hop is an inherited form of music that’s an extension of Blues, Jazz, and Soul music. Displaying an old and boarded up, Uptown Theater, symbolizes what Hip Hop has inherited in the “old” and “dusty” Blues, Jazz, and Soul records that many artists sample from for music today.
Delivery:
Based on the approach, the end result is three album covers that invoke the viewer to think, analyze, interpret, and purchase the music of each artist based solely on the album’s artwork. The designs are simple, yet eye-catching, and all speak to the theme of each album. Aswad Creative and the artists consistently receive positive feedback on the designs of the album covers.
Posted on: 17.12.2009