The Origins.
The genesis of this would be Number 1 album goes back many years before it would see the light of day.
Before I was even a full time graphic designer I was a beatmaker with an art school education.
Wale and I would work on music, going to whatever recording studio would have us or recording in the basement. But it wasn’t until we re-connected after losing contact did things take off.
Quick, dirty, and guerilla style. That’s how this mixtape cover came about. As soon as I heard the concept I had the cover. I had seen the Seinfeld promo photo a long time ago and immediately looked for it, with Wale emerging as the preeminent sneakerhead at the time I knew it would be the perfect image. Swiped his pose from his URB cover and the rest was history.
When it was time to do it again after leaving Interscope the stakes were a little higher. We had to make something just as visually arresting but with no magazine cover to swipe I had to break out the camera and snap the images of Wale myself. I would have preferred to keep it white like the Seinfeld promo imagery in the first mixtape, but the powers that be insisted on “color.”
The Mixtape Becomes an Album
When it was time to revisit this concept for the final time, as a full length album, I wanted to go BIG. With unbelievable support and access from Jerry Seinfeld himself, I felt it was time to step up from mere photoshopped images to a full on photoshoot. I sketched my heart out and presented the concept sketches to Wale and the label to: they loved em.
Then nothing.
After hearing nothing for 4 months I get a call asking about the artwork for the album. We were 45 days out from the album needing to be turned in. Apparently my concept sketches were a little too polished (maybe I shouldn’t have printed them and presented them in jewel cases). Instead of seeing them as sketches for a photoshoot they thought that I would be illustrating the covers. On top of that they thought I would be illustrating 2 covers at that.
A Compromise
Upon hearing this I asked if we could just do something a little more involved. My pitch was to do a digi-pak with an acetate sleeve.
The image of Wale and table at Monk’s would be printed on the front underside of the sleeve.
The Wale logo and title would be printed on the white digi-pak
When the digi-pak is removed it would reveal Jerry and the rest of the scene at Monk’s printed on the inside back of the acetate sleeve (SEE VID >>>)
The answer was a resounding NO.
The Conclusion
In the end it all worked out. In less than 45 days I was able to produce 2 covers for print as well as tour merch, promotional swag, tour bus graphics, and single art. Not too shabby for a one man band. All in all some pretty cool art came from this project, I’m thankful I was able to create it.
Oh yeah, and the album debuted at #1.
