WTF Happened to Hip Hop Album Covers? 

Does album cover really matter as longs as the music is good? Just asking

I miss the CD era when you got a whole booklet themed around the album. Some of them had all the lyrics in them.

A good album cover should be included the same way a music video goes with a hit song. Great visuals will always help tie everything together. I don’t think you can have a truly iconic song/album without a visual aspect to go along with it

Album covers will never be the same without the public being forced to buy physical copies. This generation will never experience that feeling. But this video showed that album art covers are still relevant. All forms of art are relevant....

Kanye's 'Dark fantasy' has the perfect album cover to match the feel of the music; it adds sooo much to the listening experience. Also, if you bought the CD version there are multiple covers that, at least I feel, expand the story of the album even further.

I've always been extremely critical of album art as it is the first piece of content, aside from the music itself, that gives us any clue as to the direction the artist is going and possibly the theme of the album. When artists don't try with their album covers, it literally gets me mad because it's the thing I'll first see to determine if I'll give the album a listen when it's released. Some of my all-time favorite are "TPAB," "ANTI," "Madvillainy," "After Hours," "Awaken My Love," "SWIMMING," "The Life of Pablo," "MBDTF," "Life After Death," "Long Live ASAP," "The Eminem Show," and so many more.

Logic album covers have always stand out for me.

High quality music and quality album covers are a lost art form(not just hip hop). I think its still important, especially for artists who cater to the patrons who shop at record stores and buy albums or collect (CD,Vinyl, Cassette ). I still buy albums from the record store to read the credits , for the audio and visual.

90% of fans will never see album art bigger than its sportify thumbnail

As a rap cover artist, this is enlightening, and i want to thank you!

The “Take Care” album cover is so simple yet so legendary! I’m not saying it’s the best, but it definitely was a memorable time every chance I see it.

I cant tell yall how many times I picked up an album cause i thought the cover was nice just to find great music. The fact that so many rappers treat it like it doesnt mean anything is wild to me. Your album cover doesnt have to be a masterpiece that could be displayed at the MoMA but it should be able to tell a lil but about who you are and where this album is going, just like a litte clue to a riddle that is your music.

Illmatic,Low End Theory,Madvillainy, MBDTF, TPAB etc are examples of how you put so much work for making a Goated cover & album.

Album covers can also be a first impression which is why they’re so important

Them old cash money and no limit album covers were legendary. Still are to me.

The point of an album cover is to convey the idea of the theme and vibe this album would give

Kid Cudi always makes really low-key but beautiful covers. Also yachty got some points for the way he stood behind his cover when he talked about it, idk much about him but the inclusiveness in the album and him not wavering because some people didn't get it really shows he's got his head on straight about how to care about all people in this time, much respect maybe I'll check out some of his music

Some of the most iconic albums are recognised because of the covers. The Chronic, 2001, Illmatic etc. And while we’re on the subjects of current albums, what’s with all this silly trend of the track lists being in all caps, or lower case?

I really like this conversation. I think rap and music in general is not just about how it sounds, it's something else. The meaning of art.

I miss old hip-hop album covers just as much as I miss the good music to support it.

Ice Cube's "Death Certificate"or Master Ace's "A long Hot Summer" those are covers that stood the test of time, Kendrick's Good Kidd Madd City is another one that just works in today's era it tells you everything those albums are in just one picture Rap artists need to keep this style of covers going

Most of the underground hiphop album covers are artistic and fire. Vinyl say's it all!

As a long time graphic designer in the southern rap industry I have seen 1st hand the change in cover trends and how they either matter greatly or are just place holders for streaming songs.

It's ok to go experimental. Just try to know what you're doing and don't simply make something for the sake of going viral. There'a ALWAYS been bad covers but with the rise of social media, some artists would rather just play it safe for the sake of not getting clowned on and be called "bad" just from the cover alone. But at the same time, there's been SO MANY great alternative art works from fans and critics and you can try to contact those said people to agree to use that cover art for your next project. Now I'm not saying you should ALWAYS do this and you should try to give the artist their credit. But, you can try your heart out and if you fail, then try again.

Great question. what the hell happened to good album covers?🤦🏿😭

To me, the most prevalent and timeless albums are always the ones in which the artist understands that the album is much more than just the tracks. They treat it like an experience and augment it with all kinds of complementary media. That includes the promotional material, music videos, tour visuals, merch, any misc. goodies that come with the physical media (if it exists), and of course the album artwork. In general, the artwork, other than being most people's first interpretation of an album, is also probably the easiest way for artists to convey that experience to the listener. That's why when I see artists release albums with covers that are really generic or even aesthetically ugly, it ends up being a huge blow to my overall enjoyment of an album. Also, as a vinyl collector, I view album art as a kind of visual art piece for display. Another reason why bad/bland artwork really messes w/ me.

Relapse, GRODT, ILLMATIC, 2001, Encore, Graduation, knock Madness, carter 3, Don Killuminati, Under Pressure… and so much more will always be some of my favorites

I actually like Expensive Pain's cover art, if you listen to the music it's a visual representation of it, and it relates. I like that Meek tried something different and actually commissioned a Black Female artist to do the art

That Teenage Emotions cover is so great. “It doesn’t matter who you are, what you look like or what people think of you, we can all have fun together” is the message I get from seeing it

Thank you for this! Damn the culture needed this one! Album covers are as important as the music and the lyrics. As crucial as Oxygen in water, 1000%! The relationship between the album art and music is symbiotic - you can't find 1 song since music was commercialized without an album cover... we need art now more than ever!

I'm so glad I was born in 1989, in the peak of the Golden era of hip-hop and when album covers were one, if not the, reasons why you would even purchase the record... NWAs "Straight Outta Compton", Slick Rick's " The Great Adventures of Slick Rick", Public Enemy's "It Takes A Nation...", and even though it came out in 1990, 2 Live Crew's "As Nasty As They Wanna Be" are prime examples and STILL legendary covers in 2023. I remember BIG's daughter on his debut when she was a baby, I remember 2Papocalypse with all the druids behind Pac like disciples, Wu-Tang and the Killer Bees 🐝 coming right at you on the cover, like this generation can't comprehend the meaning and context of the album cover.

For me, there was a good couple of great album covers in 2022. The Forever Story, Melt My Eyez (and the deluxe), In Dimes We Trust, Mr Morale, Simple (this is how you do a purely art cover), Heroes and Villains, Her Loss (this is a stretch as Yatchy picked it but I just really like it) and This Is What I Mean are a bunch off the top of my head. They either are incredibly unique or pull off the "basic" cover to another level. Take In Dime We Trust for example. Yes it's the basic "face on the front" cover, BUT HIS FACE IS LITERALLY A DIME. Clevel play on not only the album title, but also his name, which is "Mike Dimes"

The thumbnail took me out 😂

I feel like back in the day before the internet album covers mattered a lot because if you went to a record store a lot of times you would buy a record based on the cover art

Music/Game Cover art and Movie posters are a really important art form that im obsessed with so im glad more people are appreciating it and condemning these lazy pieces.

Another great artist not mentioned here is Estevan Oriol who did the artwork for Cypress Hill

I think fans understand, although not directly, that we look at all an artist does as a representation of themselves; from music, to song selection/titles, to the album covers. When an artist slacks on those parts, it's an opportunity lost to gain attention from their core fans and the general audience.

"I was there when master p invented the ugly gold foil pixel album covers if you need that artwork I got the plug"

Album covers are a window into the house that is the album

cool video, love topics like this. Totally agree with the severe lack of emphasis or concern for album covers, in hip hop and beyond. The music is of course biggest, but putting out and ALBUM, you should always be thoughtful and deliberate when it comes to artwork and presentation.

As the owner of a creative studio, artist don’t value cover art anymore more. A lot of them rather try to make it themselves then to pay professionals. The artist are cheap and the labels don’t wanna invest in them, when the next artist can just go viral on tiktok and have a career

The real problem is artists trying to "go viral" with their artwork instead of presenting an image that can be remembered for a life time. Too many artists thinking short term instead of long term. It's a recipe for failure. Perfect example is Drake. When you think of a Drake cover art... everyone thinks about Take Care or Nothing Was The Same. Nobody thinks about the trash that was CLB or If Youre Reading This It's Too Late.

I could stare at that Madvillainy cover for hours. I highly recommend picking it up on vinyl just to look at it

Killer video! Jeff Janks Was the creative director who edited the Madvillain cover; the photographer was Eric Coleman

As a Graphic Designer, album/mixtape covers are a key element to my career path... Those No Limit covers were shocking though 🤣🤣

My favorite CD cover/cases were the ones No Limit put out in the 90's. The cases were brightly colored with a higher quality plastic, many of the covers were embossed and had a metallic shine.

Banger video bro and I really don't think these new artists really understand how important a good cover is!!

As a person who collects vinyl records. I love artist who puts a lot of effort in creating an amazing album art it adds to the experience when listening to the record. Check out Brad Moores work who creates some masterpieces for Death Metal bands ie Tomb Mold and Worm

TAKASHI WHO?!?

Cube's death certificate has always been my favorite album cover.

As a album cover artist, I think its very important to have a good cover its like the kicks that complete the fit.

Respect on the video. Went into detail about how everything was conceptualized and not just what it was at face and not many people do that. Def earned a dub off this. Keep up the good work

As an artist who has created covers and other misc art work for many known and unknown artist covers are def important and help the whole vibe of the album it’s like the intro the outro and essence in one

This is why I’ve always loved Logic’s album covers. It captures the vibe of the album perfectly

I just love how the guy in the intro goes "STAND UP TO THIS uh im actually from philly i shoud support meek mill THIS IS DISGUSTING BULLSHIT" just the brief calmness in tone then the return to rage

as an album designer and hip hop fan this was a really interesting video. i have yet to design for the hip hop genre but would love to do that in the future

Kendrick Lamar pretty much hits in the nail every-time. Also Jcole forest hill drive cover was really dope and simplistic. Also a newer one playboi carter die lit album cover pretty much to a T represent that album perfectly. Album covers matter bro I always look at the album cover sometimes even till this day if I don’t know what song I want to play I’ll go in my library and play a song base off the cover even if I know the song. KEEP ALBUM COVERS also logic under pressure cover

Whether you like the music or not Playboi Carti "Die Lit" cover probably one of the hardest in recent history...

You have no idea how happy it made me to see you mention A$AP Rocky, Tyler, the Creator and Travis Scott in the begging of the vid. They're literally my top 3 in Hip Hop for a reason. Their artistry is far beyond most works put out today.

That Youngboy Cover wasn’t used for “From the bayou” but it is still a funny cover 😂

The album cover is important. It sets the mood for me

New sub. This only my second video watching on your channel. Dude you’re awesome!

Great video 🔥

People missed out on the Datpiff wave of Hip hop, literally every mixtape cover looked like a movie 🔥

I think a lot of it lies in whether album are created as if they can stand on its own as a piece of art or if it exists in a supplementary role. A lot of Pen and Pixel's work would fall into that supplementary role because it is very clear what it is advertising on the cover and it wouldn't necessarily be able to stand on its own without the music, but despite this, they are some of the best to do it and are good examples of pushing limits of what you can do in that kind of design space. Then there are the album covers like photographs that can speak on its own and convey story individually while also pertaining to the contents of the album. There's a lot of shitty work put on album covers though since some people try to go for a nocel idea or try to force bad or anti design.

This was information I didn’t know that I needed to know. Great vid.

This whole video is fascinating. You got me on the Ca$h Money and No Limit era of album covers. I knew it was a status, but I never knew it was a specific art team responsible for it.

Honestly, this video just made me realize how much I like looking at art and photos while listening to music.

Remember the excitement back in the day when it was a new artist or album you were waiting to get from the store? First thing you saw was the artwork. It draws you in. Travis Scott definitely brings that vibe that’s why he’s top tier for me

great video!

Good take on all this ! “Under The Act” best artwork I seen in years 🗣️🔥

As an artist this sad how bad the album covers look nowadays. Back in the day consumers got immersed in the vibe of the album from the cover to the insert. The goal is to create a mood and not to throw scrap art together.

💿 don't sell anymore. It's all about the streams. The cover doesn't matter. the song does

all facts!! great video family!

My favorite artists are still dropping amazing album covers, from Griselda to Armand Hammer/billy woods to JID to TDE, etc...

Rick Ross should’ve kept the original artwork. Sometimes (SOMETIMES), having something that’s being memes or ridiculed is better than something elicits no emotion at all

Great video.

Just came to say thank you, I had a good laugh looking at the thumbnail damn I laughed so hard. Thank you

Look into Jon Fields. One thing about him is how much he puts into everything. His cover art for his song Riot, was super dope and when you look at the music video, it all made sense. His song, J'Africa's cover art was crazy. He took a mural that was done by an artist from Mississippi of a black kid, and made it the cover, and when you listen to the song it all makes sense as to why he chose it. There are artists out there putting in work and they deserve attention.

It makes me mad that some artists don’t try with their album covers. Like at least do something creative and visually appealing,not something ugly and not creative.

that thumbnail album cover looks like a street fighter 2 character

This was done well and very informative!

KOD has an amazing cover art and it goes along with the amazing album same thing with modus vivindi and you can’t kill me. 070 shake snapped wit those too and so did cole

Rodeo expanded edition album cover captured the tone pretty well for me.

My pick for the top: Geto Boys’ “We Can’t Be Stopped.” Bushwick Bill has stated that he regretted the vulnerability of the hospital hallway photo shortly after he was shot in the eye during a struggle with his girlfriend over a gun, in which he was asking to be killed. Tracks such as ‘Mind Playing Tricks on Me’ discuss the paranoia and pain experienced by the artists, something which was put on full display in that (in)famous photograph.

The Birdman and YB cover has me CRYING ☠️☠️☠️

I’ve come to the conclusion that the internet ruined hip hop lol

this is an interesting dialogue that i wish we heard from more artists, I like little details especially in something conceptual.

pen and pixel have the best covers hands down

LiveLoveAsap cover was just perfect for the aesthetic of the album.

Can’t believe you didn’t show 50 Cents iconic Get Rich or Die Trying album cover

6:11 i never knew old people had a problem with the teenage emotions cover! that one was a masterpiece

Naw tht thumbnail is violation at its finest 😭

A great album cover really sales the experience you’re about to go on with a piece of music. My rule of thumb for album art is if you can hang it in your house your doing something right.

The tribe called quest example WAS PERFECTION

I watched this whole video hoping to see the old school No Limit covers. This video did not disappoint.

pen n pixel covers are so wild and bold, I cant get enough of em

Asap rocky has the best album covers in the game his first three project covers are DOPE and illmatic is just iconic

Trippie got some pretty underrated Album Covers tbh

I really do seem too have my attention captured by the images on those fancy album covers for sure. i love that whole bling bling look with fancy mansions, palm trees and baller rides in the mid 90s and early to mid 2000s those album covers like no limit and cashmoney and etc. I love those albums even more if the music is so catchy with the fast gfunk and crunk and bounce style music.