ILLMATIC COVER REDESIGN
Finally, after spending too much time on it, I've completed this redesign of one of my favorite albums of all time. Widely considered the best hip-hop record ever, "Illmatic" is an icon, and the cover is so iconic I knew I had to do it justice in this redesign.
Credit to Skanda for the amazing illustration of 'baby Nas' (IG: skanda_illustrations)
Credit to Skanda for the amazing illustration of 'baby Nas' (IG: skanda_illustrations)
THE BACK
The back was vastly underutilized in the original, merely displaying the list of tracks in the album. By far, one of the most recognized logos in hip-hop is the blackletter Nas logo, and I wanted to do it justice by displaying it ultra-large on the back of the album. Accompanied by the legal text and track list.
The back was vastly underutilized in the original, merely displaying the list of tracks in the album. By far, one of the most recognized logos in hip-hop is the blackletter Nas logo, and I wanted to do it justice by displaying it ultra-large on the back of the album. Accompanied by the legal text and track list.
INSIDE SPREAD
The original contained a printed record sleeve, but for this redesign, I decided to go with a fold-open style cover. The double-length inside spread displays the production information and shoutouts from Nas, as in the original. Accompanied by the iconic photography showing Nas and his crew.
THE FRONT
The most iconic aspect of the original cover is the picture of 'baby Nas.' In order to preserve this element while keeping a clean and aesthetic look, the image is replaced by a fantastic illustrated representation created by Skanda. The album name moves to the top and is set in handmade calligraphy blackletter.
The most iconic aspect of the original cover is the picture of 'baby Nas.' In order to preserve this element while keeping a clean and aesthetic look, the image is replaced by a fantastic illustrated representation created by Skanda. The album name moves to the top and is set in handmade calligraphy blackletter.
VIINYL LABEL
To incorporate the Queensbridge housing projects, which played a key part in the life of Nas, I created a custom illustration that combines the iconic triangular projects building with the letters NAS to showcase the origin of this album in a unique way while keeping the front cover clean.
ANALOG PROCESS
I love combining analog and digital assets to create my designs, as I did for this project. I was really excited to put my calligraphy "skills" to good use to recreate the iconic Nas logo in a more natural and rough way. To create a cohesive aesthetic throughout the cover, I also used the same calligraphy style for the album name "Illmatic."
