Music

Travis Scott wanted to recreate the euphoria of his shut-down Six Flags theme park with Astroworld, which ended up being the best world-building of his career to date. Centered around an inflated golden Travis Scott head, kids’ joyful screams and carnival game sounds radiate through the Astroworld cover, as La Flame welcomed fans to the rollercoaster ride of a lifetime with his magnum opus. Some may have forgotten that Scott teased an alternate nighttime version of the cover art, which was much more explicit and boasted naked women. – MICHAEL SAPONARA

Photographed by Jora Frantzis with art direction and design by Nicholas Fulcher, Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy artwork immediately announced the arrival of hip-hop’s brightest new star. A striking image whose rich saturation and bold color combinations play on Bardi’s boisterous personality, the Invasion album cover also foreshadowed the Grammy winner’s entry into the high fashion world, thanks to her stylish black-and-white checkered fit. From her slightly tilted head to her playful tongue curl, Cardi B nailed her debut album cover, gifting new-age hip-hop one of its most iconic photoshoots. — KYLE DENIS

With East Coast rap ruling the hip-hop circuit in the early ’90s, rising New York duo Mobb Deep looked to plant its flag and become a corner for the new generation of MCs. Its second album, 1995’s The Infamous, was composed of ice-cold threats and villainous barbs. The artwork, created by photographer Delphine A. Fawundu, features a powerful image of a stone-faced Havoc and Prodigy slightly blurred behind him outside Queensbridge Houses, symbolizing the album’s gritty, street-oriented themes and setting the tone for its dark, aggressive mood. – CARL LAMARRE

The Fugees’ 1996 classic The Score wasn’t just a pivotal album for the group – it was the catalyst to kickstart the eventual hitmaking solo careers of members Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michel. The album art prominently features each member, with Lauryn Hill at the center, radiating confidence, while Jean and Michel flank her on each side. The background and shadows add a dramatic touch, especially highlighting Jean’s profile and Michel’s face, with Hill giving a side-eye glance that adds intrigue and character to the cover.  – C.L.

Very little about hip-hop remained the same after Nicki Minaj unleashed her 2010 debut studio album Pink Friday. Featuring a Barbie-fied Minaj, the Pink Friday album artwork brought unabashed femininity and whimsy to a genre not primarily known for either. In the GL Woods-captured photograph, Minaj dons pieces that remain centric to her image 15 years later: a silver corset, pink stilettos, and, of course, her signature bright pink wig. A masterclass in branding. — K.D

Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet might have one of the most fascinating backstories in album-art history: Ahead of the 1990 release, Def Jam contacted B.E. Johnson, a NASA Art Program member, expert space artist and certified rocket scientist, to help Chuck D craft their cosmic cover. As they wrestled with concepts, they ultimately landed on a Black planet looming beside Earth, casting an enormous shadow over it. The result was a seismic image that matched the political force of the album itself. – C.L.

Any time an album’s cover is plastered on graphic t-shirts as a fashion statement, the artwork’s done its job. The brainchild of A$AP Rocky and Virgil Abloh, the rebellious Long. Live. A$AP cover art finds Rocky donning the American flag as a cape with parts of the black-and-white photo blurred with a glitchiness that resembles a buffering VCR tape, for those who can remember what that’s like. Rocky’s 2013 debut cemented the Harlem native’s superstar aspirations, and the Mob frontman showed he belonged in the conversation of 2010s rap titans. — M.S.

The Roots’ 1999 breakthrough album, Things Fall Apart, resonated for countless reasons, with its cover art serving as the project’s most arresting entry point. Designed by Kenny Gravillis, the image captures two mortified Black women sprinting from police officers during a 1960s riot. Though the photograph predates the album by three decades, the distrust between law enforcement and Black communities felt chillingly current. The anguish etched on the women’s faces became an instant conversation-starter for an album that rocketed to critical acclaim, in large part for its unflinching social commentary. – C.L.

For album No. 19, Mach-Hommy’s 2021 release Pray for Haiti drew direct inspiration from legendary Haitian painter Jean-Michel Basquiat and his 1982 masterpiece Untitled. Designed by Noah Leigh, the artwork isn’t merely homage — it’s a modern reinterpretation, which grounds Mach’s avant-rap world in Haitian pride and lineage. The remixed cover portrays a Basquiat-style figure draped in a Haitian flag, mirroring the one Mach often wears in real life, and doubling down on the rapper’s unwavering loyalty to his homeland. – C.L.

Drake was at the peak of his powers heading into 2016’s VIEWS. As the king of Toronto, Drizzy discreetly perched himself atop the famed CN Tower on an overcast day in the 6. While it was confirmed to be Photoshopped, Drake never stops paying homage to the city that raised him north of the border. The love letter to Toronto was apparent on the album as well. In true Drake fashion, the OVO rapper’s cover art was instantly turned into a viral sensation, as the memes poured in, with plenty of celebrities joining Drizzy for a view atop the city. – M.S.

The first installment in its trilogy, Jay-Z’s 2001 Blueprint remains the crown jewel of his beloved rap series. Shot by famed photographer Johnathan Mannion, Jay sits atop a table, embodying the soul of a hustler-turned-boss. Jay’s mafioso aura is unmistakable as he takes a slow pull from his cigar, with a pile of cigars and a microphone beside him, subtly signaling his “Takeover” mentality. Little did we know that this was just a sign of things to come, as he would become the biggest boss hip-hop has ever seen. – C.L.

Drawing inspiration from the famous photo taken by Don Hogan Charles of Malcolm X looking outside of his window with a rifle in his hand, the image of KRS-One and his uzi has become just as recognizable within the hip-hop community. With this album, the crew out of the Bronx dropped one of the more politically-charged projects in rap history, as it tried to shine light on the things it was seeing in the streets of New York City during the crack era, producing a bunch of enduring songs that have been referenced and sampled by later generations. — ANGEL DIAZ

Ludacris has a penchant for turning exaggerated features into head-turning art: Who could forget the macho arms from the “Get Back” video? Word of Mouf finds Luda’s afro taking up nearly half the cover as he snarls on the block, holding a fist full of cash next to his dog, who sports a hilarious oversized grin with a mouth full of crooked human teeth. The cartoonish energy matches the buoyant hubris Luda delivered on his second Def Jam release, which showed that his style of colorful southern rap could dominate America’s mainstream, as all four singles from the album infiltrated the Hot 100’s top 40. — M.S.

It’s a cartoon of Jesus and Clipse riding around shining – what’s not to love? Created by Vicki Berndt, the duo and its team told her that they wanted something in the vein of artist Ernie Barnes, and for Jesus to be included in whatever she came up with, resulting in this memorable cover. — A.D. 

After the success of Wu-Tang’s Enter the 36 Chambers, the revered rap group’s members branched out and forged solo legacies. GZA’s quest began with 1995’s Liquid Swords, an album revered for its mastery, both lyrically and visually. Drawn by artist Denys Cowan, the comic book-inspired artwork features a bloodthirsty GZA dueling atop a chessboard. The war-torn battlefield not only showcased GZA’s lifelong love for chess, but also his affinity for mental warfare, both inside and outside the booth. – C.L.

Upon release, The Eminem Show stood as Eminem’s most personal album, given his shift away from shock factor and satirical punchlines. Across the RIAA Diamond-certified album, he steps back from his iconic Slim Shady alter ego, which makes The Eminem Show album cover all the more poignant. Featuring a pensive Marshall Mathers tucked behind slightly drawn red stage curtains and a lonely microphone stand, the Eminem Show artwork centered the man behind the antics. With this album cover, Eminem steps on stage to stop his performance of Slim Shady and truly steps into his own humanity. — K.D.

One of the more striking covers ever made – no matter the genre – it’s crazy to think that artwork like this was made before the advent of Adobe and Apple computers. Toby Mott – the mastermind behind the classic artwork – wrote an essay back in 2012 about how they came up with the concept, saying that he and his team had the guys lay down on the floor in a triangle, took their picture and then overlaid the black and white photo with “Daisy Age” designs drawn on an acetate sheet. The bright neon colors, coupled with the forward-thinking music provided by the Long Island group, helped the album cross over, showing that rap music didn’t necessarily have to always be aggressive. — A.D. 

If N.W.A was going to market itself as the “World’s Most Dangerous Group,” the West Coast crew needed the menacing debut album cover art to convey exactly that. Enter photographer Eric Poppleton, who unknowingly would shoot one of the iconic rap covers of all-time, which found him lying on the ground while being surrounded and mean-mugged by the members of the Compton crew. He still doesn’t know if the pistol Eazy-E pointed at him on the rebellious cover was real or not, but it definitely got the point across. It’s as if Eazy was getting ready to utter the first words heard on Straight Outta Compton: “You are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge.” – M.S.

Mid-action photos always make for dope album covers, and Baby Keem locked in for his Die for My B—h artwork. On the cover of his 2019 mixtape, Keem is seen getting jumped by a trio of baddies: one prepares to strike him with her slipper, another is snatching away his book bag, and the third is grabbing him by the back of his shirt. The black-and-white filter helps the image feel historical, but there’s an unmistakable 2010s-ness to each person’s demeanor and styling that adds tension. With this artwork, Keem isn’t just ready to die for his girl; he’s also apparently willing to die at the hands of several girls. — K.D.

The late Virgil Abloh’s decision to throw Westside Gunn’s chains on David as he held the head of Goliath is yet another example of why he was so revered. The Buffalo rapper and his Griselda label can most certainly relate to the story of David and Goliath, and the same could be said about Virgil: He was never afraid to cosign the underdog and wasn’t into gatekeeping. This cover perfectly encapsulates arguably Gunn’s best album. — A.D.

Ol’ Dirty Bastard knew how to stir the pot, as his debut album, Return to the 36 Chambers, cleverly leaned into his controversial life. Designed by Brent Killroe, ODB posted his food stamp card, blurring the lines of fame and reality, as his everyday struggles outweighed the glitz and glamor. While the ’90s proved to be a heralded album-art era, dominated by baby pictures and family portraits, ODB’s candor and cheeky embrace of his own financial woes proved to be worth the gamble. – C.L.

Raekwon’s 1995 solo debut is an undisputed classic, but its artwork is as important to its lore as its music. With Ghostface Killah mean-mugging in the background as literal Cuban links fade in and out of the picture, Raekwon stares directly at the camera, cementing his solo moment. Famously recreated by Quavo and the late Takeoff for 2022’s Only Built for Infinity Links, the Cuban Linx album cover completely embodies power and quiet confidence. — K.D.

After his scorching 1990 debut album, AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, Ice Cube doubled down with his seminal sophomore attempt, Death Certificate, a year later. Laced with enough venom to rattle any political pundit, Cube spits on American patriotism, posing alongside a deceased Uncle Sam. With an American flag draped across the lifeless body of the country’s symbolic patriot, Cube’s boldness shook the nation, cementing his status as hip-hop’s most wanted man. – C.L.

No rapper arguably had a higher peak than Lil Wayne heading into his anticipated Tha Carter III album in 2008, where expectations were higher than Mount Everest. Part of cementing the third installment in the iconic series as a classic came from the babyface cover art. Wayne proved pieces of his younger self were still with him as he reached hip-hop’s A-list status; it also made fans do a double-take, seeing a baby version of himself covered in face tattoos, a tradition he carried with variants of the cover on later albums in the series. As a testament to C3 and Wayne’s influence, RapCaviar celebrated the 10th anniversary of the album by having the next generation of rappers pay homage to Weezy by having them remake the Carter III cover with baby pictures of their own. – M.S.

Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def) dropped a hip-hop classic with his debut solo album, but its simple — yet still incredibly effective — artwork left just as strong of a footprint on the game. With the front cover showing his solemn visage staring directly at the camera, the album’s back cover finds the back of his cornrowed head, creating a composite image that centers vulnerability, Black masculinity and an unobstructed survey of the rapper’s life. — K.D.

Ice-T didn’t need much to communicate “power” on the cover of his sophomore album. Against a stark white backdrop stood Ice, his then-girlfriend Darlene Ortiz carrying a shotgun, and DJ Evil E. The less-is-more cover art evoked a range of reactions from critics and the public: The Chicago Tribune famously accused the cover of glorifying violence and “perpetuating stereotypes” about Black people, and specifically Black women. Looking back, it’s clear Ice-T understood the provocative power of simplicity; being able to frustrate so many people with so little was precisely what Power was all about. – MACKENZIE CUMMINGS-GRADY

The pioneering duo set the standard for rap album covers, providing two classics out the gate that have been referenced and copied hundreds of times, maybe more. The title and artwork for their second album Follow the Leader, played on the influence of its 1987 predecessor Paid In Full as Eric B. & Rakim sat on the hood of a Rolls Royce while wearing jackets custom made by the incomparable Dapper Dan. — A.D.

Considered one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter the Wu-Tang is as gritty and impactful as the artwork that fronts it. The cover — featuring six of the nine members (RZA, GZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah, and Raekwon) — captures the crew inside an abandoned synagogue, all masked in black stocking masks like they’re gearing up for a high-stakes bank robbery. With the now-iconic Wu-Tang “W” stamped across the cover — a symbol now as ubiquitous as the Bat-Signal — the imagery boosted the Clan’s mystique and cemented the album’s legendary aura. – C.L.

What can you say about this cover that hasn’t already been said, about some of the most important art ever created? You can hang this in the Louvre next to the Mona Lisa, and the cats that took them jewels would’ve made sure to take this over da Vinci’s masterpiece. Kool Keith often says that what he was going for on this album was “porncore,” and he did what he set out to do — with not only the project’s subject matter, but with the album’s unforgettable artwork as well. — A.D.

The Funkadelic-referencing cover of Redman’s sophomore effort looks the way I imagine hell feels. The burning, suffocating red tint over everything gives the impression that the world is on fire. Redman – screaming for mercy while buried up to his neck – adds a visceral layer of anxiety. Even the placement of two eerie transmission towers evokes post-apocalyptic feelings of desolation and peril. To make it more unsettling, Redman has confirmed the album was created during a dark period of drug addiction, rendering the cover’s darkness all the more consuming. – M.C.G.

When it comes to 2010s rap albums, few records have covers with lore as rich as Future’s DS2. Sourced from a Shutterstock stock image created by Slovenian artist Sanja Tošić, the DS2 artwork appears to show a drop of colored ink swirling in water. Or, in other words, the image accurately evokes lean without being too corny or on-the-nose. Between Future’s own face being hidden in the image to the Internet-ness of its origin story, DS2‘s cover defines its era. — K.D.

Besides being one of hip-hop’s most influential albums ever, The Chronic stands out for its strangely compelling cover art. The stained golden embroidery around Dr. Dre’s head and moniker gives the cover an air of regality. At the same time, Dre’s slightly faded and blemished headshot evokes a feeling of flipping through a vintage photo album. The cover carried a sense of timelessness, suggesting both a nod to the past and a promise for the future – where even with its worn aesthetic, it exuded undeniable swag. – M.C.G.

Kanye West and Jay-Z redefined opulence and decadence in rap with Watch The Throne. Ye was in the early stages of forging relationships with European fashion designers, and he recruited Givenchy’s then-creative director to helm the auric WTT cover art: Essentially, high art meets high fashion. The texturized gold is representative of Tisci’s design principles, taking the fashion world by storm, which also matches the bold and brash aura of two of rap’s titans. With Ye leading the charge at the peak of his powers and an assist in the art direction department from the late Virgil Abloh, Watch the Throne oozed greatness. – M.S.

Black-and-white, mid-action album covers aren’t particularly innovative in hip-hop, but Carti found an interesting way to draw a throughline between punk rock and raucous late 2010s trap with his Die Lit artwork. Photographed by Nick Walker, the Die Lit cover finds Carti stage diving into a crowd, which included a bearded man that some fans mistook for Nirvana/Foo Fighters rocker Dave Grohl. That rock icon does not appear on the cover of Carti’s debut studio album, but his earlier band’s grunge energy courses through the ominous, audacious feel of Die Lit and its aesthetics. — K.D.

When Juvenile’s 400 Degreez exploded onto the scene in 1998, the album became the bedrock of southern hip-hop’s flashy extravagance, thanks in large part to the tape’s noisy, Pen & Pixel cover art. Juvenile’s diamond-coated name, pasted atop a fiery collage of burnt-orange explosions and seething red hellfire, is paired with his face awkwardly towering over the flames while two leather-clad women attempt to bring some sort of suave sex appeal. The result was deliciously brash and childish, setting the tone for Cash Money and southern rap to dominate in the early 2000s. – M.C.G.

Snoop Dogg’s debut album may have stirred up a good deal of controversy in the ‘90s for its suggestive content, but Doggystyle’s bright, bawdy cartoon art served as the perfect encapsulation of Snoop Dogg’s playful and animated approach to rap. The cover also has a lot going on: the brick-block lettering of the title, the villain eyes peering out from within the Snoop Doggy Dogg insignia, “Dat Mean Ol’ Dog Catcher,” the rat in the corner labeled “Ratta-Tat-Tat” and the dogs above quoting George Clinton’s 1982 classic “Atomic Dog.” The cover was emblematic of who Snoop was – surface-level interpretations might dismiss him as misogynistic or crass, but a closer look reveals more wit than meets the eye. – M.C.G.

This was a real picture, taken after Bushwick Bill accidentally shot himself in the eye. The idea for the cover happened on the spot at the hospital and the group has stated its regrets going along with it in hindsight, even if it’s one of the more memorable album covers in rap history. This cover is also memorable because the album features the group’s signature song, “Mind Playing Tricks on Me.” — A.D.

Originally, the story of the pied piper played a role in the concept of this album artwork. After a failed attempt at bringing the initial vision to life of a woman walking through the streets of New York City with headphone plugs sticking out of her head and into the headphones of the crowd following her, Tribe landed on the idea of photographing various rappers from across the country wearing headphones, so that they could listen to this new material. The cover displays the unity that was prevalent at the time, before the East vs. West rivalry changed things by forcing acts to choose sides. — A.D.

Illmatic changed hip-hop forever, and it started with Nas’ striking cover art, which captured his journey to the album’s arrival perfectly. Nas superimposed a child version of himself on top of the unforgiving Queensbridge housing projects that raised him, which embodied the essence of Illmatic. If there was a rap album representative of a cover that speaks 1,000 words, Illmatic would be it. Nasir’s debut even set the table for The Notorious B.I.G. (Life After Death) and Lil Wayne (Tha Carter III) to utilize the baby picture theme for legendary covers of their own. – M.S.

Sometimes, less is more. DOOM’s iconic Gladiator mask that was spray-painted chrome to more closely resemble Marvel supervillain Dr. Doom is one of the more recognizable accessories in rap history. Released in 2004, Madvillainy has grown into one of the most highly-regarded underground rap albums, and has since bubbled into the mainstream, thanks to its influence on a generation of future rap stars. This is one of those album covers that make for great posters: In fact, I copped one from Stones Throw years ago, and have it framed. — A.D.

The cover of Kendrick Lamar’s genre-spanning political opus, To Pimp a Butterfly, is as expansive and metaphorically dense as the album itself: The art finds K-Dot and his friends and family posing shirtless, with wads of cash and bottles of Hennessey in front of the White House. It captures a moment both fluid and portrait-like. Some faces are blurred and unidentifiable; others are crisp and intentionally posed, communicating a familial and inherently masculine dynamic that is spontaneous, messy, yet also beautiful, elegant and joyous. In turn, it comments on the Black experience in America. But this is only one interpretation of the cover – dozens of essays have been dedicated to dissecting it even further, reinforcing its lasting impact. – M.C.G.