The 50 Best Hip-Hop Album Covers

We count down the greatest rap album cover art from the likes of Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and many more.

Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Dating back to its earliest ties to graffiti culture, the visual component has always played a large part in hip-hop culture. Today's album art mostly serves as thumbtacks for NahRight posts or, at best, just another category on iTunes for OCD sufferers to perfect. But once upon a time, it mattered.

LPs were hung on walls, CDs were cracked open, and cassette J-cards were unfolded awkwardly and with as much anticipation as is given to today's Zshare links. From the Daisy Age fluorescence of De La Soul to the digital age fluorescence of Kanye West, we're proclaiming the finest moments of three decades' worth of hip-hop album art with our list of The 50 Best Hip-Hop Album Covers.

Words by Andrew Noz (@Noz)

Intro

But once upon a time, it mattered. LPs were hung on walls, CDs were cracked open, and cassette J-cards were unfolded awkwardly and with as much anticipation as is given to today's Zshare links. From the Daisy Age fluorescence of De La Soul to the digital age fluorescence of Kanye West, we're proclaiming the finest moments of three decades' worth of hip-hop album art as we countdown The 50 Best Hip-Hop Album Covers.

Written by Andrew Noz (@Noz)

Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III (2008)

50. Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III (2008)

Art Direction: Mr. Scott Design
Photographer: Jonathan Mannion
Label: Cash Money/Universal Motown

When aspiring to make a classic album, one looks at the classics that came before it. Same goes for a classic album cover. Big had a baby, Nas had his childhood photo, so Wayne followed suit. But Wayne being Wayne, he took it a notch higher, updating his baby picture by crudely Photoshopping his current day tattoos onto its face. Many mistook it for a fan-made joke when it first made the Internet rounds, but no, that was the album artwork. All of Wayne's crazy projected, quite literally, onto his baby picture.

Redman Dare Iz a Darkside (1994)

49. Redman Dare Iz a Darkside (1994)

Art Direction: The Drawing Board
Photographer: Danny Clinch
Label: Rush Associated Labels/Polygram

Red's one of a few rappers crazy enough to successfully pull off a homage to Funkadelic's Maggot Brain cover, but Dare succeeds by not sticking too closely to the Funk Mob's layout. Yes, Red's body is submerged in dirt leaving only his screaming head visible, but the photo shifts the original's perspective to show a bunch of power lines, for some reason. The red-tinted jewel case also helped avoid things becomings too funkin' similar.

Madvillain, Madvillainy (2004)

48. Madvillain, Madvillainy (2004)

Art Direction: Jeff Jank
Photographer: Eric Coleman
Label: Stones Throw

Jeff Jank, whose in-house work for Stones Throw consistently impresses, went with a simpler approach than normal with this fan favorite from Madlib and MF Doom. But it worked. Doing anything but smiling for his close-up, Doom hits the viewer with a deadened glare from behind a rusted mask.

Makaveli, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996)

47. Makaveli, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996)

Art Direction: Ron "Riskie" Brent
Illustrator: Ron "Riskie" Brent
Label: Death Row/Interscope

For his final (real) album Pac finally reached the pinnacle of his persecution complex and had himself nailed to a cross. Make no mistake, though—he means no disrespect to Jesus Christ, as a very serious disclaimer on the cover specifies. (Of course, Bay Rap heads know that Dre Dog, a.k.a. Andre Nickatina, was rocking the crucifixion cover with The New Jim Jones some four years prior, but impact is what matters.)

Freeway & Jake One, Stimulus Package (2010)

46. Freeway & Jake One, Stimulus Package (2010)

Art Direction: The Brent Rollins Design Explosion
Label: Rhymesayers Entertainment

Cash ruled everything for the ex-Roc spitter's collab with Seattle beatsmith Jake One. Designed by Complex's own Brent Rollins, the package played on the economic rebuilding theme, seconding as an oversized wallet complete with customized dollar bills and credit cards. The sad irony, of course, is that this project was released during an era when everyone stopped dropping real ducats on physical music, meaning the intricate artwork didn't get its just due from most, other than truly diehard fans.

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, No Need for Alarm (1993)

45. Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, No Need for Alarm (1993)

Art Direction: Scott Idleman
Photographer: Blink
Label: Elektra

Del's always been something of a cartoon character, so placing him in a comic book cover frame made perfect sense for his breakout album. It also helped to further push the Hieroglyphics tri-eye logo as the most prominent underground hip hop sticker on skateboards and hoodies with two subtle cover placements. The old-school Elektra logo is a nice touch as well.

50 Cent, Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003)

44. 50 Cent, Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003)

Art Direction: Stang Inc.
Photographer: Sacha Waldman
Label: Aftermath/Shady/Interscope

LL made the shirtless musclebound rap cover acceptable, Pac made it rebellious, but it was 50 who took the look to the masses. Get Rich Or Die Tryin' indirectly inspired the Myspace profile pics and Twitter avatars for an entire generation of lip-licking sensitive thugs who spent too much time at the gym.

De La Soul, De La Soul is Dead (1991)

43. De La Soul, De La Soul is Dead (1991)

Art Direction: Joseph Buckingham
Illustrator: Joseph Buckingham
Label: Tommy Boy/Warner Bros.

By the time their second record came around, De La Soul were sick of being mistaken for peace-loving hippies, so they took the only logical action: they killed themselves. This metaphorical suicide was the ultimate in image rebranding. Joseph Buckingham's simple tipped-over flower pot was a kick in the shins to all the cocksnots who mistook the Daisy Age for softness.

Jay-Z, Reasonable Doubt (1996)

42. Jay-Z, Reasonable Doubt (1996)

Art Direction: Cey Adams
Photographer: Jonathan Mannion
Label: Roc-A-Fella/Priority

Like Too $hort before him, Jay's debut cover wisely shifted focus from himself to a simple outline of the character he created. We didn't have to see his face. The tilted brim and half-smoked cigar told us everything we needed to know about the sophisticated hustler music within.

Schoolly D, Schoolly D (1986)

41. Schoolly D, Schoolly D (1986)

Art Direction: Schoolly D
Illustrator: Schoolly D
Label: Schoolly D

Not content to just self-produce and run his own label, Philadelphia's first gangster rapper also took design matters into his own hands with his earliest records, laying some very Philly handstyles and blockhead characters onto a simple comic strip layout on a blindingly yellow sleeve. There he boasts of victory "in his never ending battle against bitter's [sic] and squares."

Smif-n-Wessun, Dah Shinin' (1995)

40. Smif-n-Wessun, Dah Shinin' (1995)

Art Direction: C.M.O.N.
Photographer: Gary Spector
Label: Wreck

Being pure-bred products of beat digging culture, Smif-N-Wessun turned to jazz vibraphonist Roy Ayers for inspiration. Dah Shinin' flips the artwork from Ayers' beathead favorite, He's Coming, with the Boot Camp Clik members taking the place of the huddle of band members, psychedelically superimposed atop a close-up of an eye.

T.I., Paper Trail (2008)

39. T.I., Paper Trail (2008)

Art Direction: Greg Gigendad Burke
Photographer: Ian Wright
Label: Grand Hustle/Atlantic

Illustrator Ian Wright ran with the "Paper Trail" theme for T.I.'s post-prison comeback, building an incredibly intricate portrait collage out of scrap paper and money. It was a nice touch for the album in which Tip returned his raps to the pen and the pad and one of the more artful major-label covers of the decade.

KMD, Black Bastards (1994)

38. KMD, Black Bastards (1994)

Art Direction: Zev Love X
Illustrator: Zev Love X
Label: Elektra

A pre-MF Doom Zev Love X sketched a controversial cover for KMD's would-be second album. The artwork features KMD's satirical Sambo character playing the role of "man" in a game of hangman. It all seems relatively innocuous in context. But conservative groups don't look at context, and at the height of the "Cop Killer" controversy in the early '90s Warner wasn't taking any chances. So they shelved the album and dropped KMD. It didn't see a proper release until 2000, when it was liberated by the indie label Subverse. The drawing itself was slightly different from the original, but the concept remained intact.

Master P, The Ghettos Tryin to Kill Me! (1994)

37. Master P, The Ghettos Tryin to Kill Me! (1994)

Art Direction: Uncredited
Photographer: Uncredited
Label: No Limit

Though later Southern era No Limit records would be known for the tacky high flash of Pen N Pixel, this early P outing from his California days is unforgettably lo-fi. It finds Master P deep inside a lady friend while original TRU member King George is armed and peeking in the window, "Cell Therapy" style. (On subsequent pressings that peeker was reduced to a pixelized blur, as George had split from the label on less than friendly terms.)

Comptons Most Wanted, Music to Drive By (1992)

36. Comptons Most Wanted, Music to Drive By (1992)

Art Direction: Peter Dokus / David Durate
Photographer: Peter Dokus
Label: Orpheus/Epic

In those days it really wasn't difficult to create a great gangsta rap cover. Simply depict the artist going to do, coming from doing, or in the midst of doing a criminal act. But CMW's take on the theme was particularly sublime, offering an aerial view of them just chilling with the top down, guns in full view, and "open container" laws be dammed. It also had a minor recursive effect, placing the album cover within itself, which nicely complements the title's double entendre. (Owwwuh.)

DMX, Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood (1998)

35. DMX, Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood (1998)

Art Direction: Jonathan Mannion
Photographer: Jonathan Mannion
Label: Ruff Ryders/Def Jam

Literal interpretations win again. DMX went all Roger Corman and covered himself in buckets of blood for his sophomore LP. Rock records always have crap like this on them, but even as late as 1998 it was a pretty revolutionary for a rapper and especially apt in light of all of X's Gothic biblical imagery. Bonus points are granted for actually getting a Marilyn Manson cameo, even if the song itself kinda sucked.

King Tee, Act a Fool (1988)

34. King Tee, Act a Fool (1988)

Art Direction: Eric Haze
Photographer: Glen E. Freidman
Label: Capitol

Glen E. Friedman strikes again, shooting the Alkaholik Godfather in house shoes, damn near dragging his shotgun at a slow executioner's stagger. It's not entirely clear what's going on in this scene, but it's a powerful image befitting one of the West Coast's most slept-on records.

Outkast, ATLiens (1996)

33. Outkast, ATLiens (1996)

Art Direction: DL Warfield
Illustrator: Frank Gomez
Label: LaFace/Arista

After the smoothed-out Cadillac vibe, some listeners were taken aback when the group re-fashioned themselves as aliens and genies out for black rights in space with ATLiens. For its cover, artist Frank Gomez built a world around this ideology. Though it wasn't the first rap record to feature a mock comic book cover, it might have been the first to make good on that promise—the CD booklet included an 18-page comic that looked cool, but made very little sense. Sample excerpt: "You should not have tampered with the LA Reid android."

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper (1988)

32. DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper (1988)

Art Direction: Douglas Rowell
Photographer: Douglas Rowell
Label: Jive/RCA

The He's The DJ cover might feature more frolicking than all the other albums on this list put together. Interestingly enough it also features Jeff, not Will, on the front cover, while the future megastar is resigned to the flip side of the gatefold vinyl. For all his charisma, the Prince still had to defer to the fact that he was playing second fiddle to one of the greatest DJs of his—or any—time.

Kanye West, Graduation (2007)

31. Kanye West, Graduation (2007)

Art Direction: Takashi Murakami
Illustrator: Takashi Murakami
Label: Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam

From the onset of his career, Kanye West has earned a reputation for his perfectionist approach to art, and Graduation was the culmination of that attitude. With chart-topping single "Stronger" going through 75 mixes, and its accompanying music video West's most ambitious to date, the album cover needed to match up. The Dropout Bear from the first two LPs stuck around, but that's about it.

Renowned Japanese pop artist Takashi Murakami took Yeezy's collegeiate theme to the next level with his eye-catching send-up of the ongoing student life metaphors represented by the rapper's album titles. The cover's setting, Universe City, is popping with color, symbolism, and a boldness that reminds us that he was the biggest music star on the planet when Graduation dropped.

LL Cool J, Bigger And Deffer (1987)

30. LL Cool J, Bigger And Deffer (1987)

Art Direction: Eric Haze
Photographer: Glen E Friedman
Label: Def Jam/Columbia/CBS

As the title suggests, by the time Bigger And Deffer dropped LL's image alone was large enough to fill an album and its cover. Here LL, in his LL uniform (naturally), was perched on the hood of his car, leaning up against a fence, and not doing much of anything in particular. The non-statement was its own statement: rappers were larger-than-life characters.

Snoop Doggy Dogg, Doggystyle (1993)

29. Snoop Doggy Dogg, Doggystyle (1993)

Art Direction: Kimberly Holt
Illustrator: Joe Cool
Label: Death Row/Interscope/Atlantic

Rather than bring in the professionals, Snoop called on his cousin Joe Cool for this hilarious cover that did a perfect job of depicting what one would imagine his life to be like if he was indeed a cartoon. Of course, casually passing the art duties of hip-hop's most anticipated debut album to his cousin seems all too appropriate considering Snoop's ideology. Because it truly ain't no fun if the homies can't have none.

Wu-Tang Clan, Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers (1993)

28. Wu-Tang Clan, Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers (1993)

Art Direction: Jacqueline Murphy
Photographer: Daniel Hastings
Label: Loud

The crew cover is a staple in hip-hop: Line up the homies and take a picture. But the Wu-Tang swarm added one minor but very crucial distinction. Either in a show of unity or in preparation for a heist, they were all masked. Further obscuring things is a minor blur, drawing attention to the soon-to-be legendary W logo acting as a beacon in the background.

Gang Star, Daily Operation (1992)

27. Gang Star, Daily Operation (1992)

Art Direction: Marc Cozza
Photographer: Matt Gunther
Label: Chrysalis/EMI

Daily Operation's cover was the perfect allegory for the Gang Starr division of labor. Guru in the foreground with his Louiville Slugger jacket half slung over his shoulder looking very blunted while Preem played the back, hard at work behind the decks. Other things on the cover (see if you can spot them all, Highlights Magazine-style): a globe, a skull, suitcases full of money, a Remington Rand typewriter, a portrait of Malcolm X, a copy of Elijah Muhammad's Message To The Blackman, and strangely, some sort of taxidermied groundhog on the mantle. Good times at the Gang Starr mansion.

Public Enemy, Yo! Bumrush the Show (1987)

26. Public Enemy, Yo! Bumrush the Show (1987)

Art Direction: Eric Haze
Photographer: Glen E. Friedman
Label: Def Jam/Columbia

Though Yo! Bum Rush The Show only hinted at the commercial success and sonic perfection that Public Enemy would go on to to achieve, the cover found the group's visual identity nearly fully formed, from the all-in-the-huddle photo to the tiny running text repeated along the cover's lower border: "The Government's Responsible." It also marks the album debut of the group's timeless B-Boy-in-the-crosshairs logo. PE logo trivia: that B-Boy is actually traced from the silhouette of LL Cool J hypeman E Love.

Boogie Down Productions, Criminal Minded (1987)

25. Boogie Down Productions, Criminal Minded (1987)

Art Direction: Uncredited
Photographer: Uncredited
Label: B-Boy

"Got myself an uzi and my brother a 9." Still in the proto-50 Cent stage of their career and taking aim at the Juice Crew's crown, KRS and Scott La Rock bunkered down and armed for battle on the cover of their debut. Criminal Minded was one of the first in a long line of great covers where rappers let their firearms do the speaking.

Raekwon, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (1995)

24. Raekwon, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (1995)

Art Direction: CARTEL
Photographer: Daniel Hastings
Label: Loud

Set to a red haze, the Cuban artwork revisits the 36 Chambers shoot, once again casting Rae and Ghost in the shadow of the eternal Wu logo. Surrounded by blunt smoke and bottles the duo displays the same chemistry in photo that they do on record: part blustering menace, part buddy-film loyalty. The cassette packaging has also taken on a mythological life of its own, with its solid purple cassette shell becoming known in hip-hop circles as just "The Purple Tape" and exchanging hands for high dollar amounts.

Ice Cube, Death Certificate (1991)

23. Ice Cube, Death Certificate (1991)

Art Direction: Kevin Hosmann
Photographer: Mario Castellanos
Label: Priority

For his second solo outing, Cube, still angry, put seemingly every race in his lyrical crosshairs. He nicely accented this attack with a cover that aimed squarely at the good ol' U-S-of-A, standing over the freshly toe-tagged carcass of none other than Uncle Sam. But Cube actually looks kinda saddened by this turn of events, and that might be the most misunderstood aspect of his character. He was never hating or irrational in his rage—he just cared too much.

EPMD, Business As Usual (1992)

22. EPMD, Business As Usual (1992)

Art Direction: Bill Sienkiewicz
Illustrator: Bill Sienkiewicz
Label: Def Jam/RAL/Columbia

For their third record, EPMD outsourced the illustration, bringing in Marvel Comics vet Bill Sienkiewicz. Seinkiewicz had never heard of the group prior to working with them, but still managed to put together an unforgettable cover depicting E and P staring down the hounds and barrels of the FBI. (Eric Haze's two-toned EPMD logo also deserves mention here as one of, if not the, most enduring logos in hip-hop. Simplicity wins again.)

Dr. Dre, The Chronic (1992)

21. Dr. Dre, The Chronic (1992)

Art Direction: Kimberly Holt
Photographer: Daniel Jordan
Label: Death Row/Interscope/Priority

It only made sense to draw inspiration on the Zig Zag rolling papers' design for the record that truly mainstreamed marijuana in pop culture (sorry, Cypress and Redman). Dre himself was dropped in the centerpiece in the place of usual Zig Zag spokesman Zouave, the French soldier who was said to have rolled his cigarettes in a piece of paper torn from his bag of gunpowder after his clay pipe was shattered by a bullet. Rumor has it that Kurupt faced a similar dilemma during the recording of this album.

Pharcyde, Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde (1992)

20. Pharcyde, Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde (1992)

Art Direction: Slick K2S
Photographer: Fuct
Label: Delicious Vinyl

When it comes to album artwork, turning a title into a literal depiction can be a very hit or miss technique. For every Paul's Boutique, there are dozens that ended up like The Lox's We Are The Streets. Slick's spooky roller-coaster mural could have gone either way, but he fortunately pulled it off, sending the Pharcyde on—oh yes—a bizarre ride. Vinyl heads got to extend their trip with a large two-pane gatefold of the full artwork.

Scarface, Mr. Scarface Is Back (1991)

19. Scarface, Mr. Scarface Is Back (1991)

Art Direction: Shawn Brauch
Photographer: Mike Barnett
Label: Rap-A-Lot/Priority

Few lyricists are able to paint a freeze frame of a crime scene the way Scarface does. For his debut record, art directors turned that perspective literal. It's a snapshot of an old-fashioned heist in action, with dope on the table. While the other Geto Boys aim their guns and rage at their unidentified foes, Face himself plays the back, seemingly armed only with an ice grill.

Beastie Boys, Paul's Boutique (1989)

18. Beastie Boys, Paul's Boutique (1989)

Photographer: Nathanial Hornblower (aka MCA)
Label: Capitol

Donning his Nathaniel Hornblower guise, Beastie Boy Adam Yauch took matters into his own hands for this unforgettable cover shoot of the titular storefront. From the artwork it's not entirely clear what the Boutique is supposed to specialize in, but it appears to be some sort of thrift or variety shop, a suitable complement to the Dust Brothers' "everything in the pot" sampling mentality. (In real life it was actually an LES sportswear outlet.) But the Boutique itself was actually just a fraction of a much bigger picture—the original gatefold vinyl folded out to expose a six-panel, panoramic view of the entire block.

Eric. B & Rakim, Paid in Full (1987)

17. Eric. B & Rakim, Paid in Full (1987)

Art Direction: Ruth Kaplan
Photographer: Ron Contarsy
Label: 4th & B'way/Island

For their debut, Rakim Allah and Eric. B took a very literal interpretation of their album title. Atop a greenback backdrop they floss, shine, glisten, and refute any claims from new jacks that materialism wasn't a part of hip-hop's golden age. But where Ra and Eric B. differ from some of their successors was that the flashy image was just the surface. Make no mistake—there's wisdom that money can't buy within that sleeve.

The Notorious B.I.G., Ready to Die (1994)

16. The Notorious B.I.G., Ready to Die (1994)

Art Direction: The Drawing Board
Photographer: Butch Bel Air
Label: Bad Boy

Though the similarities to Illmatic earned the artwork some detractors—Nas' homies Rae and Ghost called out Big in a Cuban Linx skit for his shark-toothed biting—time has proven the Ready To Die artwork to be an incredibly strong image in its own right. It turns out that the kid on the cover was neither Biggie himself, nor any relative. It was just a random baby.

Run DMC, King of Rock (1985)

15. Run DMC, King of Rock (1985)

Art Direction: Andrea Klein
Photographer: E.J. Camp
Label: Profile/Arista

While most previous hip-hop LPs presented the rappers front and center on the cover, the boys from Hollis took a different approach for their breakout sophomore outing. The artwork buried Run and D in a river of title text, leaving little more than their trademark fedoras visible. Most rappers have refused to even slightly obscure their face ever since, the primary exception often being when rappers are paying tribute to this very cover.

Kanye West, 808s & Heartbreak (2008)

14. Kanye West, 808s & Heartbreak (2008)

Art Direction: Past Tell Museum
Photographer: Kristen Yiengst
Label: Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam

Drawing heavy influence from Factory Records (Joy Division, New Order) impresario Peter Seville, 'Ye went with a minimalistic and mechanical gray for his break-up record. With only a tiny, deflated heart balloon as its centerpiece, 808s was left to find its greatest influence through reinterpretation. Artist KAWS dropped a Kanye-sanctioned remix and the meme generation followed suit, with mixtape artists replacing the heart-shaped subject with everything from bags of kush to condoms.

Boogie Down Productions, By All Means Necessary (1988)

13. Boogie Down Productions, By All Means Necessary (1988)

Art Direction: Douglas Rowell
Photographer: Douglas Rowell
Label: Jive/RCA

Though BDP's debut was driven by inter-borough beef, frontman KRS-One reemerged as a more politically charged rapper after the murder of his DJ, Scott La Rock. Reflecting this new mentality, he recreated the legendary photo of Malcolm X peering out the window and clutching his gun. KRS' reenactment was nearly pitch perfect, making just one subtle change for the times: where Malcolm had a rifle, Kris had an Uzi.

De La Soul, 3 Feet High And Rising (1989)

12. De La Soul, 3 Feet High And Rising (1989)

Art Direction: The Grey Organisation
Photographer: Marie Hennechart
Label: Tommy Boy

Looking as unique as they sounded, De La entered the rap game with fluorescent colors and a cut-and-paste vibe that were both likely firsts for the genre. Old-fashioned hippie visuals begat image so iconic that De La would spend much of the years that followed living in (and eventually killing) its shadow.

2 Live Crew, As Nasty As They Wanna Be (1989)

11. 2 Live Crew, As Nasty As They Wanna Be (1989)

Art Direction: Mac Hartshorn
Photographer: Mac Hartshorn
Label: Luke

By 1989 2 Live Crew, was quickly becoming rap's most controversial act, and giant statements were to be expected from the group. As Nasty As They Wanna Be delivered the goods in terms of both music and image, draping the group in dookie ropes and having them peer through the spread legs of four exquisitely thonged bodies. But notice how displeased Luke looks despite the scenery. Did he get sand in his mouth?

Beastie Boys, License to Ill (1986)

10. Beastie Boys, License to Ill (1986)

Art Direction: Stephen Byram
Photographer: World B. Omes (aka David Gambale)
Label: Def Jam/Columbia

For all the storm and bluster of the "leather jacket" era Beasties, one of their greatest pranks from that era was more subtle, coming in the form of illustrator World B. Omes' bait-and-switch cover. The front cover shows the Beasties' logo plastered on the tail section of a seemingly idyllic jet in flight. But flip it around to reveal its true fate: a T-bone collision with the side of a cliff. Or just look at the cover in the mirror and notice how the jet's serial number, 3MTA3, becomes "EATME." Oh, you irrepressible Beasties.

Juvenile, 400 Degreez (1998)

9. Juvenile, 400 Degreez (1998)

Art Direction: Pen & Pixel
Photographer: Uncredited
Label: Cash Money/Universal

The history of music is littered with iconic graphic designers who brought a common sensibility not only to single releases or artists, but across entire genres and eras of music: Reid Miles with Blue Note, Peter Saville with Factory, Tony McDermott with Greensleeves. For all of rap's great covers, though, the egos of hip-hop rarely allow for such brand building on the part of any one art staff. The one obvious exception, of course, is the Pen & Pixel dynasty.

Rising to prominence in the late '90s, the Houston firm became the go-to design team for Southern rap empires Cash Money, No Limit, and Suave House—and, by extension, the throngs of mediocre rappers who wished they could sign to those labels. Their low-budget, high-content Photoshop gloss suited the sound of the era well: It was loud, shiny, and often hastily constructed, but knowingly (and lovingly) so. While we considered many of the memorable covers from this era, we ended up with one great Juvenile album to represent the entire oeuvre.

A Tribe Called Quest, Midnight Marauders (1993)

8. A Tribe Called Quest, Midnight Marauders (1993)

Art Direction: ZombArt
Photographer: TAR
Label: Jive/BMG

Featuring 71 different subjects across three cover variants, the Midnight Marauders cover is hip-hop's Sgt. Pepper's, evoking a catch-'em-all mentality and touching all branches of the hip-hop family tree, from Too $hort to a young Puffy Combs. It's a simple concept but a powerful message, one of the last grand displays of cultural unity as the Coastal fallout loomed imminent. Since its release, the layout has been completely assimilated into hip-hop's DNA, inspiring hundreds of conceptually half-baked mixtape covers and flyers for throwback parties.

Ol' Dirty Bastard, Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (1995)

7. Ol' Dirty Bastard, Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (1995)

Art Direction: Alli
Photographer: Danny Clinch, Illustrator: Brett! (Design)
Label: Elektra

For what stands as arguably the weirdest major-label rap album of the '90s, ODB's graphic team turned his Public Assistance card into an album cover. Though superficially just a joke, it was also sort of a bold statement of character. One of Dirt's strongest character traits was his complete and utter immunity to shame, particularly when it came to government assistance ("I came out my momma pussy on wellllfaaaree! Twenty-six years old—still on welfare!"). Not a lot of artists are secure enough to wear poverty front and center on their album cover.

Geto Boys, We Can't Be Stopped (1991)

6.Geto Boys, We Can't Be Stopped (1991)

Photographer: Cliff Blodget
Label: Rap-A-Lot

The greatest photo document of '90s rap hysteria. After Bushwick Bill forced his girlfriend to shoot him in the face in a drunken standoff, Rap-A-Lot thought it wise to take a picture of him, alongside his Geto Boys partners, in the hospital that very night. On a gurney, bandages off and bloodied, Bill is still handling his business on his Zack Morris cell phone. Though Scarface is rarely a happy camper on album covers, his intense displeasure is not an act here.

In an interview with Vibe, he derided the picture's exploitative nature: "I strongly believe that what goes on in this house stays in this house. I didn't really want to put Bill out there like that. How many people have gotten their eye shot out and captured it on an album cover for everyone to remember? It's hard to wake up in the morning and deal with that one." Though the cover's taste is certainly questionable, the image is unforgettable.

Too $hort, Born to Mack (1987)

5. Too $hort, Born to Mack (1987)

Art Direction: Mark Wholey
Photographer: Ann Flanagan Typography
Label: Dangerous/Jive/RCA

Easily winning the award for the best use of negative space on any hip-hop cover, the Born To Mack design places Todd and his Caddy dead center in a sea of white. This technique aimed to pull the focus back from $hort, instead drawing attention to the player lifestyle—his car, his swag—but never his face. $hort's original plan was to maintain this relative anonymity throughout his career, but label brass persuaded him otherwise and he was front and center on the cover of subsequent releases.

Public Enemy, It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)

4. Public Enemy, It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)

Art Direction: Eric Haze
Photographer: Glen E. Friedman
Label: Def Jam/Columbia

Loosely modeled after James Brown's Revolution Of The Mind cover, photographer Glen E. Freidman placed a mean-mugging Flav and Chuck behind bars for their second album. It was a strong complement to the death row anthem "Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos," but also served as an even more fitting metaphor for the group's politics: Even in the face of imprisonment, they would not be silenced.

Nas, Illmatic (1994)

3. Nas, Illmatic (1994)

Art Direction: Aimee Macauley, Danny Clinch
Photographer: Uncredited
Label: Columbia

Like the album itself, the Illmatic cover is purposefully straightforward, superimposing a photo of young Nas on a landscape of his Queensbridge Projects. Nas' demeanor as a seven-year-old doesn't seem all that different from his adult days, thanks to an unsmiling, slightly menacing calm. The font selection— reminiscent of Olde English—is unexpected for a rap record and gives the whole project an appropriately regal vibe. This was a young king claiming his throne.

Ice-T, Power (1988)

2. Ice-T, Power (1988)

Art Direction: Kav Deluxe
Photographer: Glen E. Friedman
Label: Sire/Warner Bros.

Before 'Ye had the Power, Tracy had his own, and the cover said as much before he even opened his mouth. Glen E. Friedman's front-and-back full-body shots of T, DJ Evil E, and T's scantily clad then-girlfriend Darlene Ortiz, all brandishing arms in front of a stark white background, was unforgettable. Try to track down the original LP cover, which fully embossed the figures and title, giving the already stunning layout an even more tangible feel. (Unfortunately, that embossment is not proportional to Darlene's figure. Blind men will still have to wait for the braille centerfold revolution.)

A Tribe Called Quest, Low End Theory (1991)

1. A Tribe Called Quest, Low End Theory (1991)

Art Direction: ZombArt
Photographer: Joe Gran1
Label: Jive

Following up the sunny day illustration from their happy-go-lucky debut, Tribe went decidedly darker on the cover for the more mature (and classic) The Low End Theory. Painting the contours of an invisible model's body with glow-in-the-dark paint, the red, green, and black image was sexy and Afrocentric all at once—a delicate balance that mirrored Tribe's jazz-heavy sound at the time. The iconic imagery would continue to pop up throughout Tribe's career (gracing the covers of their next two albums), making the painted lady hip-hop's most recognizable mascot. Stripped-down, stylish, and original, The Low End Theory is everything a great rap album cover should be.