Image via Complex Original
When I started YeezyGraffiti, I wanted it to be a place where people could submit their custom Yeezus covers to get their names out there and show the world their artistic talents. I never expected it to blow up as fast as it did, with so much support and appreciation from industry giants. The project was inspired by one tweet from Virgil Abloh that motivated me to not only make a cover but create a place where people could see all the artwork in
one location. The tweet was accompanied by a photo of the Yeezus album cover with text just above the top of the image stating “please add graffiti."
Instantly, I knew exactly what they wanted us to do, and I made a thread on Kanyetothe.com to get some of his biggest fans to contribute to the project I was cooking up. The first post on YeezyGraffiti gained over 200 reblogs in just four minutes, and from there I knew I had something great on my hands. Since its beginning two weeks ago, YeezyGraffiti has been shared to over 3.5 million people with over 10,000 pageviews a day. With the release of Kanye’s newest album, Yeezus, today, the site is expected to continue growing in popularity and helping artists get their work recognized by people all over the world.
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The Best YeezyGraffiti "Yeezus" Album Covers
Written by Leighton McDonald (@iam__leighton, Creator of YeezyGraffiti.com)
Eye Cotton
Eye Cotton
EyeCotton put together this cover art for "New Slaves" that has deep ties to Kanye's Late Registration single, "Diamonds from Sierra Leone." The symbolism of the diamond not only references the slave labor associated with the mining of blood diamonds, but it also makes reference to Kanye's discussion about corporate slavery and material idolism in "New Slaves."
Reblog from YeezyGraffiti
Prophet Designs
Prophet Designs
This cover highlights Kanye's newly infamous "Kanyetti" stage outfit along with a Renaissance painting depicting bodies falling to the discomforts of hell. The painted white cross is a rebellious touch that establishes its roots to the "Please Add Graffiti Movement."
Reblog from YeezyGraffiti
Unknown
Unknown
The composition and graphical combinations of shapes in this make me appreciate its mysterious presentation. The linework reminds me of block printing techniques used by artists to continuously replicate their work without having to redraw it each time. This is probably one of the most abstract submissions to YeezyGraffiti so far, and I appreciate the diversity of styles that many artists are delivering.
Reblog from YeezyGraffiti
Brok - Lee
Brok - Lee
Taking the Yeezus moniker literally, this cover interprets the Dropout Bear as the head of the Lord's Supper table in place of Jesus. I love how the creator of this cover took extra time to texturize the bear's head to look like it was a part of the actual painting.
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@PhillyCustoms (Creator of RapDose.com)
@PhillyCustoms (Creator of RapDose.com)
Phillycustomz created this Tumblr hit by taking an image from a photo shoot of Kanye and Riccardo Tisci then cropping and adding a sprinkle of darkness to the subjects. The cover is clean and elegant, and the parental advisory red tape is a nice touch.
Reblog from YeezyGraffiti
Pathetic Pixels
Pathetic Pixels
One of the first major submissions to YeezyGraffiti was this piece by Pathetic Pixels. I love the punk rock and comic book illustration influences of this cover. The addition of the promotional visuals for Kanye's newest live performances blends seamlessly with the overall design language.
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Humanity Is Rare
Humanity Is Rare
Staying true to the gritty concept of the album, this cover reminds me of an abandoned Soviet era city with propaganda posters speaking of revolution and retribution sprawled across city walls. The artist also used one of my favorite Kanye props, the diamond encrusted mask by Maison Martin Margiela.
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Fiegue
Fiegue
One of the more obscure approaches was Fiegue's Dropout Bear reimagined in a completely new way. The interpretation is a little more indie art inspired, especially with the details of the sweater, but I appreciate it all the more because it's so different than any other submission that I saw.
Reblog from YeezyGraffiti
Unknown
Unknown
One of the darker covers submitted so far, this piece is reminiscent of the all black Margiela mask that Kanye wore during the MET Gala Performance last month. The cover utilized the red tape header that I created for YeezyGraffiti to add a consistent identity.
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HK Covers
HK Covers
I'm a huge fan of juxtaposition in art. I love how the background is busy with life, but the font has a simple execution, even though there is a texture inside to create volume. The addition of the Rottweilers and Givenchy bomber jackets would make Riccardo Tisci proud.
Reblog from YeezyGraffiti
Koby Martin
Koby Martin
One of the things I love about the submissions I have been receiving lately are the artists' use of fine art techniques to make attractive covers. This artist utilizes paint dripping effects to create a solemn and mesmerizing piece of art. I have to say, though, the use of black carpeting as the background image creates one of the most interesting textures I have seen on any of the covers.
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Koby Martin
Koby Martin
As someone who started out painting in high school, I appreciate the use of splatter and brush techniques used to create the face of Kanye. The expressive colors make the piece come alive, and the Been Trill graffiti font adds that special touch of familiarity to anyone who follows that movement.
Reblog from YeezyGraffiti
Unknown
Unknown
When I first saw this cover, it completely blew me away with how simple and dark it was. The black hood on the head of Jesus is reminiscent of the live visuals of Kanye's "Black Skinhead" performance. The dark and rebellious theme of this cover is also an excellent representation of Kanye's progressive musical motive on Yeezus.
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JIM JOE
JIM JOE
Today on iTunes, the banner for the Yeezus release was represented with a simple drawing of Kanye in a ski mask that boasts similarities to the photo taken of him in his recent New York Times interview. New York-based graffiti artist JIM JOE is responsible for the new visual.The drawing was simple, almost looking like it was done with a pencil in a few minutes, but its minimalism is perfect to represent the stripped down and music-focused Yeezus album.
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Jasper305 (KTT)
Jasper305
Since he used visuals from my favorite Kanye album, 808s & Heartbreak, the usage reference to 'Ye from that era instantly won me over. The graphical nature of the cover reminds me of the tribal-influenced sounds that Kanye uses in My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
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Vercius (KTT)
Vercius (KTT)
June 18 is a pretty huge day for music with the album releases of Kanye, J. Cole, and Mac Miller all available for public consumption. Of course, there will be friendly competition, but one Kanye fan wanted to let the world know who the best artist was with this Dragoball Z-inspired cover.
Reblog from YeezyGraffiti
Unknown
Unknown
Another interpretation of the dropout bear on at the head of the Lord's Supper table, this submission was featured on Def Jam's Tumblr and received over 5,000 reblogs in a matter of a few hours. The Been Trill font makes another appearance on this cover to stay consistent with the "Please Add Graffiti" movement.
Reblog from YeezyGraffiti
Alexis Caille
Alexis Caille
Probably the most impressive submission I've seen so far, Alexis Caille designed an entire digipak including the disc. His project has gotten the most reblogs, topping out at 10,000+ since it was uploaded last week. The details and artwork choices are superb, and the cohesiveness of all the elements are professionally maintained. Hopefully his work has inspired others to continue submitting and push the limits of what their imaginations thought they could create.
Reblog from YeezyGraffiti
Leighton McDonald
Leighton McDonald
I started YeezyGraffiti as a place for artists and fans to express their talents and support for Kanye's cover artwork, but I've also made a few submissions to the site over time. After Yeezus leaked on June 14, I decided to capture the sound of the album with an album cover. I started by recreating a 3D model of Kanye's head so I could use any angle of his face that I needed. Creating something bold and striking while still achieving a clean and modern look were my main goals for this cover. A thin halo was added as a memento to Kanye's song "I Am A God."
Reblog from YeezyGraffiti
Pathetic Pixels
Pathetic Pixels
Pathetic Pixels has created some of my favorite submissions on YeezyGraffiti since it started two weeks ago. The maniacal imagery of the media terrorizing Kanye reflects the pressure of being a super star that the public never will understand. The hate speech and continuous name-calling takes its toll on Kanye, but he keeps his head held high, and his ego, represented by a crown, untouched.
Reblog from YeezyGraffiti