Hip-Hop Album Covers

Jay ZWatch The Throne2011

Reasonable Doubt1996

The Blueprint2001

Kingdom Come2006

Magna Carta Holy Grail2013

Artist’s name on the cover

Dark image

Light imageArtistic/conceptual

Smoking

Artist on the coverBlack and white

Wearing a hatWearing a hat

Artist’s name on the cover

Artist’s name on the cover

EminemThe Slim Shady1999

The Marshal Mathers2013

Recovery2010

Infinite 1996

The Eminem Show2002

Dark image

Artist on cover

Artist name on the cover

Album name on the cover

No PhotographPhotograph

Album name on the cover

Album name on the cover

Tinie TempahDisc-Overy2010

Demonstration2013

Happy Birthday2011

Hood Economics2007

Artist name on the cover

Artist on the cover

Album name on the cover

Dark image

Black and white

Conceptual

Other people

Set in a school

Special effects/artistic

Dark image

Artist on the cover

Snoop Dogg

Bush2015

Reincarnated2013

The Blue Carpet Treatment2006

Doggumentary2011

Artist on the cover

Artist name on the cover

Album name on cover

Light image

Dark image

SmokingBlack and white

Features a dog

Conceptual

Different artist name

Dark image

Black and white

Artist name on the cover

Album name on cover

Hip-Hop album covers much more commonly featured the artist of the album on the cover or an instead featured a piece of artwork, pre 2000.Gradually, the album covers for hip-hop artists have developed to feature a more conceptual image rather than the artist as the main feature of the cover. Some modern hip-hop covers do not include the name of the album or even the name of the artist on the front, instead relying on the fans to understand the cover and be able to identify it.Hip-hop conventions recognised in music videos are and have been utilised in most album covers of this genre; and feature people smoking, in dark clothing, baggy clothing, sunglasses, etc.

Analysis