Memorable, unique and absolutely one of the best rap album covers of all time. The album’s cover is an artistic rendition of the rapper’s face interwoven with the moon.
Now over a decade later the record is regarded as a new-school classic. There were high hopes for the debut album from Kanye West protege Kid Cudi before it dropped in September, 2009. Kid Cudi – Man on the Moon: The End of Day From the raw, real-world imagery of N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton to the surreal cartoon universe of MF DOOM’s Mm.Food, and the minimalist allure of A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory, a lot of these album artworks are usually as iconic and memorable as the music itself.įrom GZA’s comic book renders on Liquid Swords to the fantasyland of Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde to the hugely influential Illmatic artwork, here are the 50 best rap album covers of all time. These covers capture a moment, reflect an artist’s persona, or amplify the socio-political messages within the tracks. The visual aesthetic of a rap album is often as crucial as the sonic experience it encapsulates. Still, that doesn’t mean the rap album cover is from a bygone era. What’s the value of a rap album cover in the streaming era? It’s not like back in the day when vinyl records featured the space large enough to accommodate thoughtful artwork – nowadays, you’re most likely staring at the cover on a mobile device.
