Any idea who these guys are? Find out after the jump…
Yup! These two goofy looking honkeys are the masterminds behind (the now defunct) PEN & PIXEL, singlehandedly responsible for some of the best rap album covers in the history of rap album covers. Read the interview HERE. It’s really a spectacular interview full of hilarious stories and a methodical, calculated approach to the industry that belies the hokeyness that comes across in so many of their covers. These guys were obviously really smart and built an empire around Photoshopped leopards, diamonds, and Benzes. I’ve posted some of my favorites below taken from the massive collection HERE.
Enjoy!
Great collection of old PPG covers, they bring back the memories. Keep up the blog, I’m always out there looking for more goodies on Pen and Pixel.
Peace
wowe da fiftyeenthe thousandthe blog to put up some penand pixel coverres. u aer makin fon ov blaque peepole and its racisst.
don-a-cappa
aka
americano
Um, wtf? Some of these covers are definitely funny, but none of them are funny because of race. Additionally, a good portion of the covers I posted above aren’t funny at all but are just really DOPE covers: the 8 Ball and MJG jawns, the Lil Wayne joint, the Geto Boys, the Magnolia Shorty cover, E-40.
GTFOHWTBS, please.
-e
Not to mention how influential these covers are even today. Cover design has gotten quite a bit less “loud” for lack of a better word, but most modern day mixtape covers are just slightly sleeker Pen & Pixel covers that portray many of the same concepts and tropes. This isnt makin’ fun of Pen & Pixel, this is paying tribute to.
-e
I agree, Pen and Pixel was a multi racial organization. we had Whites, Blacks, Latinos, Japanese, Vietnamese, Jewish, Catholics and just about everything in between. Our clients were for the most part Hip-hop artists. We helped a great number of these people make it out of their current living conditions, and they in turned helped more of their own succeed! So in that sense I guess we were racist, in the fact that we help a large percentage of minority entertainers live their dreams.
Make sure “Don-a-cappa” that you understand this before making your statements public.
SB
P.S.
Great Job on the Pen and Pixel collection!
Yah, deez Pixie guys made some da the cheesiest covers around. Amazing what brothas will pay for.
No wonder P&P went under and SB and AB got out fast.
-Word Up-
YO SHAWN, WHAT UP?
I WAS A CLIENT OF PEN&PIXEL (AT THE TIME,THEY WERE CALLED “AKA STUDIOS.” I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT YOU. DID YOU GET MY MSG. I LEFT YOU ON FACEBOOK?? I THINK THAT PEN&PIXEL WAS THE MOST CREATIVE ALBUMCOVER COMPANY TO EVER OPEN ITS DOORS. UNFORTUNATELY, I GOT RIPPED OFF BY AKA AND I AM NOT A FUN OF THEM LIKE I ONCE WAS IN THE THE LATE 90’s (1998-2009) I HAVE SEEN SOME OF THE SICKEST,TIGHTEST,MOST CREATIVE CONCEPTS AND VERY UNIQUE ALBUMCOVERS BE DESIGNED BY YOU AND YOUR EMPLOYEES. AND YES, AT ONE POINT AS A 16 AND YOUR 17 YEAR OLD KID, MY ROOM WAS ONCE PLASTERED IN P&P ALBUMCOVERS OF MOSTLY LOCAL,UNDERGROUND SOUTHERN ARTIST THAT I PROBABLY WILL NEVER HEAR OF (WHICH I DIDN’T)AND ALL THE POSTERS WERE MAILED TO ME UPON MY REQUEST DIRECTLY FROM P&P! I LOVED THE ARTWORK AND IF YOU WANNA SEE MINE 2 ALBUMCOVERS THAT I HAD DESIGNED BY THE COMPANY, VISIT MY MYSPACE AT MYSPACE.COM\2DTHERAPSTAR AND PLEASE GET IN TOUCH WITH ME TO LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.ALSO YOU CAN EMAIL ME AT: THEGREAT2D@YAHOO.COM OR CALL ME AT: (206) 208-4869
HOLLA BACK AT ME SHAWN BRAUCH, I LOVED THE WORK AND FOR SEVERAL YEARS, I WAS OBSESSED WITH IT AND WHEN I ACTUALLY BECAME A CLIENT, MY OBSESSION GREW!! (UNTIL I GOT RIPPED OFF.)