I’m into non-conventional music packaging, no surprise there. Last week, a friend put me on to Bjork’s forthcoming release, Biophilia: The Ultimate Art Edition. This “super limited” version is designed by M/M Paris and comes in a lacquered, silkscreened oak box containing 2 cd’s (Biophilia, plus an exclusive live Bjork recording from the Manchester International Festival), 10 chrome plated tuning forks, and a numbered certificate. Only 200 will be produced. What I do find surprising is the price – $812.

The paradox of being a designer and questioning the value of this collection has started some interesting debates around here. So many artists struggle to sell an album for $15, but this set of previously unreleased music, which is only available by pre-order, costs nearly 55 times more than the average CD. Is this an instance of limited quantity trumping quality? If not, are two specially packaged discs worth nearly $1,000?

I value music packaging, but this one has me a little confused because the free Biophilia app seems much more compelling. At the end of the day, art is subjective and if people are willing to pay $800 for this, then arguably it’s worth it. I look forward to seeing how the set does when it drops on September 26th. More importantly, I wonder if we’ll see more super limited editions.

Last month Kwaku Alston asked if I would be interested in writing something for his blog, Art of Studio. The answer was yes, and this is what I came up with.

I’ve been passionate about art for as long as I can remember. Growing up art was a hobby, not a career option. Luckily, I had a teacher who changed all that. I took a drawing class in my first year of college. One day the teacher said she thought I’d be good at graphic design. I didn’t know what it was, but I was willing to try anything that offered the possibility of being a working artist and moving to NYC. She helped me put together a portfolio and apply to art schools. She was right.

Years later there was an open teaching position at SVA, my alma mater, and I jumped at it. After a great recommendation and some vetting, I got the job. My friend, Greg Burke and I taught typography to second and third year students. We did it as a means to offer guidance to a group of hungry designers. Surprisingly, it turned out to be a mutually beneficial arrangement. We gave the class knowledge and insight. They gave us inspiration. Our students didn’t think about budget limitations or the politics that sometimes come with ‘selling’ an idea. They did what they felt, no matter what. I remind myself of their creative freedom often.

I was naive about the teacher/student relationship. In my mind it was only a 9 month commitment. Wrong. Greg and I are friends with several of our former students and even work with a few of them. We are proud of them and are invested in them long-term. All of this is to say, the next time you cross paths with a young hungry artist who is trying to find their way, give them a few minutes. It may change both of your lives.

In the weeks before Decoded was released, Droga 5 launched a unique campaign to promote the book: Decode Jay-Z. Oversized pages were put in locations inspired by the text (a plaque in Marcy projects, the lining of a Gucci jacket, etc.) giving the words context. The only one I came across in my travels was the Politics as Usual billboard on Flatbush and Tillary in BK, which was expected because Jay-Z had this location on lock for years. Seeing Jigga’s words that large, without his picture or an in-store date, made them more powerful. To connect the dots, Bing launched an online game that directed fans to each of the page locations. This video shows the scale and effectiveness of the campaign.

RapRadar

Fast Company recognizes John Jay as one of the 100 Most Creative People In Business. In this video, John, the Executive Creative Director at Wieden + Kennedy, shares his wisdom on the importance of listening and understanding in creativity.

print ads, brochure, website + web banners, letterhead

Here’s a “Revolutions Per Minute” cover comp we banged out.  It wasn’t approved, but I am proud of it regardless.

This MetroCard was a good look for Gang Starr when it came out in ‘98. I had the good sense to keep it. RIP Guru.

The days leading up to “Meet The Artist” at the Apple Store in Soho were ambivalent times.  I promoted it to others but downplayed it to myself.  It was a big deal, but I needed to focus on presenting my work and creative process rather than thinking about the event itself.  That was the right approach for me because walking in and seeing my face on the screen was serious business.  I got nervous.

Speaking to a full house had me more than a little shook.  Fortunately, I found my rhythm early on after noticing engaged faces in the audience.  The presentation went smoothly and 45 minutes later it was time for my favorite part, the Q&A.  At the end of the night a few people told me they were inspired by the event, which inspired me.  Reciprocity, that’s what’s up.

web design collaboration

Complex Magazine recently put out a list of their 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Magazine Covers and another naming Hip Hop’s 50 Greatest Album Covers.   I am proud to say my work is on both.

In the spring of ’96 I started working with Daniel Hastings.  Our first project together was designing a cover for Stress Magazine.  Before we met, Danny shot Jay-Z in lower Manhattan in front of the twin towers and he wanted me to hook-up the layout.  Stress was a new publication, this was Jay’s first magazine cover, and “Reasonable Doubt” hadn’t come out yet.  When the magazine dropped posters of the cover were all over NYC.  My work on that project solidified my spot in Danny’s crew, Cartel.  Fifteen that cover earned us the #28 slot on Complex’s list.

The first time I heard “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” was in the summer of ’02.  50 played the album for me in his grandmother’s living room while we were discussing the direction of the album packaging shoot.  Everyone involved with that project knew it was special and the music set a high standard for the visuals.  Sacha Waldman did an amazing shoot and we worked together to create images images that were unlike anything else that was out at the time.  Mission accomplished.  Our hard work landed us the #44 spot.

A few people I spoke with thought 50′s cover was low on the list.  For me, this list represents 30+ years of material and being included means more than the ranking.