LONG.LIVE.A$AP is the debut studio album by American rapper A$AP Rocky. It was released on January 15, 2013, A$AP Worldwide, Polo Grounds Music and RCA Records. This digipak is kept very simple, there is not a lot of writing on it and the black and white theme used could be seen as quite bland. However against all the other bright colours and effects many other Hip/Hop artists have on their covers this makes it stand out as it adds an old school, authentic rap feel to it - almost like going back to N.W.A album covers. There is some editing on the picture on the front cover which looks like a small glitch effect to add some texture so it's not just a stand alone image. We can also see the 'Parental Advisory' tag in the bottom corner which has to be put there. I particularly like how they've taken one image and split it up into two, having the top of the image actually at the bottom. At first glance of this front cover you think it's rather simple however it is actually very effective.
In terms of the back cover and CD image, again it is kept even more simple with this continuation of the black and white theme and with this glitch effect almost blurring out the background which effectively draws your attention to the writing of the tracklist. Differently they have placed the barcode in the top right of the back cover when usually it is at the bottom. I feel like the black and white theme was a very good idea for this digital as there is no overpowering colours, you can read the text easily and clearly and it looks very professional. They have also made sure to include all legal information on this back cover and around the outer circle of the CD. As well as there record labels including 'SONY Music' to promote these to their audience. Lastly, on the very bottom of the back cover he has included all his social media such as website and twitter account to continue to gain popularity.
Travis Scott - Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight:
Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight is the second studio album by American rapper Travis Scott. It was released on September 2, 2016, by Grand Hustle Records and Epic Records. It exclusively premiered through Travis Scott and Chase B's radio show Wav Radio on Beats 1and Apple Music.
As I have probably mentioned already, I believe and I think what most people also believe is that the front cover of any digipak is the most important element, solely due to the fact that it is the first thing that fans and then potential fans will see in stores or online on social media and streaming apps. This digipak cover is very effective to me as it allows the audience to really ask questions as to what is actually being portrayed whilst still giving a general idea of the albums genre as it effectively convey’s darkness and adult themes through smoking and jewellery. I also feel the most important feature is of course his wings as his alter ego is the bird of prey: an Eagle.
In relation with the title of the album referencing birds, the imagine on the back cover featuring the track-list keeps to this theme with the depiction of an eagle holding a banner as if it would normally hold its prey. This is very effective as the use of different colours although some of the tracklist is hard to read due to clashing colours - which could be an improvement made and something I will make sure not to happen in my own digipak, it maintains specific imagery throughout and all images keep to one general theme which works well.
The inside cover of the digipak doesn't necessarily keep with the theme of the rest of the artwork, such as nature imagery or referencing the eagle, however the typography is quite intriguing as to why it has been presented in this way; almost scattered around as it looks neat but in a messy way! This inside cover could be seen as unusual due to the fact it is quite bland and simply says the album name with no image, which conflicts the typical connotations of a Rap/Hip-Hop album.
Drake - Take Care:
Take Care is the second studio album by the Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on November 15, 2011, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Republic Records. Recording sessions took place from 2010 to 2011.
The front cover introduces the artist, so that he is seen as the main focus (Goodwin) and demonstrates his star persona. This front cover portrays the conventional features of a rap artist, such as gold chains and other jewellery. The use of an item and colour such as gold shows his wealth and status. Notice how Drake has no eye contact to the camera in this first photo which once listening to the album makes sense as the main focus of the album is on the topic of love, highlighted by the name of the album. However, much like A$AP Rocky's this front cover is also very different and subversive to what we can expect from a rapper in the modern day world. The typography could be seen as quite feminine, nothing on the album cover suggests any violence. It is not what some consumers may expect from Drake or someone in this music genre. Also notice how Drake has not placed his name anywhere on the front cover; reinforcing his star persona because his audience and most of the world will know who he is.
This is the first picture inside the Take Care digipak and is once again has connotations all about building his ego and star persona. The picture has emphasis on items that suggest the genre of this album. Also the fact he is smoking and it being an old school cigar presents the idea that he has a typical rapper ‘Bad boy image’ which suggests the genre of Rap or R&B. Again the repetition of a gold colour is shown as a consistent theme throughout the album continuing the idea of power and wealth, and the ideology that Drake could be shooting these pictures in a wealthy area or mansion, perhaps his own!
This particular part of the DigiPak, shows all the song names and underneath provides a short description of the all people who played a part in the production and roles such as writing. This clearly is more for business purposes rather than for the entertainment of the audience, although it is quite interesting to see what other musicians may have played a part. However, the background image on this page still portrays almost a wealthy mansion from the artwork and continues with the gold theme yet again, highlighting the need for consistency when you’re a rap star in the music industry.
For this page in the digipak - I won't be creating in my own however I thought it was necessary to still include it in my research. You could say that these end credits almost act as a filler as most people will naturally just skip past them and that they are actually purely for business and legal purposes. However, they are still very important if you were to read them as it gives Drake a chance to personally thank many of the people who contributed to the success of this album. Drake is known as a very charming and humble man so this definitely fits in with his person as he goes against the contradicting male rapper stereotype most people have.
For me, this part of the Digipak fully shows how much of a global music sensation Drake really has become - and this was one of his early albums! With an entire page being dedicated to all the people that supported him on his way up from the streets of Toronto to the very top and some people's all time favourite rapper. The background image of Drakes' iconic owl may have connotations of Drake being a wiser person than he once was apart from it being the obvious symbol of Drake’s own record label, OVOXO. Again this owl is significant as it seems to be made out of pure gold, which is just another indication of Drakes wealth which is shown throughout the entire Digipak.
On this back cover, perhaps the second most looked at part of any digipak, the black and gold text carries on this theme of wealth and allows the album to maintain consistency from the front to the back. The typography of the text is very retro as were most of the pictures used as they all had a grainy, saturated look to them and it is extremely easy to read. The sponsors at the bottom of the Digipak highlight Drake’s record label OVO and a huge part of his success and a massive reason for his wealth within the album.
