Pen & Pixel: See The Illustrators That Changed The Face Of Southern Rap In The ’90s (Video)

In the 1990s, if you were a Southern Rap Head, chances are, you bought an album with artwork designed by Pen & Pixel. From No Limit to Cash Money, Suave House to Priority Records, this team of digital artists executed the grandiose visions of the artists looking to make their product stand apart. From big bears to helicopters, leather lingerie to chess boards, these visionaries shaped a generation of rappers’ images, and helped usher in a paradigm shift from the paintings, graffiti-inspired artwork of the ’80s and early ’90s, bracing Hip-Hop for the computer age.

Noisey sat with co-founder Shawn Brauch to discuss the development, some favorite artwork—and even though Birdman, Lil Wayne, and Mystikal are still here—why Pen & Pixel covers aren’t poppin’ like they once were.

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