Fat Joe’s “Cheap” Album Cover Might Actually Be Priceless

Don’t get mad at the word “cheap.” Walk with me for a spell.

Fat Joe may have just exposed the great divide between artistic craftsmanship and emotional value with the cover of his new album, Organized Rhyme.

Photographer Joshua Wann, who is very talented, took one look at the decidedly simple artwork and apparently saw everything wrong with the modern music business. And then posted it on social media.

“Seeing Fat Joe’s cover for Organized Rhyme has broke me. It looks like something I designed when I was 16. We’re moving into an age of devaluing art, devaluing craft, and making things cheaper because it’s move convenient and just overall easier. What happened to the amazing art direction of album covers? What happened to investing into the entire presentation?”

He continued with an impassioned plea for the glorious days when album artwork seemingly had budgets, creative directors and enough people involved to populate a small village.

Fat Joe was not exactly moved.

“Your right it’s called we ain’t paying 100 k for album covers that the photographer ends up owning the rights for the gig is up beloveds,” he said.

Ouch. And yet, I get it! Back in the day, those photog’s created amazing covers that sold the album. They were paid in full AND oftentimes owned the images.And yet that is not the most interesting part.

What if everybody is arguing about the wrong thing?

The photograph reportedly shows Joe with his late brother, Angel, who passed away unexpectedly on Thanksgiving. I admittedly am not sure which person could be him. The simplicity starts looking less like somebody saved money and more like symbolism. That changes the conversation considerably.

Another artist seemed to understand where Joe might be coming from.

“Ex album artwork creator here; 1 understand and really do wish we could go back to MBDTF and WTT think tank art covers but the simplicity of covers today usually capture a feeling. I think @fatjoe nailed it”

Famed photographer Julia Beverly had another observation.

“Not the papyrus font.”

Now THAT might require another conversation. HA!

Still, there is a legitimate debate buried underneath all the jokes. Hip-Hop album covers were once events themselves. Photography, illustration, typography and elaborate art direction helped transform albums into complete cultural statements. There is nothing wrong with wanting that craftsmanship preserved.

But Organized Rhyme may represent something different.

Joe has experienced tremendous loss, including his mother, father and brother. His reflective song “2 Plots” addresses that grief directly. If the album is rooted in mortality, memory and family, perhaps an untouched photograph carries more weight than a $100,000 production ever could.

Sometimes the photograph is the art.

And sometimes Papyrus is still Papyrus.

ILLSEED OUT.