This is the digipak from the 3rd Studio album from the hip hop artist Kanye West, this is the only version of the album released in the UK and contains the 15 track CD, artwork and a poster. The colour scheme and graphics used throughout the cover artwork are all from the same comtemporary artist/designer Takashi Murakami. The artwork uses the same features as in most of Murakami's work. The cartoonish characters appear friendly and happy when you first look at them but hold dark, twisted undertones.
This cover doesn't contain any images of the artist, as the artist is represented by the cartoon bear which is known as 'Dropout Bear.' Dropout Bear is based on the artist who himself dropped out of college, although he dropped out of college to continue with his music career.
The album colour scheme features bright, but at the same time dullk colours, this is done by the artist because the brightness adds to the cheerful look from the first glance at the images. The dullness of the colours then sets in and it is noticable that the dark twisted side of the characters is clear.
The album belongs to the Hip hop genre, the codes and conventions followed by this cover are the same for most covers by this artist and in this genre. All of the covers by this artist contain similar characters and always the dropout bear which as mentioned, represents the artist. The connotations of the featured images are mixed, whilst some of them show fear, others show what is described by the artist as 'good life.'
The artist is signed to the institution Roc-A-Fella Records, Def Jam and Good Music. Roc-A-Fella records is a label owned and run by Shawn JayZ Carter. GOOD Music records 'Getting out our Dreams' which is owned and run by Kanye West himself, he has signed a few of his friends to the label which is an independant record label.
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