In my final year, my Industry Practice investigation led to my decision to focus on art/creative direction and branding for music promotion, with a particular focus on the hip-hop industry.
What I found most interesting in my investigation was the concept of the relationship between art and profit in music, and in particular, in hip-hop. During my thesis research on the commercialization of hip-hop music, I was particularily drawn to Wu-Tang Clans RZA’s debate on the devaluation of music and the ways in which the release of their album Once Upon A Time challenged the idea of music as an art form. I was interested in finding where this shift is taking designers in the music industry and the ways in which they can contribute to make music more than just an auxiliary experience. Inspired by vintage cardboard records, I decided I was going to design a collectible item for the release of the latest Wu-Tang Clan album ‘The Saga Continues’.