Studio Visits: Cey Adams

Hip-Hop Design Pioneer and Founding Creative Director of Def Jam Recordings. HYPEBEAST Features - Go in-depth and learn more about the culture. [HYPEBEAST]( [Features]( April 26, 2019 [Studio Visits: Cey Adams]( The hip-hop design pioneer discusses his transformation from graffiti vandal to fine artist. [sacai & Beats by Dre Announce BeatsX Collaboration]( EDDIE LEE / HYPEBEAST Cey Adams witnessed the birth of hip-hop firsthand. While his close friends were learning to breakdance or DJ, Adams sought out graffiti. From tagging walls with legendary New York City artists back in the 1970s to creating iconic album artworks for Def Jam Recordings, he is considered to be one of the most influential creatives in hip-hop culture. In Adams’ early days as an artist, his peers were the likes of Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Futura, and DONDI.“Trying to find your own style was a very important thing coming out of the graffiti community and people would check you really fast if you were copying somebody else's style,” he tells HYPBEAST. “It was the one thing that was an absolute don't. I sort of knew that right from the start.” Working with collage was a way for me to really challenge myself [Priya Ahluwalia Adidas Originals]( EDDIE LEE / HYPEBEAST He began the transition from “graffiti vandal” to a fine artist at the age of 19 years when he was approached by the Lower Manhattan gallery Graffiti Above Ground, which represented notable artists such as CRASH, DAZE, Pink, ALI, Zephyr, and REVOLT. Adams was represented by the gallery throughout the 1980s, leveraging the institution’s impressive roster to improve his skills and gain valuable industry insights. “We basically did everything together. They nurtured us and taught us how to talk to the media, how to stretch canvas, how to conduct yourself as a professional artist,” he says. While working under the gallery, Adams was approached by Russell Simmons to helm the creative director role at Def Jam Recordings. In his early twenties, he co-founded the label’s in-house visual design firm entitled Drawing Board where he made album covers, logos, and campaigns for Run DMC, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Notorious B.I.G., and more. When Adams wasn’t creating visuals for Def Jam, he was focusing on his fine art practice. [READ FULL ARTICLE ON HYPEBEAST →](   [More HYPEBEAST Features]( [[FOOTWEAR]( [How Sneaker Companies Are Creating Running Shoes for the Future]( [[FASHION]( [8 Drops You Don't Want to Miss This Week]( [Get The App Free on iOS and Android]( Follow --------------------------------------------------------------- 2019 HYPEBEAST Limited. All Rights Reserved [Manage Subscriptions]( You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to HYPEBEAST's marketing emails. You can unsubscribe from us any time by clicking [here](3D--7e381584cad5c0ee2b0578b4e893f2f3d9c7554b48969c91a66635ce3734b133?utm_source=hbfeatures&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=apr26_19). It may take 48 hours to complete the unsubscribe process. Contact subscription@hypebeast.com for assistance on any enquiries. Our Mailing Address: HYPEBEAST, 10F, KC 100, 100 Kwai Cheong Road, Kwai Chung, Hong Kong