How Pusha T and Team DONDA Created the Artwork for ‘Darkest Before Dawn’

#np Pusha T — Crutches, Crosses, Caskets

King Push’s Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude LP.

“I’ve been recording so much — I didn’t want to break up that body of work, I feel like I had the producers doing things that they weren’t usually known for, a little out of their wheelhouse,” the rapper says of the decision to unleash Darkest Before Dawn in December. “I wanted to give the fans that body of work. That’s the music I love, and that’s the music that my fans love from me. Instead of having those moments throughout King Push, let’s just separate the game.” — Pusha T in Rolling Stone

Pusha T is rap’s most untouchable, uncrushable and unflustered emcee. But even the newly minted president of G.O.O.D. Music can stress out from time to time.

“Those were live birds — and I have a fear of birds,” says Push, about the weathered, monochromatic artwork of his new record King Push — Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude, which features the Virginia-bred rapper in a denim jacket and trademark braids while a white dove flies in front of the frame. “Me, actually holding a bird, letting it go, letting it fly by my face, letting it sit on my shoulder, land on my head. My face doesn’t tend to show it in the pictures, but I was stressed out.”

Push knows better then anyone, though, that when you’re aiming for icon status, you have to act the part — birds in your grill or not. That means recruiting a bevy of rap’s top producers — Timbaland, Kanye, Boi-1da — for your new record, talking about how classic the album will be before it even drops and including a piece of striking artwork to help hammer it home. Having a top-notch photographer in Fabien Montique and creative team in DONDA doesn’t hurt, either.

“We researched scarification portraits of African tribes — the magnitude of that pain captured in a moment,” says Fabien (@fabienmontique), on the inspiration behind the cover and accompanying single “Untouchable.” “We set out to create a scenario where we translate the raw emotion and power of Pusha’s music juxtaposed with a visible symbol of hope and freedom.”

As for Push, his goal was simple: create something that was strong, iconic and would last a lifetime.

“Everything about the art is classic. Everything about the album is classic. They go hand in hand.”