As the former creative director of the Donda creative agency, artist Joe Perez has worked closely with the mad visionary that is Kanye West. In the wake of the Donda agency’s closure, Perez has taken to Instagram to unveil some of his now-scrapped projects, providing an interesting examination into what might have been. His latest revelation came yesterday when he shared some concept art for a Kanye West album titled Chiraq.
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Boasting a transparent CD case cast in a bright purple hue, the design calls back to that of 2013’s Yeezus. Perez dates the image as having come from April 9th 2015, which places it between the aforementioned and 2016’s The Life Of Pablo. “Possible album design and honestly can’t remember much past that since it was only a one round assignment,” writes Perez, in the accompanying caption. He also reveals that both Kanye West and Virgil Abloh served as “executive creative direction” and “creative direction” respectively.
Aside from the minimalist art design, further details surrounding the actual sound of Chiraq remain scarce. It wouldn’t be surprising if some of the material ultimately ended up on Pablo, though given Kanye’s breakneck pace and scattershot mind, it’s equally easy to imagine this one being deleted on a whim. Check out the conceptual art for the lost Kanye West album below, and ponder what might have been had he made this one a reality.
