Jay-Z: Chronology of Cover Art

In order to promote Jay-Z’s new album, The Blueprint 3, and the early release by Rhapsody, New York’s Droga5 has produced a great commercial that takes you through the life of Jay-Z’s cover art.

The first time I saw the commercial I was amazed and wanting to listen to every Jay-Z song in my library. The commercial definitely succeeded in hyping his new album, however, now that I’ve had the chance to watch the commercial a few times it’s not perfect and it left me wishing for something more. Firstly, I wish the covers were represented in chronological order. Two, it’s as if they got lazy with planning out the ending, they just fade to the cover of The Blueprint 3? What is that?! Why couldn’t they finish it in the same “on set” style as the rest of the piece? It probably wouldn’t have been too hard either, considering the cover for the new album isn’t CG (see video below). Trés, they use some pretty mediocre screen wipes in post to link the scenes together. I think with a bit more time and planning this could have been accomplished in a single take and that would have made the commercial AMAZING!

Heir to the Throne Reasonable Doubt (1996)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life (1998)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter (1999)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

The Dynasty: Roc La Familia (2000)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

The Blueprint (2001)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

The Blueprint ²: The Gift & the Curse (2002)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

The Black Album (2003)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

Kingdom Come (2006)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

American Gangster (2007)

Photograph by Arthur Elgort

The Blueprint 3 (2009)

Photograph by Dan Tobin Smith