Your Favourite Rapper's Favourite Rapper

MF DOOM

The super villain and underground hip-hop legend MF DOOM sadly passed away October 2020, but following his death I have found myself re-listening to his music.

My first introduction to MF DOOM was when he featured on “November Has Come” on the Gorillaz album, “Demon Days”. At the time I thought it was such a raw track featuring this mystery man’s underground, unpolished vocals - he was a true throwback to the 90s underground mixtape budget mic sound. However, it wasn’t until four years later when I attended art college that the hip-hop skater students introduced me to MF DOOM’s music properly. I loved what I heard but I was more compelled by what I saw…

Madvillain

The first time I actually saw an image of MF DOOM was the iconic “Madvillain” collaboration album with Madlib. I was struck by the album artwork of the gladiator masked man with some unamused eyes looking straight back at me. There is something so arthouse and minimalist, especially with the welcome a splash of colour in the form of an orange square in the corner. I was curious to know the mystery of who was under the mask. Side note all my life I have had a small fear and bit of discomfort of masked people - but I think this fear was added to the appeal that drew me in.

The man staring back at me was a character and I needed to find his origin story. I have always enjoyed the use of visual personas and characters within music, just like how Gorrilaz formed a whole cartoon band with the craziest backstories to open up the context of the musical subjects.

This album is one I would love to own the vinyl and to have it spinning in the record player (that I also don’t own yet) as well as having the sleeve framed as wall art.

The Super Villain’s Master Plan

In 1999 the public was introduced to the super villain MF DOOM and he came in with an old-school sound and a flow that fluidly bent through reality and fiction. His lyrical content didn’t follow any of the existing trends at the time that were within the hip-hop/rap culture, and instead he opted for creating his own universe that was mixed with reality, where he was the super villain in a morning show cartoon. This has packaged his work up to be timeless - throwing back to old school production and samples truly lasting the test of time.

Under The Mask

Before MF DOOM was born, Daniel Dumile was known as Zev Love X and was one-third of 90s Hip-Hop trio KMD (Kausing Much Damage) with his younger brother DJ Subroc and Onyx the Birthstone Kid. Unfortunately, DJ Subroc died after being hit by a car whilst attempting to cross a New York highway. Zev Lov X pushed on finishing what they started that became the album, “Black Bastards”, the content was darker in tone but most shockingly was the artwork which featured a cartoon of a black caricature being hung by a noose. They were unexpectedly dropped from Elektra Records and Zev Love X disappeared.

After a few years hiatus, Daniel Dumile re-emerged as the metal-faced super villain MF DOOM. “MF” standing for Metal Fingers (when producing) and Metal Face (when rapping) “DOOM” is a direct inspiration from the metal Marvel supervillain Doctor Doom.

“So, the mask really represents the whole like, to rebel against trying to sell the product as a human being.” - MF DOOM

I find this quote fascinating in the fact that he was able to completely detach himself from the limelight when the mask came off. He took his own personality out of his art and replaced it with characters that can have larger than life personalities, ideas and concepts, on a track that can live forever. This also made him untouchable - he is so private, he has no stress from media or personal diss attacks from other rappers, and could just live normally whilst the mask was off.

Zev Love X

Legacy and Final Thoughts

His legacy will live on as he has influenced and inspired two decades of rappers, remember he is “your favourite rapper's favourite rapper”. I’m just excited for the next charismatic and talented characters to come out of the music industry.

The most direct inspiration that comes to mind is Captain Murphy, the Cult Leader created by Flying Lotus on the album Duality. MF DOOM does make an appearance on the track “Between Friends” under another persona Viktor Vaughn with Earl Sweatshirt, who is an MF DOOM superfan and has adopted his abstract rhyming style from.

Legends never truly die and if not imitated he will be credited to a large amount of hip-hop we listen to today.

In need of some artwork for your music project or merchandise?

If you are in need of some standout artwork to help entice people to listen to your new album or looking for a fresh design for some new merch, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me for a free initial chat!

Music plays such a massive part in all our lives, emotions and memories so I’m sure I will be breaking down another musician who has inspired me visually as well as sonically. So stay tuned.

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5 Ways Graphic T-Shirts Can Elevate Your Business Experience

How can you use graphic T-shirts to benefit your business as well as your audience/fans?

We all have them in our wardrobe and for some of us, it’s a default go-to for our daily outfits - whether we’re out and about or simply lazing around the house.

But how can T-shirts help you?

Five reasons you should consider adding T-shirts to your business:

Increase awareness for your business and can drive traffic your way.

We all know marketing and advertising is so important to every business’ well being, so let's help our true fans help us with some free advertising - if they have invested in more than your core service, they are a fan.

It can generate a bit of extra cash and more importantly some easy recommendations for some new customers.

We always take on board our friend's recommendations so let's help prompt the conversation about how good your breakfast Bengals are with a shout out from a graphic T-shirt.

Building an identifiable tribe.

If you have built an honestly good business you will have fans, but you will also have some super fans who you can rely on to support you because they love the service you give them. We want to reward these individuals and give them something new to get excited about. You will start off with only a few super fans but in time with the growth of your business, you will gain more and convert more loyal fans into super fans.

We seem to acknowledge and gravitate to what is familiar e.g., bus drivers waving as they drive past each other, someone who has a top for a little known underground band you love or someone speaking your language in a foreign country.

Let your fans proudly identify as a super fan to everybody else by representing your T-shirt.

Accessibility.

Adding T-shirts is such an easily accessible asset for everybody - it's low cost and can be used for promotional giveaways and prizes. Who doesn't love a free top?!

Taking the experience home.

We have all seen the merch table at a concert/gig and gravitated over as we’re on such a high from the performance, looking upon all the band T-shirts whilst the chorus from the encore is still ringing in your ears. We select the design, size and are so chuffed to be leaving with a great experience as well as a new T-shirt. You may not have a rock band but perhaps own a coffee shop or a tattoo parlour - the concept is the same. Your fans can take home a practical memento of the experience you gave them.

Gifts are good.

Have you ever visited another country and picked up a fridge magnet, some postcards or a T-shirt for friends and family?

Let's make sure your T-shirt has an opportunity to be on that gift checklist. Who knows, the uncle who received your T-shirt as a gift may visit where it came from next summer. Hard Rock Cafe is a great example of a brand who have mastered this step.

Feeling inspired?

I hope these five tips help you consider how you can connect to a wider audience, complement your brand strategy as well as elevating your customer's experience! If you are interested in expanding your brand by incorporating graphic T-shirts, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me for a free initial chat!

I plan to create more top tips lists in this field but focused on one industry at a time, ranging from restaurants/coffee shops to musicians and everything in between. So stay tuned.

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Talking Distance Podcast - Bournemouth Arts By the Sea

I'm on a podcast!

I have been fortunate enough to be invited as a guest on Talking Distance Podcast by Bournemouth Arts By The Sea - hosted by Timo Peach.

Timo Peach (Momo:Tempo) is a music maker and creative based in Southbourne, with a particular interest in art’s place in ordinary life as well as how it shapes the world around us. If you want to see some of his awesome work, you can check out his website here or his Twitter page @momotempo.

Timo was commissioned by Bournemouth Arts by the Sea, who celebrated their tenth year, to chat with local creatives during the first national lockdown. The purpose of these podcasts was to provide the creatives with an opportunity to discuss their creative journeys as well as the challenges they have faced/continue to face. Each creative was asked to choose a location that was meaningful to them as creative individuals, and to also bring with them an artefact that they would like to leave behind for others on the journey to find.

I was so excited to have been given the opportunity to be a part of such a great project! My chat with Timo included an insight into my own work, how I got started on my journey and what attracted me to this area of work as well as how I was managing being a creative in the current crisis.

So if you are curious and would like to have an understanding of my creative journey and insight on how I view the world. Please tune in, it's online now!
Listen here

Bonus!
I created a mini texture pack from images I took whilst recording this podcast, I have used them on the poster design below.
You can download the texture pack for FREE on my Gumroad.

If you’re interested in hearing about the creative journeys of the other creatives involved in this project, you can find out more about them below:

Myself
George Okoye | Freelance Graphic Designer: Listen Here
Website - georgeokoye.com
Instagram - instagram.com/okoyedesign
Facebook - facebook.com/okoyedesign

Host
Timo Peach | Momo:Tempo
Website - momotempo.co.uk
Twitter - twitter.com/momotempo
Instagram - instagram.com/momotempo
YouTube - youtube.com/user/Momotempo

Other Guests
Lorna Rees | Gobbledegook Theatre: Listen Here
Website - gobbledegooktheatre.com
Facebook - facebook.com/gobbledegooktheatre
Instagram - instagram.com/gobbledegooktheatre
Twitter - twitter.com/thegobbledegook

Natasha Player | Umoja Arts Network: Listen Here
Website - natashaplayer.co.uk & umojaartsnetwork.org.uk
Facebook - facebook.com/umojaartsnetwork
Instagram - instagram.com/umojaartsnetwork

Peter John Cooper | Poet & Playwrite: Listen Here
Website - peterjohncooper.co.uk
Twitter - twitter.com/PeterJohnCooper
YouTube - youtube.com/user/peterjohncooper

Michele O'Brien | Actress & Award-Winning Storyteller: Listen Here
Website - micheleobrien.uk
Instagram - instagram.com/micheleobrien
Facebook - facebook.com/The-Spice-Box-179469888807038

Rick Also | Paintshop Studio: Listen Here
Website - paintshopstudio.com
Instagram - instagram.com/rickyalso & instagram.com/paintshopstudio
Facebook - facebook.com/paintshopstudio
Twitter - twitter.com/paintshopstudio

Tor Da Force | We Broke Free: Listen Here
Website - webrokefree.co.uk
Instagram - instagram.com/we_broke_free
Facebook - facebook.com/WBFreeLive
Twitter - twitter.com/We_Broke_Free
Spotify - open.spotify.com/user/ekvvwblq9u9qan2qhthnfvdms

Nawar Saadi | Union In Speech: Listen Here
Instagram - instagram.com/unioninspeech
Facebook - facebook.com/unioninspeech
Twitter - twitter.com/unioninspeech

Bark So You Don't Get Bitten

I have worked on my professional career for the past three years or so very quietly. I have not barked much about my work, or asked anyone to look at me or my work – instead, I’ve just been creating for my very loyal clients who I am very fortunate to have. But we all know that is a very rocky road relying on their loyalty and their need for my services.

So, in the back of my mind I know I need to do more and bark online. I need to introduce myself to many more people who I can potentially inspire or have the opportunity to work or collaborate with.

Recently, I was out for a run in an unfamiliar town and approached a lady, who I think was tying her shoelace in the middle of the path near the entrance to a park, and a little part of me thought to warn her that I was approaching on her right...but I didn't! As I ran past her, a small dog shot out and wrapped its lead around my legs - it was one of those lengthening wire leads that can be locked at a length by flipping a button.

In a tangle, I kept running and tried skipping out of the lead in a not so elegant fashion whilst the owner expressed her surprise and apologised. I confirmed that I was fine and kept running. What I didn't realise, until around 3km into my 5km run, was that the wire lead had actually cut me and was now stinging with my salty sweat. It was very uncomfortable, but I pushed on and managed hit a Personal Best running time!

Whilst treating this uncomfortable cut on my legs and applying plasters I couldn't help but wonder what if I had warned the lady with the dog of my approach? Hindsight is a great thing.

I don't ever tell or warn people of my next moves in my life, or the new approach I am taking to my creative career and I miss out on the potential path I could take if I told people where I plan to go. Who knows, some people may want to reach out with advice or even get involved which could remove some hurdles or even tripwires - that I now call dog leads.

Everybody knows something or someone who could help us move forward, or even know someone that just wants to get involved and be a part of my journey.

So, what’s my takeaway? If I don't voice my approach I could run into a surprise and potentially get a bit tangled or cut (metaphorically of course).

Now I just can't help thinking what my Personal Best time on my run would have been if I didn't get tangled with that dog…

Left image - Top of the left foot. Right image - Mid shin on right leg

My First Vector Grunge Texture Download

Sometimes designs can just look a bit too clean! One of my solutions to this issue is grunge textures.

I am a big fan of applying a grunge texture to my work before displaying them on social media. I personally find it really sets the design in place. For a long time, and I’m talking years, I used Spoon Graphics fantastic grunge pack. But I decided it’s now time to make my own original assets from scratch.

So I took some photos of textures of objects and surfaces around my desk, I then popped them on to photoshop and crunched down the values to speckles. Once I had a few shapes, I started layering them and subtracting one from another with layer masks and I created my own first unique grunge texture pack.
I plan to make a more detailed tutorial following my process and create a mega pack for you to download in the future.

Scroll down to see the results from my experiment, free download on my Gumroad page (see link below). I also recommend Spoon Graphics free grunge pack click here.

#1 Vector Grunge Textures

My Desk Textures
Thank you so much for downloading one of my design creations!
I do hope these textures help you create some fantastic work.

Download link below.

Utilising Nature's Colour Palette

Being a creative It’s so easy to forget to step back from the digital world and explore the natural world.
I have lived a five-minute walk away to the beach all my life. Personally I find it so easy to take these things for granted and not get so excited to have a pop down when it’s not hot summer weather. But every time I do I am reminded about the beauty of nature.

Sunday beach walks are becoming a thing in my life (for the last two weeks). Luckily I have a “Sunset Chaser” for a girlfriend. She gets so excited when she gets that lucky feeling of a good sunset. So we popped out yesterday for some fresh air, just to escape the indoors and Netflix binge!

Oh, and there was a fantastic sunset!

I always find it so fascinating how the colours just pop out of nowhere the skies fill with pinks, oranges and reds. It’s so strange. I don’t know what makes every sunset so different with all the varieties of colours and shapes. I think that’s question for a Youtube binge another day.

As you can see I have made a simple colour pallet inspired by this Sunday Sunset. It will be great to use these in the future for a personal project. Please feel free to use these colours. I would love to know that this moment has inspired you as well.

Thank you Laura for dragging me out & Bear Fruit Design for inspiring this post.

Keeping Those Lines Thick

Thick Line Design

Why do I love Thick Line Design? The simplicity, the allure that it seems so obvious and simple that we all think we can create it. But we don’t. There is something so special about minimal shapes creating a small or large piece of art. It can be hung up on a wall as a statement, on busy wall paper or blank gallery space and stand very strong in its positioning.

Who Is known for using Thick Lines? Well, we can look back at Verner Panton who was Denmark’s most influential furniture designer, you might recognise him for his iconic brightly coloured patterns - a staple of 60’s wallpaper, dresses and upholstery. Or, Kieth Haring who revolutionised the street art world in the 80s by filling in empty poster spaces in the New York subways, with his now iconic thick lined stickman characters, these entertained and spread awareness for campaigns and rights he believed in.

So, whilst these legends are art and design’s past - who’s carrying the torch for thick line design today?

Verner Panton

Keith Haring

Design Of Today Inspired By The Past

I want to take a look at Aaron James Draplin a graphic designer, spokesman, author and preserver of the past design that is fading away and dying out. Draplin loves the simple, but very practical icons and stamps that were created before computers. He often visits car boot sales / garage sales looking for old packing and trinkets that scream great design. He will buy it, take close up photos of the small overlooked icons on the side of a boardgames box, archive it and sometimes recreate it digitally on Adobe Illustrator to keep it alive in our digital age.

Check out the video below and you can quickly see Aaron’s passion for the design of the past.

Sometimes Its Easier Just To Do It Yourself

Draplin is a DIY kinda guy, and out of frustration he created his “Thick Line Poster Series”. He was simply on the hunt for a minimal Verner Panton style, 70’s thick line art. But he couldn’t find anything suitable and even when he did, it was over $1,000! He knew they had to be out there as he remembers them from his childhood, but still came out empty handed. So, in his frustration he made his own “Thick Line Poster Series” and sells them for a reasonable price so we don’t have to go through the trouble he did to find good 70’s style thick line art.
Link to the DDC Store Click Here

Just a few of Aaron Draplin’s Thick Line Series

Missed Opportunities & Still Winning

In 2011, the Space Shuttle Program had their last mission and NASA held a competition to design a new badge to commemorate the event. But somehow Draplin didn’t know and missed his chance to enter. He was pissed off and made his own Space Shuttle Tribute badge design anyway. Nine editions in and Draplin has made very popular “Space Shuttle Tribute Series” with wall art, t-shirts, temporary tattoos, caps and of course badges. Draplin’s Shuttle design hasn’t gone to space but it is all around the world now. Winning!
Link to the DDC Store Click Here

My Takeaway

Hearing all of Aaron Draplin’s stories of how some of his best work came about is really refreshing. As creative people, most of us have a tendency to feel overwhelmed, frustrated and gutted with how our work is turning out and how the world reacts to it. But it’s great to hear massive success out of bad situations. Draplin says “I stumbled into this style in Adobe Illustrator, out of desperation.“ He didn’t give up he just tried something new. I myself have been in creative slumps or hit a creative dead end on a job, but somehow pulled it off and it turns out better I could have imagined. But it’s easy to forget when you are in the moment. So, Aaron Draplin’s attitude and stories are a reassuring reminder of the creative process in the real world. I think I’m going to try out some thick line design’s myself.

Credit:
Aaron Draplin’s Book: Draplin Design Co. Pretty Much Everything

New Name, Same Creator

Hey,

You may have been searching for StudioTempus.co and got redirected to GeorgeOkoye.com. Don’t panic you are in the right place.

I’m George Okoye and I created Studio Tempus as an identity when I was in my late teens because I really loved the idea of it growing from a one man operation (me), to a full team with a really cool creative studio space with basket ball hoops and slides between floors as well as hard work.

But now I have been freelance designing for 5ish years my vision of the future and direction has changed. I wan’t to be as transparent about my brand as I can and one of the biggest changes I felt like I needed to make to have a real connection with my audience and collaborators it is simply just me (for now) so I changed my Domains to George Okoye Design and my new website is www.GeorgeOkoye.com