Best known for his work on Hunter S. Thompson’s 1970s book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Ralph Steadman was recently tapped by Travis Scott and Quavo to design the cover for their collaborative project, Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho.
In a recent interview with MTV, the iconic artist explained how he initially became involved in the project.
“Some emails came through from Travis’s team about mid-November. I had to familiarize myself with this whole new world of rap. I liked Travis and Quavo’s faces and their dreadlocks. I knew I could make some use of those. The feature was positive. There was no aggression. There was a sense of life, laughter, and hope,” Steadman explained.
Steadman goes on to reveal how curiosity of the unknown led him to follow through with designing the cover art. “Though I had never heard of them, I did not consider that important. It was for me unknown territory, and I went along with it out of curiosity as much as anything…” he says.
When asked if there was any advice to give an up-and-coming artist, who looks to the work of Ralph Steadman for inspiration, he simply stated: “Forget style, and just.. just start making marks. If you have thoughts and ideas in your head, the rest will follow.”
Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top Rap Albums charts. It has since dropped to No. 5 on both charts, as of press time.
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As for Steadman, he’s going on tour later this year. “The Ralph Steadman: Retrospective” will showcase 108 art works from throughout his career. Below are dates:
6/16/18 – 8/12/18: American University Art Museum, The Katzen
11/3/18 – 1/26/2019: CSU Fullerton, Begovich Gallery, California
February – May 2019: University of Kentucky Art Museum, Lexington, Kentucky
9/28/2019 – 1/20/2020: Jordan Schitzer Museum of Art, Eugene, Oregon