Pen & Pixel: Art Work From the No Limit Era
So my boy Cauze One and I had a brilliant idea recently to throw what is going to be the ‘ghettoest’ party Austin has ever seen. Together with Knuckle Rumbler and us here at Raw Word Records, on July 30th the Scoot Inn will host what will be an epic amalgamation of everything No Limit with a taste of Bounce. But i’m not here to promote the event. When we first came up with the idea I immediately knew that I wanted the flyer to look and feel like the old No Limit records covers. I felt a wave of excitement over come me, “that’s it” i said – ‘ghettotastiklade!!”. This is how i interpreted what I grew up seeing on Cash Money, No Limit, Big Boy and Suave House record covers:
(I think I should note that Cash Money was Pen & Pixels biggest client followed by No Limit then by Big Boy Records and Suave House)
I added my own flavorings with Big Freedia’s gator shawl and bedazzled Cauze One and Orion’s shirts with real diamonds (couldn’t have a No Limit flyer without tanks, cars, asses and shit blowing up either). But it got me thinking. Although nostalgic and, might I say, awesome, my art work isn’t original in concept by any means. I knew I was replicating the throw back album covers but who was responsible for those covers? I may not be the most ethical of internet users but i felt like i needed to find the culprits responsible for an era of crazy photoshopping and give them props.
Upon researching, I not only learned of the history of this ‘bling-bling’ stlye of artwork but I think I have become enamored as well. Shaun Brauch may be the most influencial man of late 90′s hip hop.
(nevermind the silly british guy)
I hope to catch an interview with him soon. With over 19,000 album covers under his belt for his years as Pixel & Pen (note: Pen & Pixel was sold and is no longer owned by Shawn) and two new ventures (Smart Face Media & Creative Resource Management) the man behind it all admits that it was he and B.G. that coined the term “bling-bling”.
The Pen & Pixel story from what I’ve seen Shawn post on several blogs:
The company was sold in 2003, 911 caused major problems for the entertainment field all around, that combined with napster was the final straw. The company at it’s peak (1998-2001) was billing almost 6 million dollars a year and was producing more that 23 covers per week. Yes, some were cheesy, some were insane and some were amazing…but the main thing to remember was PPG was a business enterprise, it’s function was to please the customers…we had thousands of maverick ideas that would have pushed and developed Hip-hop graphics further and faster…but the clients demand for the “same ol’ Bling Bling, Ho’s and cars kept the monster fed.
There is a company out there now that have taken the Pen and Pixel Graphics name, but they are not PPG! There is no one there that has worked for Pen and Pixel. For more information on this company and it’s history…get it form the person that founded the company back in 1992. -Shawn Brauch
There are a lot of question I have about Pen & Pixel and how it ended. There seems to be some controversy regarding the current owner of pixelandpen.com, a company called AKA Studios and Shawn Brauch himself. I hope to get to the bottom of it with some good old fashion conversation but in the mean time I highly recommend you read an interview Shawn did back in 2009. It will motivate you.
