This album cover was created for Max Ali, an emerging rapper based in Philadelphia with a distinct creative vision and a strong visual identity behind his music. Our collaboration began in 2015, when Max first reached out via Twitter with a clear idea in mind for his debut project, BlackArt.

Max wanted a design that would feel expressive, artistic, and deeply personal. His concept was striking: a portrait of himself with thick paint dripping down his face and over his glasses — a visual metaphor for creativity, identity, and emotion all at once.

The final artwork was a digitally painted portrait, blending realism with abstraction. Rich, layered textures gave the paint a visceral, almost tactile quality, while the composition focused tightly on Max’s face to draw the viewer into the emotion of the image. The design was bold, stylised, and instantly memorable — perfectly aligned with the tone of the BlackArt album.

Since then, Max has continued to collaborate with The Change Creative on a variety of visual projects, including:

• Angel Max & Frame (2018) – A reimagined medieval portrait featuring a Black boy in the pose of a classical Jesus painting.

• Icarus (2020) – A fully animated, retro 8-bit music video bringing Max’s track to life through pixel art storytelling.

This long-term creative partnership has allowed for experimentation across mediums and styles, with each piece reflecting Max’s evolving sound and visual language.