Last year, Marvel announced that they were producing a new line called Hip-Hop Variants, which consisted of comic covers interpolating classic rap album artwork. It was a tribute Marvel decided to pay to the long history of hip-hop artists inspired by comic books. The first installment consisted of 50 comic book covers that were based on classic and modern album art, including Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, A$AP Rocky’s Long. Live.A$AP, and De La Soul’s 3 Feet High and Rising. The collection was so popular amongst both comic book fans and music fans that Marvel has decided to come up with the second installment of Hip-Hop Variants.
Playboy were the first site to exclusively get the first previews along with an interview with Marvel editor-in-chief Axel Alonso who explained why particular artists were teamed together with certain superheroes and why there are more similarities between music and comic than we think:
“Comics and hip-hop share a common narrative: They’re all about underdogs struggling, striving and persevering against overwhelming odds,” explained Marvel’s editor-in-chief. “So it’s no surprise that so many rappers have been influenced by the Marvel mythology or embraced the Marvel heroes over the decades. The hip-hop covers were our way of showing that the love is reciprocal. A lot of the writers, artists and editors that make Marvel Comics are inspired by hip-hop, and it shows in their work.”
new #Marvel hip hop variants!!!!! pic.twitter.com/mqpr7oaVob
— Jake Lionheart (@Jake_Lionheart) September 12, 2016
As for the covers themselves, Nova steps in for Chance the Rapper on a re-imagined Coloring Book cover; Luke Cage replaces LL Cool J on Bigger and Deffer; Jessica Jones for Kevin Gates on Islah; Infamous Iron Man on Big Daddy Kane’s Long Live the Kane; the Ultimates on Salt-N-Pepa’s Hot, Cool, & Vicious; and the Champions on Wu-Tang Clan’s Iron Flag.
