Trace That: Album Artwork Inspired by Other Artists

Seeing double on LP covers with Curren$y, Lil Wayne & more.

TRU and Jet Life - Curren$y hit up Instagram last night and revealed his next project with his Jet Life Crew will be a compilation called Organized Crime. For the artwork, Spitta and his homies Young Roddy and Trademark Da Skydiver reincarnate Master P and Tru’s street banger Tru 2 Da Game from 1997. As Curren$y pays homage to his New Orleans O.G.s, check out other album artwork that has borrowed heavily from the past. — Michael Harris (@IceBlueVA)(Photos from left: No Limit Records, Atlantic Records

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TRU and Jet Life - Curren$y hit up Instagram last night and revealed his next project with his Jet Life Crew will be a compilation called Organized Crime. For the artwork, Spitta and his homies Young Roddy and Trademark Da Skydiver reincarnate Master P and Tru’s street banger Tru 2 Da Game from 1997. As Curren$y pays homage to his New Orleans O.G.s, check out other album artwork that has borrowed heavily from the past. — Michael Harris (@IceBlueVA)(Photos from left: No Limit Records, Atlantic Records

Michael Jackson and Tech N9ne - If you’re going to follow someone’s musical lead, who better than Michael Jackson? Tech N9ne lay down in a white straitjacket for his 2008 release Killer in a revamping of The King of Pop’s classic 1982 opus Thriller. (Photos from left: Epic Records, Strange Music)

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Michael Jackson and Tech N9ne - If you’re going to follow someone’s musical lead, who better than Michael Jackson? Tech N9ne lay down in a white straitjacket for his 2008 release Killer in a revamping of The King of Pop’s classic 1982 opus Thriller. (Photos from left: Epic Records, Strange Music)

Wiz Khalifa and Young Thug - Young Thug was so enamored with Wiz Khalifa that he used Photoshop and replaced the “We Dem Boyz” emcee’s head for his mixtape 1017 Thug 2 in July. Even Wiz’s tattoos remained on the artwork. (Photo from left: Courtesy of Flaty Fitty, Atlantic Records)

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Wiz Khalifa and Young Thug - Young Thug was so enamored with Wiz Khalifa that he used Photoshop and replaced the “We Dem Boyz” emcee’s head for his mixtape 1017 Thug 2 in July. Even Wiz’s tattoos remained on the artwork. (Photo from left: Courtesy of Flaty Fitty, Atlantic Records)

The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Tha Alkaholiks - L.A. spitters Tha Alkaholiks channeled The Jimi Hendrix Experience for their fourth round X.O. Experience in 2001. The artwork and title borrowed from the famed guitarist and his crew’s 1967 debut Are You Experienced. (Photos from left: Polydor, Loud Records)

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The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Tha Alkaholiks - L.A. spitters Tha Alkaholiks channeled The Jimi Hendrix Experience for their fourth round X.O. Experience in 2001. The artwork and title borrowed from the famed guitarist and his crew’s 1967 debut Are You Experienced. (Photos from left: Polydor, Loud Records)

John Coltrane and J. Live - Underground emcee J. Live showed just how much he respected jazz saxophonist John Coltrane in 2002. J. Live’s All of the Above revisited Coltrane’s 1957 sophomore release Blue Train.(Photos from left: Blue Note, Coup d'Etat)

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John Coltrane and J. Live - Underground emcee J. Live showed just how much he respected jazz saxophonist John Coltrane in 2002. J. Live’s All of the Above revisited Coltrane’s 1957 sophomore release Blue Train.(Photos from left: Blue Note, Coup d'Etat)

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Art Blakey and Guru - Gang Starr’s Guru showed just how versatile he was when he released his Jazzmatazz series, which featured the monotone MC spitting knowledge over jazz productions. For Guru’s 1993 Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1, he showed his respect for Art Blakey by reworking the famed jazz drummer’s 1954 artwork from A Night At Birdland, Vol. 1.(Photos from left: Blue Note, Chrysalis)

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Art Blakey and Guru - Gang Starr’s Guru showed just how versatile he was when he released his Jazzmatazz series, which featured the monotone MC spitting knowledge over jazz productions. For Guru’s 1993 Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1, he showed his respect for Art Blakey by reworking the famed jazz drummer’s 1954 artwork from A Night At Birdland, Vol. 1.(Photos from left: Blue Note, Chrysalis)

Public Enemy and The X-Excutioners - Public Enemy inspired a nation of millions with their 1987 debut, Yo! Bum Rush the Show, and The DJ turntable crew The X-Excutioners were so impressed that they re-staged the group shot for their 2001 release, Built From Scratch. (Photos from left: Def Jam Records, Loud Records)

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Public Enemy and The X-Excutioners - Public Enemy inspired a nation of millions with their 1987 debut, Yo! Bum Rush the Show, and The DJ turntable crew The X-Excutioners were so impressed that they re-staged the group shot for their 2001 release, Built From Scratch. (Photos from left: Def Jam Records, Loud Records)

Funkadelic and Redman - The Funk Doctor Spock was nearly buried alive on his 1994 sophomore release, Dare Iz a Darkside, as he reincarnated Funkadelic’s 1971 Maggot Brain cover.(Photos from left: Westbound Records, Def Jam Records)

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Funkadelic and Redman - The Funk Doctor Spock was nearly buried alive on his 1994 sophomore release, Dare Iz a Darkside, as he reincarnated Funkadelic’s 1971 Maggot Brain cover.(Photos from left: Westbound Records, Def Jam Records)

Marvin Gaye and Camp Lo - Camp Lo’s career and sound was influenced by the '70s and for their 1997 debut, Uptown Saturday Night, they took a page from Marvin Gaye’s 1976 gem I Want You. Marvin’s artwork was an adaption of painter Ernie Barnes's famed portrait “The Sugar Shack” from 1971. Barnes’s artwork was also seen throughout the classic sitcom Good Times.(Photos from left:  Tamla, Profile Records)

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Marvin Gaye and Camp Lo - Camp Lo’s career and sound was influenced by the '70s and for their 1997 debut, Uptown Saturday Night, they took a page from Marvin Gaye’s 1976 gem I Want You. Marvin’s artwork was an adaption of painter Ernie Barnes's famed portrait “The Sugar Shack” from 1971. Barnes’s artwork was also seen throughout the classic sitcom Good Times.(Photos from left:  Tamla, Profile Records)

Roy Ayers Ubiquity and Smif-n-Wessun - The great jazz musician Roy Ayers has been sampled by numerous hip hop artists, but his classic 1972 recording He’s Coming was so inspirational that Smif-n-Wessun and their Boot Camp Clik re-struck the pose for their 1995 opus Dah Shinin’. (Photo: Polydor, Wreck Records)

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Roy Ayers Ubiquity and Smif-n-Wessun - The great jazz musician Roy Ayers has been sampled by numerous hip hop artists, but his classic 1972 recording He’s Coming was so inspirational that Smif-n-Wessun and their Boot Camp Clik re-struck the pose for their 1995 opus Dah Shinin’. (Photo: Polydor, Wreck Records)

Jay Z and Lil Wayne - Lil Wayne paid homage to the big homie Jay Z when he rhymed “I’m the best rapper alive since the best rapper retired” on “Bring It Back” from his 2004 breakout album, Tha Carter. Weezy also tilted his hat to Jigga with the album’s cover, a rendition of 1997’s In My Life Lifetime, Vol. 1.(Photos from left: Roc-A-Fella Records, Universal Records)

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Jay Z and Lil Wayne - Lil Wayne paid homage to the big homie Jay Z when he rhymed “I’m the best rapper alive since the best rapper retired” on “Bring It Back” from his 2004 breakout album, Tha Carter. Weezy also tilted his hat to Jigga with the album’s cover, a rendition of 1997’s In My Life Lifetime, Vol. 1.(Photos from left: Roc-A-Fella Records, Universal Records)