Noisey Documents Legendary Houston Graphic Firm ‘Pen & Pixel’ in ‘Defining the Visual Style of Southern Hip Hop’ [VIDEO]
Pen & Pixel churned out thousands of covers in the 90s and early 00s for dirty South artists such as Master P, Ghetto Boys & Lil Wayne, defining the visual style of southern hip hop with its over the top, diamond encrusted covers. They were the ones to invent the term "bling bling". Noisey follows Shawn Brauch, the founder & head designer, from their rise to success, trailblazing digital desktop publication before anyone, and it's fall from dirty south fame. - Youtube
If you’ve ever purchased a CD or cassette from any artist from Texas or Louisiana in the 90’s and early 2000’s, rather of global or regional fame, then you should know who ‘Pen & Pixel’ is. Yes, all of the popular covers from No Limit, Cash Money, Rap A Lot, Suave House, Hypnotize Minds, and all of our favorite H-Town classics from ESG, to the their first project for the Trinity Garden Cartel, and more were designed by Pen & Pixel. Business slowed down after the World Trade Towers were attacked on September 11th of 2001, because most of their clientele was afraid to board airplanes. Pen & Pixel was sold a few years later.
The folks over at Noisey documented their legacy of flashy album covers in 'Defining the Visual Style of Southern Hip Hop.’ Watch it here!