Last year, Marvel Comics launched their Hip-Hop Variant campaign. Recreating classic (well, for the most part) album covers as super-clutch variant comic book covers, the talented team of illustrators put their spin on The Clipse’s Lord Willin’ (Web Masters #1), 50 Cent’s Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ (Ironman #1), Outkast’s Aquemini (Uncanny Inhumans #1), and many more.
In January, the collection of covers were included in The Hip-Hop Covers, a free 32-page comic featuring an introduction from Killer Mike.
“This was clearly done with love and the type of responsibility we could only hope more people take cue from when representing such an influential art form in my life.”
After their tribute to J Dilla (which 2DBZ premiered in March of this year), Marvel took their foot off the gas in order to re-up on the next collection of variant covers. Thankfully, it’s didn’t take too long and the second wave has officially begun!
Kicking off with three new covers, Marvel flips King Mez’s Long Live the King for Black Panther #7, Desiigner’s “Panda” for Doctor Strange #1 (which should technically be #2 after Dr. Dre’s The Chronic got remixed last year), and our best friend Earl’s debut (not included).
“Growing up a huge comic book fan, it was a dream to come true to even be a part of this,” King Mez told Fuse. “Black Panther at that? Mannn, it was automatic when Marvel reached out. Really cool way to have LLTK immortalized like that. Hope we get to do a variant collab on my new project too.”
Check out both below – in animated .gifs, of course – and be sure to check our interview with Marvel’s Editor In Chief Axel Alonso.
Black Panther #7
King Mez’s Long Live The King
Doctor Strange #1
Desiigner’s “Panda”
