Although the summer time is long behind us, the vibes are definitely still in effect! In the spring, the SOF team put out a playlist curated to be the perfect soundtrack for spring break. That was followed by two other playlists that are equally as vibe heavy and full of jams. As the intern, I took the lead on creating the cover art for each one. Below I give some insight on how I came up with each.
For the Spring Break Playlist, Vol. 1, we really wanted to tap into the essence of the feeling of spring break. When you think of spring break, you think of a warm day on the beach, palm trees swaying in the wind, with a cold beverage coolin’ you off as the sun sets over the horizon. Taking that exact thought, the cover illustrates all of those things in a laid-back, spring break fashion. Whatever you were sippin’ on, this playlist features classics by Dom Kennedy, Larry June, Saba, Rick James, Cousin Stizz, Mariah Carey, and many more.
By the time the team decided to put together “Vol. 2,” the vibes were already understood. However, I wanted to switch it up and give a different image of that spring break feeling. The boombox is the classic party starter, whether on the block or on a rooftop. The 40 in the bag is an ode to those who prefer to sip more lowkey than others. Tracks from Amine, Vince Staples, Wiz Khalifa, Smino, Lenny White, Kendrick Lamar, and others are all curated to turn up the heat on your headphones and speakers. Even though the spring is long behind us, these playlists push good vibes year-round and have been playing in the shop since they dropped.
Alas, it was August, and the summertime was in full effect (and we definitely felt the heat in the shop!) However, the summertime heat inspired us to turn up the heat on your headphones once again! And so, the Endless Summer playlist was created to keep those good times going. For this cover, I wanted to pay homage to some members of the SOF team. Our staff member, Johnny, is a big vinyl head. We’ve had many conversations about the albums we own and there’s always a record spinning at his crib which inspired me to include it in the cover. Our staff member, Jay, always has a crystal blue bottle of Bombay on him. Knowing that, I wanted to stay true to that loyalty and include the bottle and glass with lemon on the cover for sure. With incense burning and a beautiful day outside the feeling of the cover is the feeling of the playlist: an endless summer. This playlist includes songs from A$AP Rocky, The Isley Brothers, Drake, LL Cool J, Musiq Soulchild, Steve Lacy, Brent Faiyaz, Mac Miller, and more.
Everyday in the shop, work gets done. But we’re not working in silence, no, we’re bumping dope tracks. Wherever you are, whatever you’re working towards, work is always better with a soundtrack to nod your head to and enjoy yourself. The next time you're looking for good vibes to be the soundtrack to the hard work you’re putting in, check out one of our 3 playlists on Spotify and keep pushing!