Vibe: Cey Adams, Creative Director: "I was concerned about the similarities between DMX and Tupac with his shirt off, so photographer Jonathan Mannion and I thought we should do something really literal: a blood bath. But because DMX was such a loose cannon, we were afraid to ask whether he wanted to do it. If you present an artist with an idea, especially something that could be perceived as sacrilegious, they could just turn on you - and the record company is not going to protect you. But in the end, he was excited about the idea. Jonathan mixed up this concoction of Kool-Aid, Jell-O, sugar, and food dye to make the blood. I assumed the cover would be really controversial and we wouldn't be able to rack it in Wal-Mart, but I don't remember it being that big of a deal. Anytime you're working with DMX, it's memorable. You have to earn his trust, and you have to convince the whole posse it's cool. It's ridiculous to have to convince the guys sitting around eating craft services that the cover is a great idea, but that's the way it works in hip-hop." Photo by Jonathan Mannion.
