Cey Adams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cey Adams
Artist, Cey Adams.
Born	1962 (age 63–64) New York, United States
Occupation	Visual artist, graphic designer, author

Cey Adams (born 1962) is an American visual artist and graphic designer. He was the first creative director for Def Jam Recordings. He is well-known for his work with famous music groups. These include the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, and LL Cool J. Many people call his work in hip-hop design "legendary."

Cey Adams' Early Life and Art Journey

Becoming a Graffiti Artist

Cey Adams began his art career as a graffiti artist. This was in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He loved creating art on walls and subways. He studied painting at the School of Visual Arts in New York. His artwork was shown in galleries. He even exhibited alongside famous artists like Jean Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring.

When he was just 19, a gallery called Graffiti Above Ground represented him. This gallery featured important graffiti artists. In 1982, he appeared in a TV show. It was a PBS documentary called Style Wars. This show was all about subway graffiti in New York City.

Designing for Music Stars

Cey Adams met Adam Horovitz in 1983. This meeting started a close friendship with the Beastie Boys. Adams designed the graffiti letters for their "Cooky Puss" single cover. Around the same time, he started working with Russell Simmons' Rush Artist Management. He created logos, tour merchandise, and advertisements. He worked for many rap artists. These included the Beastie Boys, Run DMC, De La Soul, and LL Cool J.

In the late 1980s, Adams and his partner Steve Carr started The Drawing Board. This was Def Jam Recording's own design company. They managed the visual style for Def Jam artists. They also worked for artists signed to other big labels. These included MCA, Universal, and Warner Bros.. The Drawing Board closed in 1999. After that, Adams worked on ads for big companies. Some of these were Levi's, Nike, HBO, and Coca-Cola.

Cey Adams' Work After Def Jam

Continuing His Design Career

After leaving Def Jam, Adams kept designing brands and logos. He worked with film companies like Revolver Films. He also designed for music artists. These included the Foo Fighters and Mary J. Blige. From 1999 to 2000, Adams was a creative director for Urban Magic. This was an internet company started by Magic Johnson.

In 2000, he helped design the hip-hop section of the Experience Music Project in Seattle. In 2001, comedian Dave Chappelle hired Adams. He created the logo for Chappelle's new TV show. It was called "Chappelle's Show" on Comedy Central.

Designing for Sports and Books

Adams had previously designed clothes for Run DMC for Adidas. In 2006, Adidas asked him to design his own tracksuits and sneakers. These featured the Beastie Boys. In 2007, he created a special collection for Muhammad Ali for Adidas. These shoes were even shown in an exhibit. It was called "The Rise of Sneaker Culture" at the Brooklyn Museum of Art.

In 2008, Adams helped edit a book. It was called "DEFinition: the Art and Design of Hip-Hop." HarperCollins published this book. He worked with music journalist Bill Adler on it.

Art Exhibitions and Public Art

In 2011, Adams was invited to an exhibition. It was called Looking at Music 3.0. This show was at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It explored how music influenced art in the 1980s and 1990s. He also designed a poster for the event.

That same year, Rizzoli published a book. It was called "Def Jam Recordings: The First 25 Years of the Last Great Record Label." Adams designed this book and a CD box set. It was a big book with photos, album art, and stories. Also in 2011, he designed a poster for Tommy Boy Records' 30th anniversary.

In 2013, Adams painted a large mural. It was for The Juilliard School to celebrate Martin Luther King Day. The mural was called "Dream." It showed a powerful picture of Dr. King. It also showed a timeline of the Civil Rights Movement. He also worked with the Brooklyn Academy of Music. They had a workshop called "Picture the Dream." It taught young people about art and Dr. King's message of equality.

Community Projects and New Art Styles

Adams spent two months at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in 2014. This was in Omaha, Nebraska. While there, he created a mural with local teenagers. The mural had the message "Love." He also talked about his new art series. This series used classic company logos. In his recent art, Adams uses different materials. These include handmade papers and magazine clippings. He also uses silk screening.

In March 2015, Adams showed new collage artwork. These pieces used corporate logos. The art was shown at the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation. This group helps young people in New York City experience art. Russell Simmons founded it in 1995. The Foundation says Adams gets ideas from 1960s pop art and comic books. His work often focuses on pop culture and community issues. His Trusted Brands series changes images he grew up with. Adams calls this series "an homage to pop art."

Adams took part in "Red Eye" in July 2015. This was an art and entertainment show in Fort Lauderdale. He worked with local students. He helped them create a mural for the National Urban League conference. He also taught and gave talks.

National Recognition and Recent Projects

The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture opened in September 2016. Adams created a wall mural for its opening festival. He also designed a coffee table book for the Smithsonian. It was a 300-page book about Hip-Hop. It included CDs and never-before-seen photos.

Beyond Walls is a group in Lynn, Massachusetts. They work to make Downtown Lynn a better place. Adams completed a mural for this project in July 2017. The Brooklyn Arts Council honored Adams in 2015. He was the honoree for their 50th Anniversary Gala.

On August 11, 2017, Google celebrated the 44th birthday of Hip Hop. Google launched a special "Doodle." It featured a logo by Cey Adams. It also had interactive turntables. Users could mix music samples. It also shared Hip Hop history.

Adams worked with photographer Janette Beckman. They created a project called the "Mash Up." Graffiti artists "remixed" Beckman's photos of hip hop musicians. This project was released as a book in 2018.

In November 2018, Levi's opened a new store. It was in Times Square. Adams screen-printed and airbrushed clothes for the launch. These pieces were a tribute to his graffiti days. He used to hand-paint designs on old Levi's clothes for friends and family.

Pabst Brewing Company asked Adams to redesign their logo in 2019. His design was put on 150 million cans. These cans were sold all over the country.

In 2022, his art show Departure: 40 Years of Art & Design opened. It was at Stone Gallery at Boston University. This show looked back at his work from his whole career.