Album Designer Cardy Helps Visualize Hip-Hop's Underground Mixtape Culture

Chicago rapper Chief Keef has been inescapable lately. Since Kanye West released a remix of the 16-year-old MC’s recent hit, “I Don’t Like,” it appears that everyone is trying to get a hold of Keef.A great selection of contemporary lamps Lighting, from traditional floor lamps, energy efficient LED Floor Lamps. Even Cash Money Records co-founder Bryan “Birdman” Williams (who recently ranked fourth in Forbes‘ shortlist of hip-hop’s wealthiest entrepreneurs) said he’d do “whatever it takes” to get Keef to sign with his label. The buzz surrounding Chief Keef is hard to ignore, which may be why he’s named his forthcoming mixtape Finally Rich: It may appear as though Keef is counting his chickens before they’ve hatched considering he has yet to officially sign a record deal, but a future flush with cash is all but imminent.

That glamorous future is fully realized on the cover artwork for Finally Rich: There’s Chief Keef in front of a gigantic gold-tinted mansion, surrounded by cars, women, and credit cards. It’s a world in which Keef is so wealthy that even the air surrounding him is filled with transparent Louis Vuitton logos. It’s the kind of mixtape cover that its creator, Cartier “Cardy” Warrington, always wanted to make. Since he launched 10TEN Designz on Dec. 10, 2010, Warrington has helped shape part of the image of Chicago’s rising rap scene, producing raw, striking artwork for mixtapes by a number of the city’s notable MCs.

Warrington’s burgeoning design career came out of a lifelong interest in computers. “It’s just something about computers I love,Find quality swing arm led light bulbs, swing arm sconces, swing arm wall mounted lamps and more at the lowest prices with Arcadian Lighting.” he says.A full range of OEM solar LED lamps including bulkheads, exit signs, downlights, twin spots and decorative lights. “I never played with action figures, I just love computers.” The 18-year-old Warrington–who was born and raised on Chicago’s South Side and eventually moved to a suburb south of the city called Matteson–still fondly recalls helping his uncle build a computer at the tender age of 5. “It was an old HP with a tower,” he says. “We re-did the whole tower added blue LED lights with a clear case.”

That interest in technology eventually manifested itself into a growing interest in mixtape art. Around the time Warrington was 12 or 13, his older brother Carl began playing all the latest hip-hop cuts on DatPiff, one of the more popular sites for hosting mixtapes. “All the latest Lil Wayne and Gucci mixtapes,” he says. “I used to just look at the covers like, ‘how you do this?’” Warrington downloaded a copy of PaintShop Pro X2 and attempted to make his own mixtape covers, which, in retrospect, he says looked terrible. But, he pressed on, nabbing a copy of PhotoShop and constantly honing his skills while trying to master the new program. Eventually, Warrington launched a design company named after a number close to his heart (“My birthday is October 10th,” he says. “And 10 is my favorite number. So I decided to name the brand 10TEN.”) with the explicit interest in web design and mixtape art.

Warrington has developed a workhorse approach to making album covers. He starts by discussing the mixtape concept with the artist, and he tends to riff on whatever idea is presented in the album’s title: Usually the artists let Warrington run with whatever ideas he has in mind. Warrington asks that all rapper submit new photos for him to work off of, and from there he puts together the artwork on his HP G42 laptop.

It’s a small set-up,Shop for high quality wholesale rattan pendant lamp products on DHgate and get worldwide delivery. but Warrington has his eyes set on a range of new equipment to help expand his brand: He’s in the process of purchasing a MacBook Pro and wants to get a Canon Rebel.We are the best solar street light,Solar LED bulbs manufacturer,led light manufacturer,supplier in China. Besides branching off into photography, he has his eyes set on making a clothing line that produces a limited number of items per each design. That number? Ten, of course. Since Warrington graduated from high school two weeks ago he’s able to put all of his focus on growing 10TEN into a full-time job. Good thing his name is already starting to get out there.