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Z21 Records, brand concept

A full brand system for a rap and trap label: mark, wordmark, palette, type, icons, graphics, photography direction and applications, from a CD case to a street wall.

This is a brand concept, not a client project. The visuals are AI-assisted and directed by me.
Z21 Records, brand concept
ClientZ21 Records (concept)
RoleBrand identity and art direction
Year2024
ToolsAI-assisted visuals
The challenge

A label that sells itself as "a new era of culture" can't look like a template. The identity had to feel raw, real and iconic, loud enough for an outdoor wall and flexible enough for a CD case.

The approach

The mark

A slanted Z21 wrapped in an orbit with a four-point spark, built to hold up from a CD spine to a building-size wall.

Color and type

Jet black and paper white as the base, volt yellow-green and dusk purple as the shock accents, set in Druk for display and Inter for support. Type is attitude.

Graphic language and photography

Halftones, wireframe globes, targeting marks and brushed strokes as the graphic kit, with gritty, high-contrast photography: close-up grills, hooded figures, smoke and a mic.

Applications

Tested the system on a CD, hoodies and tees, a poster and cards, and an outdoor wall.

The outcome

A complete identity system across 11 applications, with one clear rule: black base, volt hits, purple energy.

Typography and colors
Typography
Druk{ display }
Inter{ secondary }
Palette
01Jet
#0A0A0A
02Paper
#F5F5F0
03Volt
#E6FF00
04Dusk
#7B3DFF
05Concrete
#7A7A7A
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