Lord Willin'

The debut album by Clipse, the Virginia Beach brothers Pusha T and Malice, is the record that turned cocaine-dealing rap into its own sharp, cold style. Its cover is a painting: the brothers cruise down a sunny neighbourhood street in a long black convertible, past houses and onlookers, with the group's name spelled out in red boxed letters.

Pusha T told Life+Times that his brother Malice came up with the idea. They wanted an image that represented the album's title and felt like "Sugar Shack," the Ernie Barnes painting of a crowded dance hall made famous by the closing credits of the sitcom Good Times. That led them to a drawing in place of a photo, and the art director at the time, Courtney Walter, went looking for the painter.

Lord Willin' was released on 20 August 2002, produced entirely by the Neptunes, and its single "Grindin'" became one of the most imitated beats of the decade. The warm, painted cover gave a hard record a nostalgic, almost innocent face.