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Donda (company)
Creative content company founded by Kanye West
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Donda (styled in all caps) is a creative content company founded by American rapper Kanye West.[1] The company was named after West's late mother, Donda West, and shares the name with his tenth studio album, released in 2021.
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Joe Perez (art director)
- Films
- music videos
- cover art
- prints
- stage design
- marketing
| |
| Founded | January 5, 2012 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Kanye West |
Key people | Virgil Abloh (creative director) Joe Perez (art director) |
| Products |
|
| Brands | Donda Sports |
History
West announced the company on January 5, 2012, via a series of Twitter posts.[2] In his announcement, West proclaimed that the company would "pick up where Steve Jobs left off"; Donda would operate as "a design company which will galvanize amazing thinkers in a creative space to bounce their dreams and ideas" with the "goal to make products and experiences that people want and can afford."[3]
The announcement garnered widespread media attention, including coverage by The Guardian,[4] The Washington Post,[5] The Huffington Post,[6] The Wall Street Journal,[7] and Time magazine, which proclaimed the company's announcement the first major social media moment of 2012.[8]
Culture
West was secretive about the company's operations, maintaining neither an official website nor a social media presence.[9][10]
In stating Donda's creative philosophy, West articulated the need to "put creatives in a room together with like minds" in order to "simplify and aesthetically improve everything we see, taste, touch, and feel".[11] Contemporary critics have noted the consistent minimalistic aesthetic exhibited throughout Donda creative projects.[12][13][14]
Continuing a trend consistent in previous Kanye West projects,[15] an additional hallmark of Donda projects has been multi-disciplinary collaboration, often featuring prominent contributions from major figures in various creative fields. Prominent examples include painter George Condo, photographer Luis Tarin, video artist/film director Steve McQueen, performance artist Vanessa Beecroft, artist Wes Lang, stage designer Es Devlin, audio/visual designer Jadis Mercado, artist/sculptor Takashi Murakami, photographer Jackie Nickerson, fashion designer Riccardo Tisci, and fashion house Maison Martin Margiela.[16][17][18][19] NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown is the chair president of the sports fashion line Donda Sports.[20]
Projects
Film
On May 23, 2012, Donda debuted its inaugural creative project, a film entitled Cruel Summer, as part of the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. The film is a seven-screen surround vision experience.
Cruel Summer was shot using a specialized camera rig, which allowed the directors to capture multiple angles simultaneously.[21] The film, developed in collaboration with the Doha Film Institute, design firm 2x4 and architecture firm OMA, was presented in a specially designed theater — christened "Surround Vision" — featuring seven screens which surrounded the audience.[22]
On March 7, 2015, West debuted a collaborative short film with director Steve McQueen entitled All Day/I Feel Like That.[23] The film premiered at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, France, followed by its American debut at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in July 2015.[24]
Album/singles art
Donda provided packaging design for the following albums and singles:
- Kanye West and Jay-Z, Watch the Throne, released on August 8, 2011.
- Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T, and 2 Chainz, "Mercy", released on April 3, 2012.
- Kanye West, Chief Keef, Pusha T, Big Sean, and Jadakiss, "I Don't Like (Remix)", released on May 1, 2012.
- Meek Mill featuring Big Sean, "Burn", released on May 4, 2012.[25]
- Pusha T and Kanye West, "New God Flow", released on July 12, 2012.[26]
- 2 Chainz, Based on a T.R.U. Story, released on August 12, 2012[27]
- Kanye West, Jay Z, and Big Sean, "Clique", released on September 6, 2012.[28]
- GOOD Music, Cruel Summer, released on September 14, 2012.[29]
- Pusha T, "Pain", released on October 8, 2012.[30]
- 2 Chainz, "I'm Different", released on November 8, 2012.
- Pusha T featuring Popcaan and Travis Scott, "Blocka", released on December 5, 2012.[31]
- Lil Wayne, "Love Me", released on January 18, 2013.
- Pusha T, Wrath of Caine mixtape, released on January 28, 2013.
- Pusha T, "Millions", released on January 29, 2013.
- Lil Wayne, I Am Not a Human Being II, released on March 26, 2013.[32]
- Pusha T, "Numbers on the Boards", released on May 10, 2013.
- Kanye West, Yeezus, released on June 18, 2013.
- Pusha T featuring Chris Brown, "Sweet Serenade", released on September 4, 2013.
- 2 Chainz, B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time, released on September 10, 2013.
- Pusha T, My Name Is My Name, released on October 7, 2013.
- Pusha T, "Lunch Money", released on November 18, 2014.
- Nicki Minaj, The Pinkprint, released on December 15, 2014.
- Kanye West featuring Paul McCartney, "Only One", released on January 1, 2015.
- Big Sean, "Dark Sky Paradise", released on February 24, 2015.[33]
- Kanye West, "All Day", released on March 2, 2015.[33]
- Vic Mensa featuring Kanye West, "U Mad", released on April 10, 2015.[33]
- Tyga, The Gold Album: 18th Dynasty, released on June 23, 2015.[33]
- Pusha T, "Untouchable", released on November 12, 2015.[33]
- Pusha T, "M.F.T.R", released on December 8, 2015.[33]
- Pusha T, "Crutches, Crosses, Caskets", released on December 11, 2015.
- Pusha T, King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude, released on December 18, 2015.
- Kanye West, "Real Friends", released on January 8, 2016.
- Kanye West featuring Kendrick Lamar, "No More Parties in LA", released on January 18, 2016.
- Kanye West, "30 Hours", released on February 12, 2016.
- Kanye West, Gucci Mane, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Travis Scott, Yo Gotti, Quavo, and Desiigner, "Champions", released on June 12, 2016.
Music videos
- Kanye West, "Black Skinhead" (Directed by Nick Knight), released on July 22, 2013.
- Big Sean, "Beware" (Directed by Matthew Williams), released on August 16, 2013.[34]
- Kanye West, "Bound 2" (Directed by Nick Knight), released on November 16, 2013.
- Kanye West, "Only One" (Directed by Spike Jonze, Concept by Vanessa Beecroft), released on January 29, 2015.
- Kanye West, "All Day" / "I Feel Like That" (Directed by Steve McQueen)[33]
- Complex "GOOD Music: New Religion" cover story and article, printed on July 23, 2012.[35]
- Kanye West and Adidas Originals — Season 1 Zine. Photography by Jackie Nickerson. Released on March 11, 2015.[33]
- Kim Kardashian, Selfish, published on May 5, 2015.[36]
- Rich Wilkerson Jr., Sandcastle Kings: Meeting Jesus in a Spiritually Bankrupt World cover art, published on November 10, 2015.[37]
Stage design
- Kanye West — "Surround Vision" concert, debuted at Revel Atlantic City on December 28, 2012.
- Kanye West — The Yeezus Tour, debuted at Key Arena, Seattle, WA on October 19, 2013.
- Kanye West — "All Day", debuted at the Brit Awards, February 25, 2015.
- Kanye West — "Surround Vision" benefit concert, debuted at Fondation Louis Vuitton on March 6, 2015.
Marketing
Prominent marketing projects include:
- Worldwide "New Slaves" guerrilla projection campaign.[38]
- Yeezus "Please Add Graffiti" advertising project.[39]
- American Psycho homage short film, starring Scott Disick and Jonathan Cheban. Released June 17, 2013.[40]
- "The Canyons" trailer remix, released August 2, 2015.[41]
- Kanye West and Adidas Originals — Season One rollout & invitation campaign. February 13, 2015.[42][43]