In a recent interview with Rebecca Haithcoat for Instagram Music, 2 Chainz and Jonathan Mannion (who shot the cover) discuss all about the artwork for ColleGrove.
Jonathan talked about how he photographed Lil Wayne while on set of “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” in February after shooting Tity Boi a couple of weeks beforehand:
“I set up a portable studio behind [Wayne’s] trailer on the set of ‘The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon’. With 2 Chainz, I shot him about two weeks before that, in a studio in Los Angeles. It was me and a retoucher. I was like, it really has to look like these tattoos sink into his face as if they’re his own.”
Chainz spoke on coming up with the idea for the ColleGrove album artwork, having to slap himself sometimes to realize that Tunechi is one of his realest friends, and why he believes Tune is a “living legend”:
ColleGrove album cover idea:
“When it hit me, I thought it was the dopest idea in the world. I told a few people and was like: ‘That’s not lame, right, if I put his tats on my face?’ If you notice, the album cover doesn’t have the title on it. I thought that would just say everything.”Friendship with Lil Wayne:
“Wayne is my brother, my friend, I got him on speed dial. I have to slap myself to realize that sometimes. So many things that took place in ’07 and ’08 have really changed my family’s life. He’s one of the main reasons why I’m in the game. It’s rare to get that kind of friendship out of your peers in this rap game today.”College Park and Hollygrove:
“That’s ghetto to ghetto. That’s the common denominator. I feel like everybody that comes from a certain area and reaches a certain goal has that little butterfly tingle in your stomach that, you know, we made it.”Paying respect to Lil Wayne:
“Wayne actually moved the culture. I just felt like that had to be acknowledged. I just felt it was a cool thing for me to do. We have a living legend on our hands. We should always try to give somebody their roses while they can smell them. It’s too late at the funeral.”
