Dylan Sinclair: The Making of 'Proverb'

As an artist, I have always been intrigued by the idea of collaborating with musicians of all sorts. During the summer of 2018, I worked closely with Mick Jenkins on the roll out plan for his second studio album, “Pieces of A Man”. Jenkins briefed me on the inspiration behind the album, which involved his upbringing in Chicago, lessons learned through manhood, and vulnerability. The experience offered a ton of knowledge regarding visual strategy, cohesiveness, and the power of interpretation. Following that opportunity, I spent the fall season working on the rebranding and album release for Jazz Cartier’s debut “Fleurever”. Those two jobs helped me create a foundation for visual storytelling through music, that I otherwise would not have explored. 

Fast forward to October of 2019, and a good friend of mine, Jordon Manswell, hits me up about a breakthrough artist. His name is Dylan Sinclair, an incredibly gifted singer with a look that will instantly steal your girl. Initially, I didn’t think anything of it, as my passion for creativity has been centered around other genres such as documentary photography and filmmaking. Though, we ended up exchanging a few ideas via zoom calls, and my interest rapidly grew as I was beginning to hear the new music. That was it, I was sold. While sitting with the new album for a week, I began to think about unique ways to introduce Dylan to the world in a way that I haven’t seen before. 

Myself and Dylan spoke for a few days, as he walked me through his journey, his relationships, his priorities, and his mission. He told me the name of the album would be “Proverb”, which reflects his roots in Christianity, but also represents the handful of sayings that communicate his identity. As he continued to interpret his thoughts, I started to jot down notes of key words he repeated while describing what inspired the album. Interestingly enough, these words went on to help me develop a concise theme. The theme references the old saying “there is light at the end of the tunnel”, which reflects one’s faith that success awaits ahead. My goal was to combine a source of light, shadows, and soft silhouettes, to create visuals that mimic this theme. In translation, this concept embraces Dylan’s hope for a progressive music career, but also his willingness to be vulnerable and honest with his audience without giving away too much. We agreed to this overarching concept, expanded on the narrative with further points, and got to work!

It was time for me to put together a team of talented creatives whom I knew could help me pull this off. Without looking too far, I reached out to the design duo at WIL STUDIOS, Eric Richards and Madan Rahul. These two talented brothers and I had worked in the past, but something told me this project would be a lot more fulfilling. After speaking to them I felt this feeling of excitement, which I knew would lead to a masterpiece. The boys came on board as art directors, set designers, and even brought on a videographer. This was no longer just about some aesthetically-pleasing photos, instead we were now working towards creating a visual experience. It was about to get real! 

Once we assembled a group chat, we began to quickly move through production, assigning responsibilities, and highlighting deliverables! Shoot day was a success, as we used the full day to design a dark room with various light setups that directly reflected the mood board. We filmed a series of short video teasers that combine to offer various perspectives of Dylan, ranging from keyboarding, looking out the window, interacting with a beam of light, etc. Photographer, Nathan Henry, also took a series of 35 millimeter film photos that provided a classic R&B touch. We approached post production with the same tone as the mood board, allowing us to play with shadows, a consistent hint of grain, and a surface light that was carried throughout the motion. As a team, we nailed the vision.

Our final deliverable involved creating the album cover, both back and forth. Dylan gave me the freedom to play with various photos that he felt summarized his story. I don’t usually create the artwork myself, so I decided to bring on a good friend named Chris Afolabi. One thing I respect most about Chris is his attention to detail, and how open he is to taking direction. When we spoke, I had already chosen two photos that felt mandatory for the covers. To me, the front cover represents Dylan discovering the light, while the back cover represents his search for the source. This journey towards the light reveals a world that Dylan has been unaware of, but still sparks much curiosity. The team wanted to leave room for visual interpretation, and the minimal approach was the best fit for typeface, copy placement, and even subtle texture. The job was complete! I can honestly say that there is nothing more satisfying than watching a concept go from development to fully executed. We did the damn thing!

When working on a project for another artist, I often get attached to the process, the decision making, and the final output. There is something special about gaining a new perspective that allows you into another person’s world. My dedication to narrative building, the aspects of design, and remaining authentic to the artist has always been important. This is what I’ve grown to become so passionate about as an artist. 

I want to thank everyone who was appointed a role on this creative project, plus Dylan and Jordon for trusting my vision throughout the process. Congratulations to the two of you on this remarkable piece of work! #Proverb

— Josef Adamu