The Crenshaw project is about a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California “Crenshaw”, otherwise known as the “Unapologetically Black LA”. It is not only about Crenshaw but also about an activist, entrepreneur, and rapper Nipsey Hussel who was shot and killed March 21, 2019. The package is a gift box that will tell you about what Crenshaw is and how it influenced Nipsey into the ,an he became and also what impact Nipesy had on the development of Crenshaw.
The Box
The box is a limited edition that incorporates a hand painted portrait of the rapper, A Crenshaw t-shirt from the young entrepreneurs “Marathon Clothing” store, and a pimply about Crenshaw and the rapper himself. Containing two of his mixtape and his debut album that got him on top of all of his glory!
To start this project, I had to do several mockups out of cardboard boxes and do trial and error mockups until I finally created the most accurate mockup. The idea of the is box actually came from an old Jordan shoe box that I saw on Pinterest. It was breathe taking when you open up such a fantastic box to reveal an even better pair of shoes inside. I wanted to give that same feel for when you open up this package!
This was the model jordan box
Cardboard Prototypes
The cardboard box prototypes were to scale. I purposly chose a slide out box so the content inside can be more of a revealing experience than you just taking the lid off of mediocre box.
Illustrator Design Mockups
After several box prototypes were done, I had to the go in and figure exact measurements out and record them into a website called, “Build A Box”. I then took those files, converted them into illustrator files and prepped them to get cut out at, “The Mill”, at Texas State University. Once the wood and the measurements were put accuratley into the machine, the machine does the rest for you. Well atleast some of it. The machine cut out each side piece and I had to do the rest of the dirty work,( sawing, sanding, painting, glueing, ect).
Criteria
These were some of the main material needed to complete the overall experience of this box! The painting, the crenshaw t-shirt, the 3 cd’s, and the pamphlet.
Process of painting
Nipsey Hussel was A Rolling 60’s crip but he did not believe in gang violence nor did he participate in it. So I purposely chose the picture with him in red and blue to show his neutrality in the world when it came to gangs and what color you could supposedly wear. I put a halo on one of his heads to show that he is passed away but still watching over Crenshaw. The backdrop is actually Crenshaw itself , with bits and pieces of the hand painted Crenshaw wall/ “Mural “. This wall depicts all the accomplishments and failures of our African American history over the years and there still currently adding to it now.
Sketch
Painting Oil on Canvas
Pamphlet
This is a few spreads of what type of material is inside the pamphlet. The pamphlet gives you insight of what Crenshaw really is and how it influenced Nipsey Hussel as a person and groomed him into who he was. Also explains all of the contributions Nipsey brought to Crenshaw
Process of building of the Box
The process of building this box took me about two and a half weeks. There were a lot of trail and error cases with everything . I purposely chose to use black as the main color of the box because Once you opened it, you would then see all of the other lively colors. The interior edges of this package is a satin silk blue to give you that feeling of luxury once the box is opened. Once again two sheets of glass put in between this package to hold everything up was the finishing touch to give it that rich feel. One of his main focuses was to take something torn down and used and turn it into something more luxurious.
