Drake‘s sixth studio album, Certified Lover Boy, became the main character on social media after the rapper revealed the forthcoming album’s cover. The album, set to be released on September 3, 2021, is an illustration of 12 pregnant lady emojis, later confirmed as the official cover art by Rap Radar‘s Elliot Wilson.
Drake, born Aubrey Graham, apparently tapped English artist Damien Hirst as the mastermind behind the unique cover art. Hirst, known best for signature pieces including a human skull studded with diamonds and dead animals suspended in formaldehyde, has not released a confirmation statement. However, a popular Drake fan account posted a photo of the artwork on Instagram with the caption “1 of 2 by Damien Hirst,” indicating he’s the creative behind the work, of which there are only two.
While the album cover has received a decidedly-mixed-to-negative response from fans and critics on the internet, one creative decided to have a little fun by spoofing his own version of the artwork. Lil Nas X (real name Montero Hill) recreated the album art by posting 12 bearded pregnant men emojis at the same time drawing attention his own upcoming debut album, Montero, which will drop on September 17th.
Last week, Drake revealed the date of his upcoming album by interrupting ESPN’s SportsCenter program with a glitchy commercial imitating a broadcast hack, flashing the handwritten message: “CLB September 3.”
