Art Direction | Jonathan Fouabi
Creative Direction | Brent Rollins
Photography | Timothy Saccenti

For their April 2017 cover story, Complex conducted a sit-down interview (in print and video) between journalist Touré and recording artist Vince Staples, who at the time had already established himself as an intelligent, outspoken thought leader, unafraid to go against the grain. The discussion — which ranged from album plans to community-building to global issues — would exist against the backdrop of a Trump presidency, Kaepernick’s protest, and an increasingly polarized America. In discussion with CD Brent Rollins, I developed a cover image that aimed to summarize the prevailing singularity of Vince’s personality in the volatile world that surrounded him. The final image would recall Gordon Parks’ photo for Ellison’s Invisible Man.