Red Run Art Series (No Blackout Dates) – Package #17: “Culture II” Tour Stamp ft. Migos

Series Overview:
– Red Run Art Series (No Blackout Dates) is a mixed-media series by artist Damon Kardon created to celebrate the traveling circus that is the music tour. He has various bands and solo artists whose music and words have influenced him and his art over the years. He set out to encapsulate in these works everything that a band or artist puts forth with a new album and accompanying tour. What better way to convey the creativity and excitement of travel than in a postage stamp representing this new voyage?

“Red Run” is a postage term describing an assignment to handle registered mail and “Blackout Dates” a travel term meaning no time off from travel. These terms represent to Damon, a clear vision each band or artist delivers in their new album and then expresses 24/7 in their subsequent tour. Each piece he creates starts with a painted portrait of the band or artist. He then incorporates colors and elements of their new album into the background. Next, he takes that image of the finished painting and digitally alters and adds text through Photoshop.

The text seen on each postage stamp design incorporates new song and album titles as well as the names and dates of the tour. Each completed stamp design is a mixed-media collage representing the artist/band and their music. You shall see a new finished piece featured every week for the entire run of the series. Through their boundless creativity and determination, these artists/bands have put their musical stamp on the world.

Road-Ready Listening:
– Be sure to enhance your viewing/reading experience by streaming Migos’ most recent LP, Culture II, released on January 26th, 2018, via Quality Control.

About the Painting:
– My introduction to Trap Music (or Southern Rap or “Hot-lanta” sound) really came from tracks from the 1993 movie Menace to Society soundtrack and early songs from Outkast. It has grown so much in the last two decades, moved forward by classics from 2 Chains and T.I. . Migos has taken trap to another level and really created an entire new genre in Southern rap.

Takeoff, Quavo and Offset, the three members that comprise Migos, are full-fledged superstars! Introduced to the world five years ago by Drake, they are now co-headlining with him on a world tour. Their sound and style are contagious and influencing a whole new generation of MCs. Their songs “Bad and Boujee” and “Stir Fry” blew up and established them as the future of rap. I wanted to capture their unique style as well as their music in this portrait. -Damon Kardon

Package #17: “Culture II”:
– Check out Damon’s creative process by scrolling through the photos below.

Tour Dates:

08/24 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
08/25 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
08/27 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
08/28 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
08/30 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
08/31 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
09/01 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
09/04 – Montreal, Quebec – Bell Centre
09/05 – Montreal, Quebec – Bell Centre
09/07 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
09/08 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
09/09 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
09/12 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
09/13 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
09/15 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
09/16 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
09/18 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
09/21 – Miami, FL – AmericanAirlines Arena
09/22 – Miami, FL – AmericanAirlines Arena
09/24 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
09/26 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
09/27 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
09/29 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
09/30 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
10/02 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
10/05 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena
10/06 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena
10/08 – Phoenix, AZ – Gila River Arena
10/10 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Smart Home Arena
10/12 – Los Angeles, CA – STAPLES Center
10/13 – Los Angeles, CA – STAPLES Center
10/14 – Los Angeles, CA – STAPLES Center
10/16 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
10/17 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
10/19 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
10/26 – Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena
10/27 – Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena
10/29 – Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena
11/01 – Seattle, WA – Tacoma Dome
11/03 – Vancouver, British Columbia – Rogers Arena
11/04 – Vancouver, British Columbia – Rogers Arena
11/06 – Edmonton, Alberta – Rogers Place
11/07 – Edmonton, Alberta – Rogers Place
11/16 – Atlanta, GA – Philips Arena
11/17 – Atlanta, GA – Philips Arena

Migos’ cover artwork for Culture II:

The Series & Future Artwork:

– Coming up in Package #18… Halestorm

– Previously in Package #16… Mastodon
– Package #15… Greta Van Fleet
– Package #14… Pearl Jam
– Package #13… The Fever 333
– Package #12… Slayer
– Package #11… MGMT
– Package #10… A Perfect Circle
– Package #9… Sheer Mag
– Package #8… Ministry
– Package #7… Judas Priest
– Package #6… Arch Enemy
– Package #5… Run The Jewels
– Package #4… Corrosion of Conformity
– Package #3… alt-J
– Package #2… G-Eazy
– Package #1… Killswitch Engage