Oral History Interview with Cey Adams, New York, NY, November 5, 1998

Cey Adams (b. 1962) is a visual artist, graphic designer, author and founding creative director of Def Jam Recordings. Adams was a graffiti artist in the late 70s and early 80s and studied painting and had work exhibited in the city of New York beside artists such as Jean Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. Adams cofounded the Drawing Board at Def Jam as the in-house visual design firm overseeing the visual style of Def Jam's artists as well as artists signed to MCA, Universal, Warner Bros., Bad Boy and BMG. Cey Adams is known for his work with Beastie Boys, Run DMC, Public Enemy, LL Cool J, Jay-Z, and Mary J. Blige by creating logos, tour merchandising, billboards, and advertising campaigns. Because his work focuses on themes including pop culture, race and gender relations, cultural and community issues he has been described as "legendary" for his work in Hip-Hop graphic design.