Donda (styled in all caps) is a creative content company founded by American rapper Kanye West. The company was named after West's late mother, Donda West, and shares the name with his tenth studio album, released in 2021.
Contents
History
West announced the company on January 5, 2012, via a series of Twitter posts. In his announcement, West proclaimed that the company would "pick up where Steve Jobs left off"; Donda would operate as "a design company which will galvanize amazing thinkers in a creative space to bounce their dreams and ideas" with the "goal to make products and experiences that people want and can afford."
Culture
West was secretive about the company's operations, maintaining neither an official website nor a social media presence.
In stating Donda's creative philosophy, West articulated the need to "put creatives in a room together with like minds" in order to "simplify and aesthetically improve everything we see, taste, touch, and feel". Contemporary critics have noted the consistent minimalistic aesthetic exhibited throughout Donda creative projects.
Continuing a trend consistent in previous Kanye West projects, an additional hallmark of Donda projects has been multi-disciplinary collaboration, often featuring prominent contributions from major figures in various creative fields. Prominent examples include painter George Condo, photographer Luis Tarin, video artist/film director Steve McQueen, performance artist Vanessa Beecroft, artist Wes Lang, stage designer Es Devlin, audio/visual designer Jadis Mercado, artist/sculptor Takashi Murakami, photographer Jackie Nickerson, fashion designer Riccardo Tisci, and fashion house Maison Martin Margiela. NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown is the chair president of the sports fashion line Donda Sports.
Projects
Film
On May 23, 2012, Donda debuted its inaugural creative project, a film entitled Cruel Summer, as part of the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. The film is a seven-screen surround vision experience.
Cruel Summer was shot using a specialized camera rig, which allowed the directors to capture multiple angles simultaneously. The film, developed in collaboration with the Doha Film Institute, design firm 2x4 and architecture firm OMA, was presented in a specially designed theater — christened "Surround Vision" — featuring seven screens which surrounded the audience.
On March 7, 2015, West debuted a collaborative short film with director Steve McQueen entitled All Day/I Feel Like That. The film premiered at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, France, followed by its American debut at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in July 2015.
Album/singles art
Donda provided packaging design for the following albums and singles:
Kanye West and Jay-Z, Watch the Throne, released on August 8, 2011.
Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T, and 2 Chainz, "Mercy", released on April 3, 2012.
Kanye West, Chief Keef, Pusha T, Big Sean, and Jadakiss, "I Don't Like (Remix)", released on May 1, 2012.
Meek Mill featuring Big Sean, "Burn", released on May 4, 2012.
Pusha T and Kanye West, "New God Flow", released on July 12, 2012.
2 Chainz, Based on a T.R.U. Story, released on August 12, 2012
Kanye West, Jay Z, and Big Sean, "Clique", released on September 6, 2012.
GOOD Music, Cruel Summer, released on September 14, 2012.
Pusha T, "Pain", released on October 8, 2012.
2 Chainz, "I'm Different", released on November 8, 2012.
Pusha T featuring Popcaan and Travis Scott, "Blocka", released on December 5, 2012.
Lil Wayne, "Love Me", released on January 18, 2013.
Pusha T, Wrath of Caine mixtape, released on January 28, 2013.
Pusha T, "Millions", released on January 29, 2013.
Music videos
Kanye West, "Black Skinhead" (Directed by Nick Knight), released on July 22, 2013.
Big Sean, "Beware" (Directed by Matthew Williams), released on August 16, 2013.
Kanye West, "Bound 2" (Directed by Nick Knight), released on November 16, 2013.
Kanye West, "Only One" (Directed by Spike Jonze, Concept by Vanessa Beecroft), released on January 29, 2015.
Kanye West, "All Day" / "I Feel Like That" (Directed by Steve McQueen)
Complex "GOOD Music: New Religion" cover story and article, printed on July 23, 2012.
Kanye West and Adidas Originals — Season 1 Zine. Photography by Jackie Nickerson. Released on March 11, 2015.
Kim Kardashian, Selfish, published on May 5, 2015.
Rich Wilkerson Jr., Sandcastle Kings: Meeting Jesus in a Spiritually Bankrupt World cover art, published on November 10, 2015.
Stage design
Kanye West — "Surround Vision" concert, debuted at Revel Atlantic City on December 28, 2012.
Kanye West — The Yeezus Tour, debuted at Key Arena, Seattle, WA on October 19, 2013.
Kanye West — "All Day", debuted at the Brit Awards, February 25, 2015.
Kanye West — "Surround Vision" benefit concert, debuted at Fondation Louis Vuitton on March 6, 2015.
Marketing
Prominent marketing projects include:
Worldwide "New Slaves" guerrilla projection campaign.
Yeezus "Please Add Graffiti" advertising project.
American Psycho homage short film, starring Scott Disick and Jonathan Cheban. Released June 17, 2013.
"The Canyons" trailer remix, released August 2, 2015.
Kanye West and Adidas Originals — Season One rollout & invitation campaign. February 13, 2015.