BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. \u2014 Drivers across Broward County may have noticed colorful new murals brightening city streets. Behind the artwork is Cey Adams, the legendary graphic designer whose work helped define the look of hip-hop before he turned his talents to large-scale public art.<\/p>\n
Adams, the founding creative director of Def Jam Recordings, has designed iconic visuals for some of music\u2019s biggest names, including Run-DMC, LL Cool J, Jay-Z, the Beastie Boys, Method Man, Slick Rick and EPMD. He also created the recognizable logo for \u201cChappelle\u2019s Show.\u201d<\/p>\n
Today, Adams is leaving a different kind of legacy through \u201cLead With Love,\u201d a public art initiative bringing murals to communities across Broward County.<\/p>\n
The murals can be found in communities including Plantation, Pompano Beach, Tamarac, Las Olas and Dania Beach, each featuring a unique design inspired by the neighborhood where it is located.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery single one of these murals is unique in its own way,\u201d Adams said. \u201cThe one thing that they do all have in common is they are a part of the \u2018Lead With Love\u2019 theme.\u201d<\/p>\n
From album covers to city walls<\/p>\n
Before becoming known for his public artwork, Adams spent decades helping shape hip-hop\u2019s visual identity.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything that had a visual \u2014 logos, T-shirt designs, tour backdrops, clothing, everything,\u201d Adams said. \u201cIf it had an image on it, I was designing.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said he began working with artists such as Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys in the early 1980s, long before they became global stars.<\/p>\n
\u201cI met my friends, Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys in the early \u201980s when their careers were starting,\u201d Adams said. \u201cEvery artist that I worked with … was starting out at ground zero.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rather than one defining moment, Adams said his career grew alongside the artists he collaborated with.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt really is a testament to how far we have all come as a group that 30 years later, I\u2019m still getting calls from folks that I came up with back in the day,\u201d he said. \u201cNow they\u2019re whatever is beyond a megastar, and it\u2019s a wonderful feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n
Art designed for the community<\/p>\n
The Lead With Love initiative is a partnership between the Community Foundation of Broward and Business for the Arts Broward. The project aims to create nine custom murals in nine Broward communities by 2027.<\/p>\n
Each mural is designed to reflect the history, colors and personality of the community where it is installed.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the things that\u2019s really exciting for me is that I get to create something that\u2019s shared by the community,\u201d Adams said.<\/p>\n
Beyond the artwork itself, Adams said mentoring the next generation of artists has become one of the most rewarding parts of the project.<\/p>\n
He works alongside a team of young artists from across Florida and hopes his story inspires them to pursue creative careers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really want them to understand that once upon a time, I was just like them,\u201d Adams said. \u201cI was a young artist that didn\u2019t have a specific path carved out. I just knew I had talent, and talent combined with support is what success looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n
Six of the planned murals have already been completed, with three more scheduled before the project concludes in 2027.<\/p>\n