About the Project
Rōnin & Rhymes is an ongoing personal character design concept where I reimagine iconic hip-hop artists—including The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and others—as samurai warriors. The project began taking shape around the time of the highly publicized Drake and Kendrick Lamar rap battle, which inspired me to explore the competitive spirit of hip-hop through the visual language of warriors and rival clans. Each character combines elements inspired by the artist’s music, personality, style, and cultural presence with original armor, weapons, silhouettes, and samurai-inspired details. As the series continues to grow, Rōnin & Rhymes serves as my creative crossover between hip-hop culture and character design—two different worlds connected through storytelling, identity, and competition.
