STUDENT of Life and culture

Don Morris grew up in Plymouth, Massachusetts, a skate rat, snowboarder, and drummer in a hardcore band. He attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts in Boston.

At ART + AUCTION and I.D. magazines, Morris apprenticed under graphic designer Tibor Kalman. In 1992, he joined Sanford L. Smith & Associates, where he designed catalogues for contemporary and fine art shows including the Art Dealers Association of America’s Art Show and the Outsider Art Fair.

In 1994, Morris joined Harris Publications. Morris was the Co-Founder and Creative Director of XXL and SLAM magazines. As Creative Director, Morris’ design—which infused graphic elements from the punk, tattoo, and hardcore scenes—came to define the look of hip-hop for an entire generation. In 2002, Morris photographed and designed rapper 50 Cent’s career-launching mixtapes, GUESS WHO’S BACK and 50 CENT IS THE FUTURE.

In 2006 Morris was tasked with the revitalizing of THE SOURCE media platform, the longest-running hip-hop magazine in the world, which is also known as “the Bible of Hip-Hop.” 

Currently Don works in philanthropy and building his next platform.