A$AP Rocky has long treated music as only one part of a larger creative universe. His releases come slowly, shaped by years of visual planning, collaborations, and world-building that extend far past the studio. Don’t Be Dumb, his first album in eight years, reflects that approach. Across the album’s 17 tracks, Rocky revisits past personas and imagined futures through a dense visual language of helicopters, street fights, crash-test dummies, and tabloid spectacle. The project credits a wide range of collaborators, including filmmaker Tim Burton, whose gothic influence looms over the album’s darker visual cues and theatrical framing.
Behind that universe sits a wider network of designers and image-makers tasked with translating Rocky’s ideas into physical form. Among them sits Gab, a Batangas-based graphic designer known online as kadenpeach, whose digital airbrush style draws directly from the hand-painted jeepney art. What began as a visual experiment now places him inside one of hip-hop’s most visible creative ecosystems, contributing artwork for Don’t Be Dumb and worked alongside names such as Japanese streetwear brand XLARGE, clothing brand Asspizza, and Canadian hip-hop platform Montreality.
At first glance, Gab’s work reads as nostalgic, borrowing from familiar street imagery and exaggerated cartoon figures. A closer look reveals an unseen precision. His use of Gaussian blur, texture, and saturated color pulls from a specific Filipino visual language rooted in public transport art and informal sign painting. That balance sits at the center of his practice, shaped by years of trial and constant revision.
Airbrush Technique
In conversation with Rolling Stone Philippines, Gab traces his progress back to early struggles with digital tools. Adobe Photoshop served more as a workaround than a strength. Early pieces relied heavily on blur and distortion, techniques he used to fill technical gaps as he developed confidence. Printing and rescanning images allowed him to soften mistakes while giving the work a tactile finish. Gab’s exposure to Cubao’s jeepney painters changed how he approached the style when he saw the jeeps pass by during his “pagala-gala” days, when he was visiting Manila on a whim. What once functioned as camouflage became a deliberate choice.
“Seeing so much [Cubao] jeepney art there completely shifted how I looked at the style,” Gab tells Rolling Stone Philippines. “It stopped being about throwing on an effect and letting everything bleed together, and became more intentional.”
That shift sharpened his work. His pieces referencing pop culture icons, streetwear mascots, and hip-hop figures began circulating online, drawing attention beyond local scenes. His visuals found their way into cover art designs for artists such as 25hearts and projects connected to Montreality, a platform known for spotlighting emerging creatives from North America. Connections grew organically through shared networks and reposts.
The link to A$AP Rocky came through New York-based fashion stylist Ian Connor, who noticed Gab’s work and passed it along to the rapper’s team. Conversations followed through direct messages, leading to collaborative back-and-forth sessions tied to artwork for Don’t Be Dumb, such as related releases and merch designs. One early focus involved visuals surrounding Rocky’s single “Punk Rocky,” where Gab translated the rapper’s ideas into graphic form.
“That push-and-pull really took me past what I thought was my limit,” he says. “It made me realize I could go further than I expected, especially in terms of making something feel catchy and impactful.”
Despite working with global names, Gab continues to frame himself as a student. At the time of writing, he balances commissions with schoolwork, answering our Q&A between classes and refining designs late into the night. Learning remains central to how he approaches each project. He experiments with color blends, revisits unfinished ideas, and allows concepts to sit until they feel resolved.
Search for Inspiration
His influences stretch beyond graphic design. Music, fashion, film, and street culture feed into his visual instincts. Exposure to diverse creative disciplines sharpens his thinking about pacing, tone, and storytelling within a single image. This openness reflects his background, shaped by growing up outside Metro Manila while staying deeply connected to online culture and global scenes.
“Pull inspiration from everywhere, but especially from where you’re from — that’s usually where the most genuine and meaningful substance comes from,” he says. “As long as you’re focused on bringing something new to the table instead of just following what’s already out there, your work starts to speak for you. In the end, it kind of ends up carrying your name without you needing to force it.”
As Don’t Be Dumb continues to expand A$AP Rocky’s visual world, contributors like kadenpeach highlight how global pop culture draws energy from localized art forms. From Batangas classrooms to international fashion and music spaces, kadenpeach stands as an example of how local visual languages find wider reach through consistency and skill.
