The Dropout Bear is an anthropomorphic symbol, character, and mascot for American rapper Kanye West. The bear was used in the album cover art, promotion, and music videos for West’s first three studio albums, The College Dropout (2004), Late Registration (2005), and Graduation (2007).
Its first commercial appearance came on the cover art for West’s debut single “Through the Wire” in September 2003. During the shooting in the New York City High School, Kanye West decided to use the school’s mascot, which was then adapted by the toy designer Eric Arginsky. The character would later appear on the cover art of West’s debut studio album “The College Dropout” in February 2004. The album’s cover was handled by art director Eric Duvauchelle of Roc-A-Fella Records, and the graphic designer Sam Hansen, which depicts the Dropout bear in a school gymnasium, wearing a suit coat, red t-shirt, and jeans.
The first redesign of the Dropout Bear came with the development of West’s sophomore album Late Registration. Similar to the cover art of The College Dropout, the artwork on Late Registration features West’s “Dropout Bear” mascot, showing it at a child’s size and stood in the centre of two large wooden doors at Princeton University. The mascot has goggle eyes, perky ears, and a collegian outfit, wearing a blazer with a school insignia.
The second redesign of the Dropout Bear came with the development of West’s third studio album Graduation. West collaborated with Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami to oversee the art direction of Graduation as well as design the cover art for the album’s accompanying singles.
The Dropout Bear’s most recent appearances came with the promotion and artwork for West’s collaborative album Kids See Ghosts with Kid Cudi in 2018. Takashi Murakami had stated that West had brought forward the idea of portraying an anthropomorphized bear and fox, to reflect him and Cudi, respectively.
01 - Cover of “Graduation”, 2007.
02 - Cover of “Late Registration”, 2005.
03 - Cover of “College Dropout”, 2004.
04 - Dropout Bear and Kid Cudi’s fox in a trailer for “Kids See Ghosts”, 2018.
05 - Kanye West with a costume of the bear in 2004.
