A Visual Coronation for Kohen Jaycee’s Afro-Urban Identity
The Challenge:
How Do You Crown a Breakout Artist Without Saying a Word?
When African RnB breakout star Kohen Jaycee (real name Cohen Jaycee Mwesigwa) prepared to release his fourth studio album on August 7, 2024, he didn’t want just another album title screen. He wanted a visual thesis.
This album—Rwebembera – The Raising Echoes—wasn’t just a musical project. It was a bold statement. Kohen was fusing contemporary and urban RnB with native African influences to pioneer a new sound: Afro-Urban. He needed an opener that felt like a summoning. A visual invocation of heritage, destiny, and self-crowning artistry.
The Concept:
A Title Forged, Not Just Revealed
The title animation is a visual coronation—not shown, but summoned. Letters emerge from the void like a sacred rite. The composition, pacing, and materiality all serve one purpose: to crown the artist and his message with cultural weight and cinematic power.
Every frame blends ancestral energy with modern elegance—linking the legacy of the Bunyoro Kitara Empire (Uganda) with the pulse of Afro-Urban artistry.
Visual Language & Art Direction
Color Palette:
Deep emerald green and weathered gold—evoking royalty, natural beauty, and timeless prestige. The green symbolizes Uganda’s lush identity, while gold channels ancestral wealth and divine appointment.
Typography:
A hybrid of ancient and contemporary. The serif logotype anchors the piece in grandeur and permanence, while the calligraphic flourishes on the “R” and “A” whisper the soulful sensitivity of RnB. It's not just a name—it’s Kohen’s crown.
Background Texture:
A faint swirl of traditional patterns subtly embossed into the backdrop. Quiet. Reverent. Layered with meaning. It's a cultural texture, not wallpaper.
3D Craft & Materiality
Gold That Feels Unearthed
The gold letters aren’t polished. They’re ancient. Created using PBR (Physically-Based Rendering) workflows, displacement maps, and dynamic roughness, they shimmer like relics from an ancestral forge—each imperfection carrying intentional symbolism.
Texturing with Authority
Every bevel, chip, and patina on the surface was dialed in to communicate age, wisdom, and authenticity. This wasn’t royalty bought. It was earned.
Motion Design & Storytelling
The Rise:
Letters ascend from the shadows like monuments being unearthed. A kingdom awakening. A voice rising.
The Assembly:
Fragments break and reassemble—raising echoes, scattered voices, and histories converging into one name, one vision.
The Flourish:
Final strokes animate in with grace and flair—the artist’s personal signature. This is Afro-Urban. This is Kohen.
Lighting & Atmosphere
Hero Lighting:
Directional soft lights sweep across the frame, revealing every texture, crevice, and carved memory. No flashy flares. Just quiet confidence and divine spotlight.
Cinematic Mood:
A reverent ambiance—like entering a throne room or cathedral. Every detail invites pause, breath, and presence.
Why It Matters
This wasn’t just animation. It was visual authorship. A cultural stamp. A digital crown.
It proved you can build an iconic identity—without filming, without excess, without compromise. Just powerful design, intentional pacing, and reverence for the story.