Graphic designer Nick Fulcher, aka Nicki Chulo, knew what he wanted to do from a young age. He loved computer graphics from an early age, so he thought he would go into game design. But when a friend of his asked him to design a mixtape cover, Churro started going in a different direction. He said yes, for the price of two McChickens.
A few years later, Chulo dropped out of SCAD, describing the experience as “expensive for no reason.” After working at a branding agency, he returned to his roots of freelance design for small music acts. That led Chulo to create mixtape covers for rappers like his GoldLink, Chaz French, and IDK. His star rose alongside theirs and eventually caught the attention of producer Illmind. Chulo joined the producer’s independent label before landing at Atlantic, where he currently works as an art director.
Now, you can find Churro’s work everywhere, from record stores to singles on select Spotify playlists. He estimates he has worked on thousands of covers, and his client list includes Cardi B, Yoko Ono, Kodak Black, Jon Bellion and Radamiz.

When you talk to Chulo about his favorite album covers, it’s easy to see what inspires his own work. Below, we take a closer look at the images that have most influenced Chulo’s creative work.
(This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.)

Gorillaz – devil’s days
I purchased this album from FYE. I was a freshman in high school and was going to a new school. That was just my soundtrack. From top to bottom, it was a dark and very melodic soundtrack. I didn’t know anything about Gorillaz other than their hits were always on VH1.
I vividly remember this cover when I was listening to it on my way to school. devil’s days. I just felt like the characters touched my heart. They were really cool and made me feel really cool. This is another great mixed bag album. There’s gospel, there’s hip-hop, there’s soul, there’s electronic. It just runs a wide color gamut. When I think about it, it affects me as a person more than I realize. I am a person with so many different cultures, musical experiences, and perspectives packed into one person.

Jay-Z & Linkin Park – collision course
I was a big fan of Linkin Park even before Jay-Z. I grew up in a super-suburban area of Virginia, and I thought, “What is this?”It’s just a very eclectic cover – very heavy hip-hop [influence with] graffiti. There are a lot of illustrations of hands, and there are also paints, so it feels very vivid. But this was one of the first CDs I ever bought, and I had the deluxe version with the DVD. I was playing with it all the time.
In retrospect, the rise of Linkin Park and Jay-Z was the perfect mashup of anime, black culture, and rebellion. That’s just cool, you know? This jacket in particular is what got me interested in album covers and design. It has meant a lot to me, and it was definitely what led me down this path.

JMSN – Priscilla
I remember discovering this music during my university days. I was planning to go to SCAD at the time, but this photo was too confusing. What is this red box over this woman’s face? And I just heard that music. It’s a very melodic, very dark, spooky R&B album.

Hooray [a cover] I called Chaz French. Happy, albeit belatedly. I used such red to box him and his daughter. The inspiration for that came directly. [JSMN’s] cover. That was very impressive. Color blocking is insane. It’s a bit morbid, but just noticeable.

Anderson .Paak – malibu
Definitely my favorite Anderson .Paak project. I think collage works are also wonderful. It adds a whimsical mystique to it, making it feel like something out of a fairy tale. The cover is by Dewey Sanders. I didn’t know him when this song came out, but as time went on we got to know each other. He’s still killing it with collages. He has put on a lot of art shows, but he did a great job this time. It’s one of my favorites. Top 10.
Have you ever created collage works yourself?
I did it for Kiiara’s single “Messy” a while ago. I created five different sets of music, one for each character in her video, and one for her on top of her car.

How involved was she in it?
She was very involved in terms of feedback. But when I presented the idea, they thought it was ridiculous.
That was early on for me at Atlantic. I usually ask, “What is your inspiration?” First we receive the material from the artist, and then we all figure out how to build it. It doesn’t start until you have the information. Otherwise, it will just be a waste of time. But I had ambition.
What do deadlines usually look like?
they’re pretty open. In some cases, it may be urgent and may take 3 to 5 days. But in the life of a marketing agency, it was the same day. Some people might say, “Okay, I need this in three hours.”and [I’m] like, Yo, what?
Very comfortable. It can take weeks or months, as you need to plan the photo shoot, create mood boards, and make sure you hire the right creatives. Or maybe that’s something I’m working on myself. There are a lot of variables, but they give us lead time.

Sylvain Lacue – I apologize in advance
It was my first time working with Sylvain. I’ve been a fan of his projects for some time and we’ve always kept in touch. “Let me work on your next project.” I scolded him as often as I could. And finally, one day he hit me and said, “I think it’s time.”
Have you always been a fan?
oh yeah. He told me the concept and it was going to be like an AA meeting.so i made this Apologies in advance Logo—the product was incredible. And in this project, he talks about this as a young man in his 20s, full of doubts and confusion. As such, mental health is also touched upon, with interludes that talk about situations we can all relate to.
It’s a very soothing album for those who listen to it. It makes you feel like you’re not necessarily alone, even in confusing situations. So it made a lot of sense to me and it came out very nicely. I printed the banner the same week, so it wasn’t Photoshop, it was a working design.
Do you like to do things with more graphic components or do you prefer photo shoots with artists?
Practical design is always the key. It feels more honest when you have a good setup, have a set designer, have them build things, and shoot the shots. Overly elaborate or graphic-heavy things can be great, but they can also be inappropriate when it comes to getting your message across. I think the cover with as few text as possible and the powerful image will surpass everything else.

Kanye West – 808 and broken heart
That’s where I first learned about Kaws. His work is generally amazing and Kaws is one of my favorite artists. He’s very trendy and very Hypebeast-y, but at the end of the day, I like what I like. Who cares!

But the color bar on the side of this album cover spoke to me. I referenced it on his GoldLink album that I produced. and after that we didn’t talk.On the side of the album there is a color bar with this language made of circles with small dots…in a similar way [these colors] Left side of Kanye’s album.

Kendrick Lamar – pimp butterfly
Incredible cover. I mean, black people in front of the White House, who would have thought?
This is definitely an exciting time in history, where barriers are being broken down, but at the same time people are being hurt. But everyone still has hope and we are trying to grow.I feel like this cover truly embodies where everyone was. [in 2015]. And even his one kind threw people away. Something like “Do you love yourself?” Why is this the project’s first single?
But it’s coming together. This image tells me a lot.No matter how difficult it is, it’s okay to be yourself [or] Ghetto, or whatever you want to talk about. Our differences are what make us great. Imagine everyone is the same. I’m going to cut off my fingers just to do something different.

Radamizu – If nothing changes, nothing will change
A work by Sam Lindenfeld. Great illustrator.
I had never heard of Radamis until I came across this cover.This is a beautiful project and sonically one of my favorites of hers [and] Visually too. It truly feels like family. He’s hidden in a corner and I can barely see his face. What is this story? That’s what it feels like. The mystery above the art fascinated me and drew me in. If I’m feeling down or confused or have too much going on, I listen to this album to reset.

Solange – table seat
An incredible sounding album, [with] One of the best tracklists. I’ve reviewed it hundreds of times. It’s very vague, but it works because it’s balanced. Lines guide the eye where you need it. It’s very delicate, so it’s reassuring to look at it. This is something I always refer to and it’s perfect.
How do you browse?
The type, layout, organization and design of the publication. I’ve never sampled it or tried to do anything like that, but it certainly inspired me to think less linearly, if that makes sense. received. The cover is linear, but not at the same time. Some records are flipped vertically and some records are flipped horizontally, but these lines are not vertical and the balance is perfect.

NoMBe – they might have loved me
This cover left a very strong impression on me. All these bodies overlap and look very peaceful. There’s one guy and a few girls, so I think it’s like a past relationship, just because we’re all in the same place. It’s a little crazy, but it works. The type on the top right just repeats downwards in a spiral, but I like that it’s there like a stamp. I also keep this in mind. Very well made.
It really feels handmade. Have you ever felt the need to do so? Where do you actually draw a little bit or do something with your hands?
Yes, certainly. Draw, scan, rip, rescan, paint, everything. You need to stand out and do something different at the same time.
I’ve done a lot of covers. If I had to count, it would be hundreds, maybe a thousand? Probably in the 1000s. But it’s very important to me just that it always has to be different. I feel like my popularity has increased a little, but not at the same time. Because you can’t pinpoint me to anything specific.