Color of Sound

Cbabi Bayoc (pronounced “kuh-BOB-ee”) is an internationally recognized visual artist and illustrator based in St. Louis, Missouri, whose work — rooted in bold color, expressive line, and what he calls “phunk” — centers on family, music, and community. Born Clifford Miskell Jr., he crafted both halves of his name as a declaration of identity: Cbabi as an acronym for “Creative Black Artist Battling Ignorance,” and Bayoc for “Blessed African Youth of Creativity.” After honing his craft as a caricature artist, he became a regular illustrator for Rap Pages magazine, and his work soon attracted the attention of some of music’s most celebrated figures.

Bayoc describes his style as improvisational — much like a jazz piece — and his practice spans canvas paintings, community murals, and children’s book illustration, enlivening buildings and neighborhoods across St. Louis and beyond. His most celebrated commission came in 2001 when Prince selected Bayoc’s painting “Reine Keis Quintet” as the cover art for his studio album The Rainbow Children. In 2012, he launched 365 Days with Dad, a yearlong daily painting series creating positive images of Black fatherhood that became a viral phenomenon and one of the most talked-about art projects of its kind. His music-deep sensibility and joyful, kinetic visual language make him a natural fit for the Legacy Audio canvas.