The hip-hop community is grieving the passing of Damien “ELove” Matthias, the man whose silhouette became one of the most recognizable images in rap history — Public Enemy’s iconic crosshairs logo.
Public Enemy confirmed the news on Friday with a tribute posted to Facebook, writing: “REST IN POWER TO OUR BROTHER, @ELOVEGLOBAL The man in the logo drawn by @MrChuckD almost 4 decades ago. Animation by @madina_corp”.
For years, the instantly familiar figure in Public Enemy’s logo has often been mistaken for a police officer because of the hat. In reality, the silhouette was inspired by a photo of ELove standing beside LL Cool J, later reworked by Chuck D — who studied graphic design — when he hand-drew the logo in the mid-1980s.
Framed inside gun-sight crosshairs, the image came to represent Public Enemy’s political message and the lived realities of state violence confronting Black Americans. Chuck D has described the figure as symbolizing “the black man in America,” reinforcing the group’s reputation as cultural truth-tellers and a “black CNN” for stories overlooked by mainstream media.
ELove’s legacy stretched far beyond being the face of a logo. He was a multi-platinum writer, producer, and director whose work helped sell more than 35 million records worldwide.
He was especially known for his deep connection to Def Jam Records and his role in helping launch LL Cool J’s career as one of the label’s earliest stars. ELove co-produced LL’s influential debut album Radio and later played a key role in the rapper’s crossover success through performances and appearances on major platforms like Soul Train, BET programs, and award shows. He also co-produced the video for LL’s classic “I’m Goin’ Back to Cali” alongside Def Jam co-founder Rick Rubin.
His influence also reached the next generation of artists. ELove is credited with helping pave the way for acts like Tupac Shakur and John Forte of the Fugees, while also contributing to Def Jam’s early growth through street-level promotion that helped turn the label into a cultural force.
In 1989, ELove survived a near-fatal shooting in Queens and later reinvented himself through film and production work — a transformation that reflected hip-hop’s own evolution from a grassroots movement into a global industry.
