By Shakeem Cota · COTAVATION LLC
COTAVATION LLC · AN ANNUAL EDITORIAL PUBLICATION · ISSUE 2026
A year of creating.
Seeds for what comes next.
Every finished work has a beginning that an audience rarely sees: a conversation, a rehearsal, a photograph, an idea someone decides to follow. THE MAKING OF: 2026 gathers those beginnings and the work that grows from them.
Published by COTAVATION LLC, this annual collection follows the creative journeys of our clients and collaborators through photography, production archives, personal reflections, and conversations. Together, their chapters form a record of a year spent making—and of the possibilities still taking root.
Inside the 2026 collection
Seven creative perspectives. One connected publication. Each chapter will bring together the person, the project, and the process behind the work.
01 / DXRIC
From an idea to an artist’s visual world. A planned profile drawing on cover-art materials and behind-the-scenes documentation, including the “Know My Name” project archive.
02 / Melissa “Lola” Youngblood
A life brought to the stage. The story behind LOLA — Here She Is!, the performers who shared the stage, and the company that helped bring a personal musical journey to an audience.
Read the published LOLA spotlight →
Explore the production → · Meet the cast and creative team →
03 / Keierica
Building the image around the music. A planned chapter exploring artist imagery, photography, and campaign development, informed by the Keierica project archives.
04 / King Cooley
The work of remaining. A documentary profile in development, drawing on album-release materials, performance archives, and photography. The chapter will explore artistic development and the relationship between creativity, resilience, and personal experience through verified sources and a consent-based interview.
05 / Tiffany Evans
Performance, image, and the creative team. A planned profile tracing the collaboration behind the work, with project selections and chronology to be confirmed from the archive.
06 / GoToWrites
The writer behind the work. A planned chapter on songwriting and creative collaboration, developed through selected projects, firsthand reflections, and verified credits.
07 / Chan LaRue
A creative voice in motion. A planned profile documenting the artist’s work and collaboration with COTAVATION. Source materials and project scope are being assembled.
The collection has room to grow. Additional creatives may join the 2026 issue as their stories and archives are developed.
How each chapter unfolds
The person: an introduction and creative biography.
The work: project history and a verified chronological timeline.
The process: rehearsals, production photography, video, and decisions behind the finished piece.
The turning points: challenges and breakthroughs, told through documented experience and approved reflections.
Through Our Lens: a clearly attributed COTAVATION perspective on the collaboration.
The company: creative credits, captions, and photography acknowledgments.
What comes next: a closing dedication and encouragement grounded in the creative’s own story.
A record worth keeping
The publication brings a consistent editorial approach to every chapter: documentary photographs, generous space, clear section headings, readable text, and visible credits. Behind-the-scenes materials belong alongside the finished work because they help preserve how it came to be.
Publisher: COTAVATION LLC
Publication: THE MAKING OF: 2026
Working theme: A year of creating. Seeds for what comes next.
Editorial review draft. Profile descriptions identify planned coverage; interviews, archival selections, dates, rights, and final chapter links require review before publication.
