Timeline: Jay-Z's Obsession With Art
By Insanul Ahmed, Andre Grant, Julian Pereira | Aug 11, 2011 | 12:54 pm | Permalink
While listening to Jay-Z and Kanye West’s new album Watch The Throne, we couldn’t help but notice that Jay-Z made a number of references to famous artists including Pablo Picasso, Mark Rothko, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. However, this should come as no surprise. After all, Jay has made fine art into a hobby of his in recent years.
In fact, not only has Jigga name-dropped famous modern and contemporary artists on his songs, but he’s also had them design his album art, featured their work in his music videos, and talked about his ever growing art collection in interviews. That’s why we put together Timeline: Jay-Z’s Obsession With Art detailing Hov’s growing tastes in high-brow culture.
Written by Insanul Ahmed (@Incilin), Julian Pereira (@Broadway_Jay), & Andre Grant (@DreJones).
David R Rosario August 11th, 2011 at 04:21 PM
.
Julian Williams August 11th, 2011 at 04:49 PM
Just goes to show how well-rounded JayZ is!!! I heard an interview one time on a public radio show, and his genius was highlighted in the things he talked about.
MikeySwag August 11th, 2011 at 10:18 PM
Jay-z is referring to splattering the walls, paintings, warhols.. that's the type of war that would call for warhols. "If the war calls for warhols, I hope you have enough space your hall's walls.I make N*s murals then escape the bureaus. "
NeonDion August 12th, 2011 at 02:01 AM
"If the war calls for Warhols". I always thought he was referencing Sun Tzu's "Art of War" and obviously Andy Warhol in that line. @DionNeon
rapheal August 12th, 2011 at 03:06 PM
drive out to pittsburgh and go to the Warhol museum. hang out in the galleries in chelsea... hit up the met, Moma, Gugenhiem. Find all the pop up galleries that randomly open here in manhattan... then people will understand.
Jasper's Johns August 12th, 2011 at 04:42 PM
Are you guys kidding me with this? This article is an embarrassment. Did you do any art-related research before you decided to publish this? How can you seriously call yourself journalists? It's great that Jay Z is providing a conduit for contemporary art into mainstream culture and everything, but there is nothing revolutionary about the repeated references to Picasso/Warhol/Hirst. Collecting these artists is for high net worth individuals akin to walking into McDonald's and ordering a Big Mac. It involves little to no educated and original thought, it merely satiates an appetite for social cache. Hova is great and all, but let's not forget these works are being chosen FOR him by high level art advisors and dealers…you know those fools who wasted their time earning a “stupid” degree in art history so they could broker million dollar sales of contemporary art in a highly volatile market. Losers! Furthermore, your timely "article" on Jay-Z with regard to his forthcoming album, seems to be little more than empty, aggrandizing fodder, which leads me to believe that you guys are more interested in Sniffing his throne as opposed to Watching it. For, as great a rapper as Jay-Z can be at times, the allusion to renowned artists in almost all of these lyrics are superficial and highly nonsensical, doing little more than fitting the rhyme scheme or meter of the particular verse they belong to.
bsm1017 August 15th, 2011 at 04:22 PM
illuminati
markusp August 16th, 2011 at 04:17 PM
i love u complex but @Jasper's Johns just put u in ur place. u even got an artists name wrong. its michel not michael. francais.
Jo September 13th, 2011 at 09:08 PM
The writer must not have known what a Picasso is. Piccaso is a luxury brand of Yachts. It was a double entendre.
?YuallaintreadY? October 15th, 2011 at 12:48 AM
DAM...JASPER'S JOHNS, YOU SHOULD WRITE A BOOK...