Attention all NYC area hip-hop fans: you’re about to get blessed with some must-see genre-inspired art.
Commissioned by Spotify, the first ever “RapCaviar Pantheon,” includes life-size stone statues of 21 Savage, Metro Boomin and SZA, all which will be on display at the Brooklyn Museum in NYC.
RapCaviar has been said to be "the most influential playlist in music," with it’s 8.5 million followers worldwide.
Each artist in the Pantheon was anointed with a title that reflects their unique impact on the genre: 21 Savage as The Warrior, SZA as The Mold Breaker and Metro Boomin as The Architect.
The project draws on historic Roman sculptural tradition both in its name and aesthetic. The Pantheon, of course, is a former Ancient Roman temple, whose name literally translates to "temple of every god."
Spotify’s global head of Hip Hop, Tuma Basa, toldVariety, "Pantheon is our way of non-verbally communicating the breakthrough artists of 2017." Basa goes on to say "We’re treating our artists with the importance that Ancient Rome treated its gods. Metro, SZA and 21 all proved this year that they’re here to stay. Their music is forever so why not immortalize their likeness? Greco-Roman Respect Style!”
The statues were created by communications and art company, SpecialGuest, using robots. (Ok, so that part’s not so Roman.) Photographs of the artists were first analyzed by computers and then translated into stone relief. Each of the statues features unique details that pay tribute to the artists’ personas. The installation also includes an accompanying video component made by Director X and narrated by Pharrell, which you can watch up top.
The RapCaviar campaign will be unveiled at a limited-attendance event tonight and will be open to the public at Brooklyn Museum beginning December 8.
