Image via Complex Original
Jay-Z plans to drop his new album Magna Carta Holy Grail on July 4th, which he describes as a "duality." The title plays on this theme, pairing a historical document with a biblical story. I too have always been a fan of combining what seems irrelevant but actually makes an awesome pair. That's why I came up with Beyonce Art History, a blog that pairs Beyonce lyrics with works of art.
This time, I decided to let Queen Bey's husband get in on the game with a set of memes. Find out How To Sound Like an Art History Expert (With Jay-Z Lyrics).
Written by Leigh Silver (leigh_silver).
RELATED: The 100 Best Jay-Z Songs
RELATED: The 100 Best Jay-Z Songs
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I Just Wanna Love You
"I Just Wanna Love You" meets Bacchus by Caravaggio (c. 1595)
Lyric "I'm a hustler baby/I just want you to know"
Bacchus, the god of wine and ecstasy, probably was a pretty big hustler.
art via
Otis
"Otis" meets In The Car by Roy Lichtenstein (1963)
Lyric "I invented swag/Poppin' bottles puttin' supermodels in the cab"
With a fur coat and fast car, this Lichtenstein couple has plenty of swag.
December 4th
"December 4th" meets Black on Marroon by Mark Rothko (1959)
Lyric "Maybe you'll love me when I fade to black"
We do love this Rothko color field painting.
Empire State of Mind
"Empire State of Mind" meets New York by Fernand Leger (c. 1940)
Lyric "Now you're in New York/These streets will make you feel brand new"
This probably wasn't the cityscape Jay-Z had in mind when he wrote "Empire State of Mind"
Can I Live
"Can I Live" meets Tartines by Claes Oldenburg (1694)
Lyric "My shit is butter for the bread they wanna toast me"
It's not real toast, but Jay-Z's lyrics make this combination delicious.
art via
Takeover
"Takeover" meets Group of Dancers by Edgar Degas ()c. 1900
Lyric "When I was pushing weight, back in '88/You was a ballerina, I got pictures, I seen ya"
Although Jay-Z meant "ballerina" as an insult, Degas would most definately disagree.
Public Service Announcement
"Public Service Announcement" meets Portrait of a Woman Wearing a Gold Chain by Rembrandt van Rijn (1634)
Brooklyn We Go Hard
"Brookyln (Go Hard)" meets Henry VIII by Hans Holbein the Younger (1540)
Lyric "I pity the fool with jewels like Mr. T/With no history"
King Henry has jewels and history.
Run This Town
"Run This Town" meets Black on Black by Ellsworth Kelly (1951)
Lyric "Black cards, black cars, all black everything"
We feel like Kelly would agree with Jay-Z's sentiment.
Money Cash Hoes
"Money, Cash, Hoes" meets The Turkish Bath by Ingres (1862)
Lyric "Money, cash, hoes"
This painting has one out of three.
art via
