Art and Hip-Hop

Article by Vanessa Silvera

Vanessa Silvera discusses the surprising prevalence of visual art references in hip-hop music videos, fruitful collaborations between hip-hop and contemporary artists, and its arrival in the global art marketplace

In 2018, when power couple Jay-Z and Beyoncé dropped their new single from their joint album Everything is Love, their fans went ‘apesh*t.’ Not only did the song slap, but the accompanying music video, staged at the Louvre, also received a lot of attention. The six-minute long video opens with a crouching man with wings resembling a fallen-angel figure and close-up shots of a few artworks. The museum halls are vacant except for the singers and dancers, who are clothed in skin-colored garments and moving in sync to the rhythm. They pose with some of the most iconic paintings and sculptures produced by Western civilization, including: Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa (c. 1503-19), Jacques-Louis David’s The Coronation of Napoleon (1807), and classical sculptures Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. 

‘Apesh*t’ makes clear visual indicators to wealth, status, history, and Decoloniality. While the exact figure is unknown, the reported cost to film at the most famous museum in the world is about 17,500 USD (13,700 GBP). The Carters are not shy to flex their wealth, but express humility at the privilege of filming at the Louvre. One of their lyrics say: “This is what we’re thankful for, I can’t believe we made it, Have you ever seen the crowd goin’ apesh*t?” Moreover, the significance of having bodies of color in a traditionally white-dominated space cannot be understated. Alexandra Thomas, an art historian who specializes in performance and embodiment of black women, asserts production’s decision to set the video at the Louvre is “an embodied intervention of Western art.” By inserting themselves in the locale, they are in effect, inserting themselves into a narrative by which Black people have been historically excluded from. At the end of the video, the couple is shown facing the Mona Lisa, reinforcing their agency as both consumers and creators. 

This was not the first time Jay-Z explored his interest in the visual arts through his music. In 2013, he collaborated with Serbian artist Marina Abramovic to create a performance art film for his song ‘Picasso, Baby.’ Borrowing the concept Abramovic used for her 2010 performance ‘The Artist is Present’, Jay-Z performs in front of a live audience for six hours at the Pace Gallery, New York. In attendance were acclaimed figures from the arts industry including director Judd Apatow, rapper Wale, artist Laurie Simmons, and Abramovic herself. Onlookers were permitted to record on their mobile devices while Jay-Z and Abramovic locked eyes and circled around each other on the main stage area. The Magna Carta Holy Grail track included references to Picasso, Mark Rothko, Jeff Koons, Francis Bacon, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol and the Mona Lisa. More significantly, it was filmed in the context of the gallery space, positioning the concert as a performance piece. However, once filmed, the work evolves into a music video, blurring distinctions between art, performance, music, and film. Both ‘Apesh*t’ and ‘Picasso, Baby’ were nominated for the category Best Music Video at the 61st and 56th Grammy Awards respectively. Later in an interview, Abramovic claimed that Jay-Z never honored his promise to donate to the Marina Abramovic Institute in exchange for the rights to her concept and participation in the video. It turned out to be a miscommunication and the Institute issued an apology to both artists for not informing Abramovic of the donation, but it is safe to assume that the possibility of a future collaboration is highly unlikely. 

In addition to the Carters, other hip-hop artists have drawn inspiration from the art world. For instance, Drake’s ‘Hotline Bling’ music video was heavily influenced by the immersive light installations of contemporary artist James Turrell. In anticipation to its release, Drake promoted his new video via Instagram by posting pictures of himself in Turrell’s rooms at LACMA. Interestingly, in what many had assumed was a collaborative project, Turrell never sanctioned the use of his art, leading to allegations of plagiarism. When asked for a comment, not only did Turrell not mind that Drake used his work, but was ‘truly flattered.’ The song was a massive hit: topping charts worldwide, inspiring vines (back when that was still a thing), and many, many memes. The video and the future interventions made by audiences have transformed Drake’s work into a multimedia phenomenon. 

Another example is the career of rapper, fashion designer, and cultural icon Kanye West. No stranger to controversy, Kanye once again made headlines in 2015 when the School of the Art Institute of Chicago gifted him with an Honorary Doctorate degree for his “transformative, genre-defying work.” Although Kanye is primarily known as a recording artist and producer, he has also made numerous contributions to ventures besides music. He spearheaded his own fashion label, Yeezy, has written and directed a few short films, such as Runaway (2010) and Cruel Summer (2012), and has plans to start an architecture firm. As a producer, he pays meticulous attention to detail in all areas of his work, particularly his album art. West likes to collaborate with renowned artists to design the covers of his albums: Takashi Murakami designed Graduation (2007) KAWS 808s & Heartbreak (2008), and George Condo My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). In his acceptance speech, West reiterates his refusal to be locked into a single category: “I am a pop artist. So my medium is public opinion and the world is my canvas.” 

Earlier this September, Sotheby’s held a virtual sale dedicated to Hip Hop and its cultural legacy, the first of its kind to be presented at a preeminent international auction house. Over 120 lots of art and memorabilia from the late 1970s to today were up for auction, the majority of which have been consigned by the artists or their estates. Among the items were love letters authored by Tupac Shakur (Lot 89), Salt-N-Pepa’s ‘Push-It’ jackets (Lot 36), and the crown famously worn by the Notorious B.I.G. when photographed as the King of New York (Lot 87). The auction was wildly successful: Biggie’s crown, with an estimated value of between $200,000 and $300,000 USD, fetched a whopping $594,750 USD; nearly double its high-end estimate. Its organizers Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s Vice President and Senior Specialist, and Monica Lynch, former president of Tommy Boy Records, whose aim was not to elevate hip-hop, but recognize the massive cultural impact it has had globally for decades. Part of the sale’s proceeds will be donated to New York City public libraries and Building Beats, a non-profit that teaches business and leadership skills to kids from underserved communities through music programs. Despite this, the event came under attack by critics for its hypocrisy. The same establishment that rejected and marginalized the movement’s creators and their forms of artistic expression, like graffiti, were now profiting off it. Now that hip-hop has become mainstream and profitable, top institutions are suddenly interested. Regardless, it seems hip-hop is here to stay for the foreseeable future and will continue to push boundaries into the world of art, pop culture, and beyond.