Art Collection in the World of Hip Hop
Reading Dianne
Sachko Macleod’s arguments in “The ‘Identity’ of the Pre-Raphaelite Patrons”
from Reframing the Pre-Raphaelites
(Harding, ed., 1995) led me to think about the art collectors of today and
their motivations for accumulating works of art. One of my favorite examples of
present-day art collecting comes from one of my favorite genres of music: hip-hop.
In recent years, a number of rappers have started to name-drop visual artists,
such as Basquiat and Warhol, in their lyrics. In particular, hearing Jay Z’s interest
in the art world as exemplified by his track “Picasso Baby” brought my focus to
the unique role that fine art collection plays in the world of hip hop.
Given the number
of artists and museums mentioned in the song, “Picasso Baby” effectively acts
as Jay Z’s ode to the art world. Among the shout-outs to Hublot watches and
Lamborghinis, the lyrics reference an assortment of work by famous artists,
including Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Jeff Koons, and Francis Bacon. Jay Z even
refers to his house as “like the Louvre or the Tate
Modern” and goes on to almost casually mention his “yellow Basquiat in [the]
kitchen corner.”
Jay Z receives plaque for his
album Magna Carta Holy Grail in front
of his Basquiat painting
Source:
http://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/thedrop.fm/files/2013/07/JayZ_MCHG_Instagram.jpg
The decision to include fine art in rap lyrics
can be examined through the lenses of Marxism and Freudianism outlined by
Macleod. Very specific allusions to museums and artists function as the
displays of wealth and high class that are represented by the diamond chains
and expensive clothes and cars in typical rap lyrics and contexts. At the same
time, in interviews Jay Z has reflected on his background and losses he
experienced at a young age as inspiration for his music, a concept that could
be interpreted in a Freudian way to explain his methods of art collecting as
compensation for this earlier loss.
While some of descriptions
offered by Macleod might apply to this modern-day sphere, differences between
Victorian era art collectors and hip-hop investors exist as well. A primary
difference between Jay Z and the Victorian collectors might be that, as a
rapper, Jay Z makes a living in a creative atmosphere whereas many of the
Victorian era collectors came from industrial or less-artistic ventures. Given
that both visual arts and music are creative forms, there is an artistic
attachment between these expressive media. One specific example can be seen in
Jay Z’s interest in artists such as Basquiat who come from similar urban
backdrops that gave birth to hip hop and offer an empathetic source of
inspiration in their visual works. The “Picasso Baby” video is a piece of art
in and of itself. Inspired by the performance art of Marina Abramović,
the video shows Jay Z rapping the song for six hours at the Pace Gallery in New
York City. I think it demonstrates that these rapper-collectors also have a
genuine interest in art, not only in its meanings and its creation, but also
how it can be carried over and incorporated into the musical realm. Therefore,
for art collectors of the hip-hop world, the interest in fine art lies not only
in a desire for luxury, but also need for inspiration from other artistic
forms.
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ReplyDeleteThe discussion centered around hip-hop artists implementing various artworks into their lyrics is certainly thought-provoking. I completely agree with the claim that artwork acts as a vehicle for the display of wealth in recent lyrical compositions. Aside from Jay-Z, another rapper that comes to mind is Kanye West, who also (although not as often) "name-drops" certain painters and paintings in his compositions, as noted in West's collaborative work, "Mercy", "Now the whole party is melted like Dalí", or "Flashing Lights", "I'm just saying, Hey Mona Lisa, / come home you know you can't Rome without Caesar". Along with paintings, West includes a multitude of objects, cars, and (predominantly) fashion labels, placing artwork in the spectrum of displays of wealth. The artist's emphasis on fashion labels is relevant in his lyrics due to his strong interest in designing apparel. West's incorporation of labels not only displays his wealth, but also reflects an alternative outlet of creativity, which maintains the aforementioned claim in the post regarding Jay-Z's incorporation of artwork into his music and the rapper's interest in its inspirational value and creative release.
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