From last summer’s exhibitions, such as ‘The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century’ at the Baltimore Museum of Art and ‘The Book of HOV’ at Brooklyn Public Library, to the tome-worthy coverage of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary in The New York Times and its ilk, it’s clear that the siren call of the genre is as powerful as ever. With industry crossovers to art collecting so prevalent, it’s the musicians themselves who are defining eminence in the art market.
The art advisor Maria Brito, who has guided several music stars with their acquisitions, draws a clean link from the visionary mindset of hip-hop artists to the visual artists they support. ‘Collectors, regardless of what they do, are always looking for things that move them,’ Brito explains. ‘Usually, those things have a connection to who they are. Basquiat had so much to do with hip-hop because he was painting at a time when the genre was taking shape and became a cultural movement. Graffiti was one of the pillars of hip-hop, so many musicians gravitate toward Basquiat. But it’s erroneous to think that a doctor or a lawyer wouldn’t buy a Basquiat because they aren’t musicians.’
Intent is a primary concern for Naïla Opiangah, a Gabonese painter who met Chance the Rapper in Ghana when he purchased one of her paintings. The mutual recognition of similar ideals as Black artists in different mediums resulted in a collaboration for Chance’s ‘Child of God’ music video, on view last March at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. ‘[Chance] taking space in the art world is a way of opening the door, widening this ecosystem for more people that look like us,’ Opiangah told the museum. She was aware that, as a Black American with a big voice in the world, the rapper’s platform could make him a valuable proponent for artists, but creating a meaningful discourse between the collector, artist, and work was paramount. ‘From his perspective as an independent artist, he had this idea of collectors as people who consume the art but also consume artists.’
Although some work will always be in favor (‘Painting has always been and forever will be the medium that every collector pursues the most,’ Brito says. ‘That hasn’t changed in 700 years.’), within the landscape of the music industry, the conversation can move the needle of cultural zeitgeist. The major influencers – think JAY-Z, Beyoncé, Pharrell, Kasseem ‘Swizz Beatz’ Dean, and Alicia Keys – open doors for an entirely new generation of artists and supporters alike, in both their peers and the public. Beyoncé and JAY-Z are personally invested in the advancement of visual artists and do so whenever they get the opportunity, from commissioning a viral maternity photo from Awol Erizku to an ex libris bookplate from the painter Robert Pruitt for their personal library.
‘You can’t tell Brooklyn’s history without telling the story of JAY-Z,’ says Fritzi Bodenheimer, a Brooklyn Public Library spokesperson. ‘His extraordinary journey from the Marcy Projects to the world stage serves as an inspiration for people of every generation. We were delighted to work with Roc Nation to host the exhibition “The Book of HOV” in a free, no-barrier space that is open to all who are curious.’ ‘The Book of HOV’, where fans viewed works like that bookplate and the original 2009 Nicole Yeoman and Dan Tobin Smith sculpture – created, conceived, and photographed for the cover of JAY-Z’s album Blueprint 3 – brought 39,000 people in the first week, almost five times the average number of visitors. For a man who cheerfully tells us, ‘I’m the modern-day Pablo Picasso, baby,’ we would expect no less.
This article was originally published in the Art Basel Miami Beach magazine 2023.
Published November 30, 2023.
Caption for full-bleed image: Installation view, The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century. Courtesy of The Baltimore Museum of Art.