HOV: ‘From Marcy to Madison Square’ Description
“HOV: From Marcy to Madison Square” is my tribute to Shawn Carter a.k.a. Jay-Z, a hip-hop icon who embodies the rags to riches story that is so deeply rooted in the American Dream, in all of its truths and contradictions. He was often called HOV, short for Jay-Hova, a nickname connected to Jehovah, the Hebrew name for God. While he wasn’t actually comparing himself to a God, it was clear that he had been given the gift of music and storytelling from an early age.
Jay-Z’s rise from dealing crack in the Marcy Projects in Brooklyn to his global influence as a hip-hop artist, business mogul, philanthropist, and criminal justice reform advocate are the epitome of what it means to turn one’s pain and circumstance into purpose and success. The hustler mentality that he had to adopt early on in his youth definitely served him well as he broke down cultural, social, and racial barriers in a music industry that treated hip hop as a passing fad when it first emerged.
He created his own label, Roc-A-Fella Records, built his own clothing line, established his own entertainment industry, Roc Nation, launched his own music streaming company, Tidal, and invested in countless other business ventures. All of these accomplishments led him to being the first hip-hop artist to become a billionaire. In Jay-Z’s own words, he really is a “business, man”.
What makes Jay-Z such an icon is not just his mastery of the hip-hop genre but his ability to maintain artistic longevity. His career has spanned over 3 decades, resulting in an impressive 13 albums and countless awards and honours. His ability to narrate stories of Black hardship and poverty while also maintaining an intoxicating beat, catchy lyrics, and memorable hook is part of his musical genius. His musical legacy and artistry is currently being celebrated at the Brooklyn Public Library in a tribute exhibition called “The Book of HOV”.
Through his music, Jay-Z illustrates the idea that two things can be true at once: life can be deceptive and truthful; symbolic and literal, serious and funny. In his book, “Decoded”, Jay-Z explains that great music is not just about the rhythm and melody, but about using words to create multiple layers of meaning. In his words, “great rap should have all kinds of unresolved layers that you don’t necessarily figure out the first time you listen to it… Which is the other reason hip-hop is controversial: People don’t bother trying to get it”. Jay-Z’s music illustrates how life’s truths can be told through the story of the hustler and that the beauty of hip-hop is its ability to be provocative, challenging and raw.
I chose to paint a younger portrait of Jay-Z, with his iconic New York Yankee hat on (“I made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can”) as an homage to the impact of his early career on both music and culture. I painted him looming above the Brooklyn Bridge to symbolize his roots and how they shaped his rise to greatness. The lines from the bridge create movement and vitality in the composition and lead the viewer’s eye to his imposing portrait. His portrait also appears to be suspended by the bridge’s cables and make him look like he is in total control of his environment; which is also ironic given the paranoia that accompanied his hustler beginnings.
I painted one of the artworks from Andy Warhol’s “Rorschach” series behind Jay-Z’s head to reflect Jay-Z’s love of art (he owns one of these original Warhol prints) and because its affluent gold finish is a reminder of his ability to succeed in the face of adversity. The symbol itself, used on the cover of his autobiographical book, “Decoded”, also mirrors the multiple layers of meanings found in Jay-Z’s lyrics. This Rorschach symbol was also used by psychiatrists most famously in the 1960s and patients would have to decipher the meaning of these inkblot images. I wanted to incorporate the “Rorschach” symbol to also experiment with using gold leaf in my artwork for the first time.
The undulating smoky lines and shapes in the moody blue/purple sky reflect the energy emanating from Jay-Z’s personality and music and contrast the golds and yellows in the dominant imagery.
This painting is a celebration of Jay-Z’s legacy thus far and his genius as a poet and lyricist. It is a reminder that you can come from humble beginnings and impossible odds, work hard, and use your God-given talent to achieve greatness. His exploration of themes in his music from racism, drugs, poverty, and materialism to relationships, identity, sex and love are woven beautifully together in a myriad of double entendres, metaphors, and rhymes. I enjoyed painting Jay-Z’s image and delving into the eloquence of his lyrics immensely. Happy 50th anniversary to Hip Hop music and one of the music moguls who shaped the genre.