JAY-Z TAKES OVER THE BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY
Source: Billboard
Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter has made influential moves in the entertainment industry since the 80s. From being a hustler on the streets, to being one of the greatest rappers in hip hop, he's been making his mark to pave the way for other rappers. On July 14th, the Brooklyn Public Library and Roc Nation surprised Jay-Z with an 40,000 square foot exhibition to celebrate his musical career. The exhibit is known for The Book of HOV, after his nickname, Hova.
This exhibition consists of all of his music and work with the combination of art and visuals. There are a total of seven zones dedicated to each era of Jay-Z's career. One of his zones is called Already A Work Of Art, which consist of objects based on his career. For instance, there's a custom jacket based his book, Decoded. There are also a number of recordings and never before seen images that shares his experiences of every era of his career.
Another special zone of the exhibition is the conclusion. The conclusion involves a bright blue tunnel, which represents a reflection of his dedications to his manifestations. This involves sound clips of him when he was younger, wanting to publish his own work and mastering his records. This is a manifestation of his younger self presenting himself in the future.
Source: NBC News
With this amount of creativity and reflection of his career, a number of attendees came in honor of Jay-Z. Of course, his wife of 15 years, and one of the greatest entertainers of our time, Beyonce attended this event, alongside their oldest child, Blue Ivy. Other celebrities such as DJ Khaled, Alicia Keys, Babyface, Charlemagne tha God, Jayson Tatum, and his mother, Gloria Carter attended this event as well.
This exhibition being in Jay-Z's hometown is not only an example of never forgetting where you come from, but it's also a free entrance exhibition that will inspire people in the arts. There are some items that will be auctioned such as albums, custom cards, special boxed set all autographed by Jay-Z. Jay Brown, who is the Co-Founder and Vice Chairman of Roc Nation shares, "“It’s an absolute honor to bring this exhibit to life and highlight Jay’s unprecedented impact on music, culture, business, philanthropy and society. He leveraged his artistic genius to ascend heights that were previously unimaginable. The exhibit is a testament to JAY-Z setting a blueprint for the leaders of tomorrow to follow.”
As The Book of HOV continues to show the work of Jay-Z, this should be an inspiration for other artists in music. This career spanning showcase is evidence that Jay-Z aka Hova has no limits to what he does and how he does it. If anything, The Book of HOV is a well deserved presentation not just for Jay-Z, but for other artists to be inspired and driven to greatness in their creative work.