16/07/2023
Did Jay-Z take over the Brooklyn Public Library?
Earlier this week, when lyrics from Jay-Z songs like “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” and “Justify My Thug” appeared on the Art-Deco-style limestone facade of the Brooklyn Public Library’s main branch, fans and passers-by could only speculate on the occasion for the building’s sudden makeover. A surprise concert for the rapper’s home borough? A tribute to the 50th anniversary of hip-hop this summer?
The answer, it turned out, was neither — and also a secret even from the man himself.
When Jay-Z entered the library for a private event on Thursday, surrounded by an inner circle of family, friends and business associates, he was greeted by his band playing instrumental versions of his hits out front, and a career-spanning archival exhibition that he never asked for inside. The exhibition, called “The Book of Hov,” features artwork, music, memorabilia, ephemera and large-scale recreations of touchstones from a sprawling career. It was conceived by Jay-Z’s team as a surprise tribute and will run through the summer.
Read more about how the Jay-Z retrospective took over the Brooklyn Public Library at the link in our bio. Photos by and for
