Jay Z is into art now. When your net-worth is in the 9-figure range, there comes a time when art-collecting is something you should at least try out-- still, the rapper has his share of critics when it comes to his newfound hobby.
Hov has been clowned for his entry-level status as an art appreciator (can you be entry-level and purchasing original Picassos?) by some art world big wigs, and most recently Drake, who criticized Jay for including "at least four art references" in his verses, adding, "the whole Rap/art world thing is getting kind of corny."
Regardless of Jay's respect in the art community, he's definitely making power moves as a collector, and as a result, the Guardian has ranked him as one of "the most powerful people" in the scene.
Even so, the write-up on Jay's recent adoption of the art world was not entirely flattering. Read the excerpt below.
In one video he rapped in front of a Takashi Murakami painting and a sculpture of Tim Noble and Sue Webster (featuring a flashing dollar sign). His Picasso Baby, filmed in Pace Gallery and featuring too many curators and artists to count, was not the art world’s finest seven minutes.
Should Jay be embraced by the artistic community?
Watch the video for "Picasso Baby" below.
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