Earlier this week, Jay-Z’s lyrical passages from songs like “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” and “Justify My Thug” charted the art deco curves of the Brooklyn Public Library main building. Fans and passers-by could only speculate about the building’s sudden renovation when it emerged with its limestone façade. A surprise concert in the rapper’s hometown district? A tribute to the 50th anniversary of hip-hop this summer?
The answer, it turns out, is neither. And it was a secret even to himself.
A live band plays instrumental versions of his hits in front of Jay-Z on Thursday night as he walks into the library for a private event surrounded by his inner circle of family, friends and business associates. and a career-long archive greeted him. A display he never sought indoors.
Desiree Perez, chief executive of Jay-Z’s entertainment empire Roc Nation, said of her boss’ silencing of such elaborate plans, “I know he wouldn’t let us do this.” said. “If he was involved, this would never have happened.”
Featuring large-scale reproductions of artwork, music, memorabilia, temporary objects, and touchstones from a vast career, “Book of Hob” You might feel more at home at the Brooklyn Museum, a block away, for this summertime exhibition. But by setting up showcases in his eight zones of a functioning library, the architects hoped that the free public haven just a few miles from Marcy House, where Jay-Z grew up, would become a haven of peace. We aim to bring you the luxury of a coveted celebrity.
“Jay belongs to the people,” Perez said. “It’s a nice place. It’s not intimidating. A lot of people go to museums, but a lot of people don’t.”
Only Thursday’s debut was scheduled to be exclusive. After a private tour of his own memories, Jay-Z oozes emptiness when the highly-controlled doors open, and he’s seen everything from mafia emcee to boardroom mogul to social justice stringer. satisfied to leave VIP guests among the many caricatures of
Even his elusive wife Beyoncé became more sociable, at least momentarily, as crowds gathered outside for a glimpse of Jay-Z’s expanded world, including athletes like Jayson Tatum and Robinson Cano. Musicians Lil Uzi Vert, DJ Khaled and Questlove. Director Josh Safdie and businessman Michael Rubin.
By Friday, when the show opens to the public, there will be no hors d’oeuvres or pass drinks (Jay-Z’s brand, of course). But what remains in the pile are statues, sneakers, paintings, platinum plaques, trophies and news clippings related to Jay-Z’s 13 albums and the companies he founded, including Rocawear and Tidal. .
The library initially pitched Jay-Z as the winner of its annual fundraising event. But when its chief executive, Linda E. Johnson (wife of developer Bruce Ratner, another Jay-Z ally) pitched the idea to Roc Nation’s Perez, the two fell in love. turned around.
“I just asked her, ‘How big is the library?'” Perez recalls. “I couldn’t believe it when she said 350,000 square feet.”
Throughout the pandemic, Perez and Roc Nation showcase relics that convey his influence across music, business and broader culture, including a palette’s worth of master recordings that Jay-Z has reclaimed over the years. was planning to do so.
“That archive belongs to Brooklyn,” said Johnson, who oversaw the merger of the Brooklyn Public Library and the Brooklyn Historical Society.
The team will work together to begin planning for “The Book of Hov” in January, with production designers Bruce and Sherry Rogers, Emmy-winning veterans of the Super Bowl halftime show, and creative agency General I asked Idea to conceive and execute an elaborate project. .
It wasn’t just about displaying memorabilia. Beyond the library’s main atrium, beneath a giant Jay-Z collage, is a full-scale replica of the main room of Bassline Recording Studios, where Jay-Z produced some of his most famous songs. It is written. Every detail had to be precise, from the size of the TV to the dum-dum bathtub on the counter.
“They had the wrong sofa and the wrong soundboard,” said Juan Perez, Roc Nation executive and longtime friend of Jay-Z. He designed the original studio and left many notes for recreation.
Another area of the library contains playable turntables and vinyl records representing samples used throughout Jay-Z’s catalog, surrounded by tape reels and floppies containing his original music. Discs and CDs are arranged.
Production designer Bruce Rodgers, currently working on the Super Bowl XVIII halftime show, called the project “probably the most intense installation I’ve ever been involved with,” adding: . But we wanted to make a statement. ’ It involved flying “ninjas” from the West Coast and rappelling down the building to set up the lyrical façade in time.
“People thought I was a little crazy,” said library executive Johnson. “I don’t think it’s fair to say that this is the biggest exhibition we’ve ever held.”
Valuables require extra security, she added, but the Brooklyn Public Library didn’t pay for the production of the show at all. “Roc Nation has done a lot for us financially,” Johnson said. That includes a large donation related to an October gala honoring Jay-Z and his mother Gloria Carter.
Meanwhile, perhaps unwittingly, Jay-Z will also be helping with registration. In addition to the attractions of the exhibition itself, the library is producing 13 limited-edition library card variations of him featuring home-grown stars (one for each album he does).
“I’m worried about the crowds,” Johnson said, expressing anxiety and excitement in equal parts. “You’re going to run out.”
