Jay-Z sends extraordinary painting to Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Jay-Z isn’t your CLEVELAND — typical music artist or mogul. So it makes sense the legendary rapper would come up with something unique for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 2021 Inductee Exhibit.
Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter will be inducted into the Rock Hall alongside The Go-Go’s, Tina Turner, Carole King, Foo Fighters and Todd Rundgren, as well as specialty award recipients Kraftwerk, Charley Patton, Gil Scott-Heron, LL Cool J, Billy Preston, Randy Rhoads and Clarence Avant on Oct. 30 in Cleveland.
The annual Inductee Exhibit, showcasing artifacts from each artist’s career opens Oct. 24. It will feature everything from instruments to outfits. But there’s just one item representing JayZ. And it’s a big one.
Rather than donate artifacts from his storied career, the rap icon loaned a 72-inch by 96-inch oil portrait he purchased from New Orleans artist Jerin “Jerk” Beasley titled “Tree of Life.” The move is similar to what Trent Reznor did for the 2020 Inductee Exhibit. The Nine Inch Nails frontman designed an installation recreating the band’s legendary Woodstock ’94 performance.
“We sent photos of what we’ve done in the past and Jay-Z’s team shared what his interpretation was of his success and what it means to him,” says Nwaka Onwusa, vice president and chief curator at Rock Hall. “It’s so in line with who he is now, and his fans will appreciate and understand that. Music is art and art is music in a way. You don’t get to Jean-Michel Basquiat without talking about Charlie Parker, for instance.”
You can check out a video of Beasley creating “Tree of Life” below. Fans wanting to see the Inductee Exhibit can attend the Rock Hall’s Celebration Day on Oct. 24. Admission to the museum for the day is free to all Ohio residents. You can reserve your spot on Rock Hall’s website.