Brooklyn’s limited-edition Jay-Z library cards spark surge in membership
Forget new lines of sneakers or T-shirts: the most sought-after merchandise this month can be found in public libraries in Brooklyn.
In collaboration with Roc Nation, an entertainment company founded by Jay-Z, the Brooklyn Public Library is celebrating the 50th anniversary of hiphop by issuing limited-edition library cards featuring the rapper, who was born in the New York borough.
The cards have increased membership by 14,000 accounts this month, the library said.
New and existing members can collect 13 cards, which feature artwork from Jay-Z’s 13 solo albums. Library branches are issuing different cards, as a way to encourage patrons to visit libraries across the borough.
The library is also showcasing an exhibit on Jay-Z, at its central library in Grand Army Plaza, its facade covered in Jay-Z lyrics. The temporary exhibit, The Book of HOV, dives into the life and career of a rapper born and raised in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood.
“The community’s enthusiastic response to this exhibition is a testament to Jay-Z’s immense impact,” Linda E Johnson, president and chief executive of the Brooklyn Public Library, told CNN.
Membership is “free for anyone who lives, works, pays property taxes or goes to school in New York state”, according to the library website.
The increase in members is good news for the library which, along with the systems that cover the four other New York City boroughs, was set to see $36m in cuts in new budgets until advocates fought off the threat.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is also using membership cards to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. A collaboration with Universal Music Enterprises has seen the MTA release limited-edition MetroCards featuring LL Cool J, Pop Smoke, Rakim and Cam’ron, all New-York-born.
“When I first started in hip-hop, we were using tokens, and then in the 90s the MetroCard came out,” LL Cool J said in a statement. “And through the pandemic, I remember riding the subway anonymously by myself.
“Now in 2023, I have my own limited-edition MetroCards. This is a beautiful full-circle moment. Hip-hop is amazing!”