Happy belated birthday, Jay-Z, who turned 55 on Wednesday.
The gift, though, is all ours. Marking the big day of the big man they call, amongst other things, the greatest rapper of all time, music’s wealthiest star and, simply, Hova (a play on Jay-Hova, as in Jehovah) is the publication of The Book of HOV: A Tribute to Jay-Z.
The luscious, coffee table-crushing tome from Paris luxury house Assouline is a companion to Brooklyn Public Library's immersive exhibition of the same name. Running from July to December 2023, the 360° homage to a local hero saw over 600,000 people visiting the Library, a 74 per cent increase on the previous year.
They learnt about the young Shawn Carter’s childhood in the borough’s Marcy Houses public housing project; about the history of hip-hop; and about the lyricism, progressivism, activism and entrepreneurialism of Brooklyn’s finest.
The book – widely available in Ultimate ($120/€120£/100) and Classic Editions ($2,000/€2,000/£1,600) – goes similarly deep over its eight chapters (the titles taken from Jay’s lyrics), 432 pages and 675-plus images.
Drawing from the prodigious archive of a prodigious talent, there are interviews, essays and iconic images galore: the guitar he played during his Glastonbury 2008 headline show; the floppy disc containing the remixes of ‘Hard Knock Life’; Daniel Arsham’s sculpture HOV Hands, celebrating the musician’s iconic gesture; and countless ineffably cool photographs of the man himself.
Tear up your old Christmas gift list now: for hip-hop fans, for music fans, for culture fans, The Book of HOV: A Tribute to Jay-Z is a must-have.
'Strangers sang together, swapped concert stories and debated their favourite lyrics,' writes Linda E. Johnson, President and CEO of Brooklyn Public Library, in her introduction, recalling the scenes last year.
'As they waited in line, visitors looked up to the Library’s façade and marvelled at the words of a local poet proudly displayed on a public space – words that represented the often overlooked stories of so many in the borough, words that challenged us all to write a better future.'
You know what would also make a better future? A new album. How about it, Hova?
Visit Assouline.com for purchasing details
-
An architect’s own home offers a refined and leafy retreat from its East London surroundingsStudioshaw has completed a courtyard house in amongst a cluster of traditional terraced houses, harnessing the sun and plenty of greenery to bolster privacy and warmth
-
Finlandia Hall bistro blends culinary indulgence with reborn modernismFinlandia Hall bistro opens in Helsinki, adding a foodie dimension to the Finnish modernist architecture marvel by Alvar Aalto
-
Reimagining remembrance: Urn Studios introduces artistic urns to the UKBridging the gap between art and memory, Urn Studios offers contemporary, handcrafted funeral urns designed to be proudly displayed
-
Daniel Arsham’s new monograph collates the works of the auto-obsessed American artist‘Arsham Motorsport’ is two volumes of inspiration, process and work, charting artist Daniel Arsham’s oeuvre inspired by the icons and forms of the automotive industry
-
Era-defining photographer David Bailey guides us through the 1980s in a new tome not short of shoulder pads and lycraFrom Yves Saint Laurent to Princess Diana, London photographer David Bailey dives into his 1980s archive in a new book by Taschen
-
Inside Joan Didion’s unseen diary of personal relationships and post-therapy notesA newly discovered diary by Joan Didion is soon to be published. Titled 'Notes to John', the journal documents her relationship with her daughter, husband, alcoholism, and depression
-
Carsten Höller’s new Book of Games: 336 playful pastimes for the bold and the boredArtist Carsten Höller invites readers to step out of their comfort zone with a series of subversive games
-
Distracting decadence: how Silvio Berlusconi’s legacy shaped Italian TVStefano De Luigi's monograph Televisiva examines how Berlusconi’s empire reshaped Italian TV, and subsequently infiltrated the premiership
-
How a sprawling new book honours the legacy of cult photographer Larry Fink‘Larry Fink: Hands On / A Passionate Life of Looking’ pays homage to an American master. ‘He had this ability to connect,’ says publisher Daniel Power
-
Discover Eve Arnold’s intimate unseen images of Marilyn Monroe‘Marilyn Monroe by Eve Arnold’, published by ACC Art Books, is a personal portrayal of an icon
-
10 books culture editor Hannah Silver recommends this winterLacking inspiration over what to read next? Wallpaper* culture editor, Hannah Silver, shares her favourite books
