The Book of HOV: Exhibit Celebrated the Life and Accomplishments of Jay-Z

As the world celebrates 50 years of hip hop, AAE was fortunate to visit The Book of Hov, an exhibition displaying the remarkable journey and impact of Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, the hip-hop legend who has been a successful rapper, producer, entrepreneur and activist. The Book of Hov has been on display at the Brooklyn Library since July, and it ended its run in early December, on Jay-Z's birthday. 

One of Jay-Z's first cars, a Lexus sedan, sits outside the library for visitors to see. The Book of Hov exhibit is presented in chapters and celebrates the amazing journey of how he overcame much from his humble beginnings in Brooklyn's Marcy Projects.

Jay-Z has used his voice to portray vivid images of urban life and how he rose from a street-smart hustler to universally known music mogul. And his influence spread beyond music into the business world.

The exhibit makes note of the claim that Jay-Z created his lyrical art without writing down a word - an oral tradition dating back to ancient civilizations that passed along memories by keeping precious cultural aspects alive. 

The exhibit featured a replica of Baseline Studios, the Manhattan studio in which Jay-Z created some of his masterpieces. The studio gave birth to classic albums such as The Blueprint and The Black Album. Baseline allowed Jay-Z to become inspired to create music that was a cultural backdrop - truly capturing artistic greatness.