Jay-Z is being honored with an exhibit at the Brooklyn Public Library—and the event was kept a secret both from the public and from the influential rapper.
The library unveiled The Book of HOV on Friday, “an installation created by Roc Nation to celebrate the life and work of Shawn ‘JAY-Z’ Carter,” it announced on its website. Roc Nation is the entertainment company founded by Jay-Z in 2008.
“The Book of HOV features never-before-seen images, art and ephemera from the artist's archives, providing an unparalleled look at an extraordinary life and career,” the library says. “This free, immersive experience is one of the only installations of its scope to be housed in an active public space and features text, audio and curation by Roc Nation teams and partners.”
Jay-Z is one of Brooklyn’s most famous natives. He grew up in the borough’s Marcy Houses, a Bedford–Stuyvesant project, and made his studio album debut in 1996 with Reasonable Doubt, the first in what would be a string of hit records including The Blueprint, The Black Album, and American Gangster.
Earlier this week, the Brooklyn Public Library displayed lyrics from Jay-Z on its facade, without explanation. Variety reports that the exhibit was kept secret from both Jay-Z and his wife, the singer-songwriter Beyoncé, until Thursday, the day before the opening.
The Book of HOV is free and open to the public. A preview of the exhibit is available here.
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
