Jay-Z’s Performance Art Film Debuts on HBO

Jay-Z famously performed his new song, “Picasso Baby,” for six straight hours at Pace Gallery on July 11, shelving the footage for a film. On Friday night, HBO finally debuted the renowned rapper’s creative project, Picasso Baby: A Performance Art Film. Directed by Mark Romanek, the cinematic special weaves in clips from the marathon performance with Jay-Z’s friendly crowd interactions.

The highly-anticipated eleven-minute film was broadcast at 11 p.m., right after Jay-Z’s appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher. Along with the HBO show’s panel, he discussed hip-hop, politics and art.

“The truth is, as far as hip-hop and arts, we were like cousins,” Jay-Z said. “If you think about those days when Fab Five Freddy was with Madonna and Basquiat and everything. We all went to those clubs, that’s when hip-hop was more underground. The arts and hip-hop really partied together. But when art started becoming part of the gallery, it was this separation. But we pretty much came up together.”

Photo Credit: NPR