Beyonce and Jay-Z just surprised the entire planet with a joint album called Everything Is Love and they want you to remember one thing from their hit single “Apeshit” if you forget everything else: they have art money. And that is a powerful message to corporations and the black community worlwide.
There’s much to be discussed about “Apeshit” when it comes to symbolism like the opening shot with a black male wearing wings: a tribute to fallen angels in the black community caused by senseless and racist violence. But when it comes to filming the entire music video in an acclaimed art museum the message is clear: that they, as a black affluent couple, have enough money to purchase and own fine art even those works displayed in museums. That’s a lot of money.
It’s also crucially important to site that the black community has come a long way from how they have been depicted in art to having the financial wealth and power to owning it.
Wealth has synonymously, subliminally, and favorably been advertised to white people and predominantly white men. But as we’ve seen through record-breaking, award-winning and award-nominated films like Black Panther, A Wrinkle In Time, and Coco, that minority money, untapped millions and potentially billions, is powerful money.
“Apeshit” music video highlights “Black Excellence” in its grandest form. Also through “Apeshit”, Beyonce and Jay-Z send a powerful and empowering widespread message across to all minorities, specifically the black community, that they took can have “art money” because everything is possible; “everything is love.”
In fact, Jay-Z has been known to be a huge fine arts collector. A reflection of his riches are depicted in the ownership of Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol artwork to name just a couple of the artists’ whose works can be assumed are hanging on the walls of his mansion(s). Forbes estimated Jay-Z and Beyonce’s art net worth to be an impressive $493 million.
Recently, we’ve seen media coverage of other wealthy and successful members of the black community investing in art like music and spirits mogul Diddy. He bought the first most expensive art created by a living black artist for $21 million: “Past Times” by Kerry James Marshall.
