Shepard Fairey, Jay-Z Reprimanded by Occupy Wall Street for Co-Opting Movement Message
Once upon a time, Shepard Fairey went to war with the Associated Press for creating his iconic 2008 “Hope” poster for Barack Obama off one of the wire’s copyrighted images. Though they settled the case, the 99% (as it existed back then, in the form of young, pro-Obama liberals who loved street art) were on his side.
Similarly for Jay-Z, a crossover hip-hop artist/entrepreneur that managed to never lose his street cred even while posing for in-flight magazine covers.
So it’s natural that both artists would think that the Occupy Wall Street movement would appreciate their support, even if–just by coincidence–they happened to be profiting from the protests that are all about the wealth disparity in this country. Wrong! Read More
