Canadian rapper Drake-graham/" title="Aubrey Drake Graham" class="company-link">Aubrey Drake Graham is a man of many talents. He’s an actor (he starred on the hit television series Degrassi: The New Generation), he’s a Grammy-winning music star, and now, he’s a curator—of sorts. Sotheby's S|2 gallery has a selling exhibition up right now through June 12 of work by contemporary black American artists from the last 70 years. “I Like It Like This: S|2 X Drake” features pieces by Jacob Lawrence, Theaster Gates, Glenn Ligon, Kara Walker, Wangechi Mutu, and Mickalene Thomas, among others.
For the collaboration, Drake has added musical accompaniment for each piece that viewers can hear through a set of Beats by Dr. Dre Pro headphones set up at listening stations in the gallery. His track list is rap and hip-hop heavy but Delta blues musician Robert Johnson’s 1936 classic 32-20 Blues and Anthony Hamilton’s song Lucille slow things down a bit.
If you’re not satisfied with Drake’s picks, Sotheby’s is encouraging viewers to curate their own selections on social media. Tweet or Instagram @Sothebys with the hashtag #S2xDrake with your song pick and it’ll get added to list online at Beats Music. Our suggestions: Blackalicious, Erykah Badu, Lady Saw, Ray Charles, and FKA Twigs.
Below, Drake’s music-art pairings:
Jacob Lawrence, The Lovers, (1946) — Anthony Hamilton, Lucille
David Hammons, Untitled (Man with White Headdress), (circa 1969) — Young Thug, Strange Things
Jean-Michel Basquiat, Black, (1986) — Yo Gotti Gangsta Party, Feat 8ball
Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jazz, (1986) — Yo Gotti Gangsta Party, Feat 8ball
Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled (Devil’s Head), (1987) — Makonnen, Rumor (Acoustic)
Romare Bearden, All The Things You Are, (1987) — Partynextdoor, Wild Bitches
Lorna Simpson, Portrait, (1988) — Rhianna, Bitch Better Have My Money
Mark Bradford, Fly in the Buttermilk, (2002) — Jadakiss, All for the Love
Wangechi Mutu, Untitled (Female in Fishnet), (2005) — Robert Johnson, 32-20 Blues
Mickalene Thomas, Study for As If You Read My Mind (From She Works Hard For The Money Pin-Up Series), (2006) — XXYYXX, About You
Kara Walker, Help Meet (Mans Mans Mans Mans World), (2007) — Shuggie Otis, Aht Uh Mi Head
Trenton Doyle Hancock, Blue Bald Voice Effects, (2008) — Riff Raff, Judo Chop
Nick Cave, Soundsuit, (2009) — Kendrick Lamar, F*ck Your Ethnicity
Glenn Ligon, Figure #29, (2009) — Drake, Wu-Tang Forever
Theaster Gates, Throne, Toward the Close of Day, (2010) — Jay Z/Kanye, The Joy
Barkley L. Hendricks, Passion Dancehall #2, (2011) — Popcaan, Everything Nice
Rashid Johnson, If It Ain’t Ruff, (2012) — Skepta, Shut Down
Tony Lewis, LOLO, (2012) — Chief Keef, Faneto
Terry Adkins, Norfolk, (2012) — Jamie xx, Sleep Sound
Kehinde Wiley, Ferdinand-Philippe-Louis-Henri, Duc D’Orléans, (2014) — ASAP Rocky, Multiply
Adam Pendleton, Harvest: 3,000 Years #2, (2014) — The Weeknd, The Zone
