It is hard to disagree that the power of art and the impact of celebrities can have a great effect on the world. Nevertheless, it may be challenging to understand whether a celebrity’s action has valuable and high purposes or is planned only for the hype. In 2013, a famous hip-hop artist Jay Z united art and music, and while not everyone appreciated his idea, I believe that his performance was sincere and effective.
When watching Jay Z’s music video, it seemed to me that his performance was emotion- and passion-driven. The hip-hop artist wanted to show his own connection with art and involve others in this passionate event. Indeed, Kennedy (2013) notices that it is “rare that someone of his status would take the time to have this special connection to the people in this way” (para. 1). Additionally, celebrities involved in the performance did not show signs of arrogance or desire to benefit from their participation. Therefore, I believe that all performers who took part in this music video were sincere and wanted to soak in the artistic vibe.
Further, art and music are interrelated and closely connected with each other. Jay Z says: “we’re artists; we’re alike, we’re cousins. That’s what’s really exciting for me, bringing the worlds back together” (Pasori, 2013). Artists can be inspired by musicians, and vice versa. Similar ideas, symbols, metaphors, emotions, and stories can be expressed in both ways, and many people can interpret paintings in galleries and music compositions playing in their headphones.
Finally, celebrities often use their impact and talents to become involved in the fight against current social issues. For example, in 2020, in response to George Floyd’s death and to support the Black Lives Matter movement, David Guetta decided to remix and perform Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. I watched this video and think that such a way to combine a historic speech and modern music was not a brilliant idea – something did not seem right in this remix. As for me, the rhythm and beats do not fit the message of Martin Luther King’s talk. Therefore, while this was probably not an ambitious desire to join the movement but a sincere move not aimed at the hype, this is quite an ambiguous way to support people. At the same time, music is Guetta’s talent and work, so this choice is quite justified.
References
Kennedy, J. (2013). VIBE exclusive: The story behind Jay-Z’s ‘Picasso Baby’ music video. VIBE.
Pasori, C. (2013). A moment in cubism: Jay Z declares himself Picasso. Complex.