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Hip-Hop Lyrics And Classic Art: A Match Made In Internet Heaven?

Cassidy Waters |
September 17, 2014 | 5:35 p.m. PDT

Staff Reporter

Versace Versace Versace Versace (Julia Mccaffrey)
Versace Versace Versace Versace (Julia Mccaffrey)
Pop culture is full of notorious pairings, things that are enhanced by an unlikely association with something else. Consider peanut butter and jelly, milk and cookies, Brad and Angelina.  And now… rap lyrics and classical art? At first glance, the fusion of contemporary rap lyrics with traditional works of art isn’t exactly a match made in heaven. However, a closer look confirms that this union not only works, but is also insanely entertaining.

Bloggers Gisella Velasco and Toni Potenciano made this concept into a reality in December 2013 by creating unique memes on their now-famous Tumblr, Fly Art Productions. Velasco and Potenciano breathe new life into centuries-old artwork by featuring verses from artists like Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Kendrick Lamar atop classic paintings. “Born out of boredom, frustration, and the Internet” (as most noteworthy ideas are nowadays), Fly Art Productions calls itself “an homage to the finer things in life: art and hip hop.”

As the trend has gained popularity, new players have added themselves to the game. Other individuals have created their own versions of blogs and graphics characterized by snarky descriptions of art history. Art History Snap and SwooshArt come to mind as two other popular websites exploiting this idea.

And now, the hip hop/Michelangelo thing has transitioned from the Internet to the real world. The French clothing website Rad sells Fly Art-branded apparel – essentially Velasco’s and Potenciano’s graphics printed onto tanks, tees and sweatshirts. The duo has also teamed up with t-shirt designer Betina Ocampo (BETINA NY) for a collaboration that is due out in her 2014 fall/winter collection. Because who wouldn’t want to sport a t-shirt that combines Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece with sick lyrics from Nicki Minaj?

This graphics trend contributes to and reinforces a larger ironic movement in streetwear fashion, moving away from glamour towards a more minimalist look.  In an era of  “normcore,” a term used to describe the new contemporary fashion marked by white tees and beat up sneakers, Fly Art integrates fashion's new fascination with blandness into its designs. The clever graphic atop a nondescript white shirt creates a fusion of the normcore and hipster senses – a little out there, but it kind of works.

So what does fashion's embracing of this trend say about the cultural beliefs of today's society? On one hand, younger generations have become more familiar with classic art through these somewhat satirical graphics. On the other, this generation’s value system looks decidedly skewed. 

The fact that such respected paintings are so easily complemented by lyrics like, “Pop a molly, I’m sweating” points to an impatience, and perhaps reduced intellectualism, in today's art world. Rather than contemplating the complexity of the painting's content, we use rap lyrics to transform it into something we can more easily understand. 

Does this question make the graphics any less entertaining? Not at all. Is it something to consider in the grand scheme of things? Maybe. But for now, let’s just revel in the glory that is Cabanel’s “Phaedra” captioned with Kendrick Lamar’s lyrics, “Bitch, don’t kill my vibe.”

Contact Staff Reporter Cassidy here and follow her on Twitter here.



 

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