The Book of HOV: The Artist, the Mogul, the Icon
In this epic collab between two titans of prestige, entertainment behemoth Roc Nation and luxury bookmaker Assouline offer up the chance to own a historic work of art—a sleek tome that embodies Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter’s enduring blend of artistry and enterprise.
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A thematic journey through rare insights, illuminating essays, and thousands of artifacts spanning JAY-Z’s 25-year career, The Book of HOV: A Tribute beckons dedicated fans and collectors alike. The impressive Ultimate Edition, hand-bound and printed on luxuriously thick pages, comes nestled in an embossed clamshell case, complete with gloves and a signature canvas tote bag.
It’s no wonder the New York Times refers to Assouline as “the Birkin bag of the book world.”
If you were one of the 600,000 fans who visited Roc Nation’s groundbreaking exhibition at the Brooklyn Public Library in 2023, these pages will transport you back to those hallowed halls that brimmed with the lifeblood of a cultural legend. For those just beginning your journey through this legacy-in-artifacts, prepare to be awed by the masterful work of the curators, documentarians, and craftspeople who brought this project to life.
Among the book’s nearly 700 images underscoring every milestone, roadblock, and metamorphosis of JAY-Z’s storied career, you’ll find photos of the iconic Baseline Studios, original recording masters, custom stage outfits, art pieces like Daniel Arsham’s HOV Hands, magazine covers, VIP credentials, even the guitar Hov played during his tongue-in-cheek performance at Glastonbury.
The broader theme of manifestation—how JAY-Z shaped his own narrative, set his intentions, and built an unshakable legacy—resonates through the book’s eight sections, whose rap-lyric titles will delight versant fans.
Each one showcases a distinct pillar of JAY-Z’s influence, beginning with “A Work of Art,” which explores his deep connection with the art world and his impact on the cultural landscape. Next comes a vivid encapsulation of the legendary “Baseline Studios” era—a time when Hov’s pursuit of authenticity and creative freedom reached new heights with the iconic albums The Dynasty: Roc La Familia, The Blueprint, and The Black Album.
“Did It All Without a Pen” delves into the unmatched poetic prowess that earned JAY-Z induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame—how he drops triple entendres like breadcrumbs, draws from conversations in real time, and pulls forgotten moments from history, words streaming like a divine gift from mind to music, no pen, no paper.
“Business, Man” chronicles JAY-Z’s relentless hustle as he blazed new trails in music and entertainment with Roc Nation, revolutionized sports management with Roc Nation Sports, launched music streaming platform TIDAL, debuted the 40/40 Club, and forged his status in luxury wine and spirits with D’USSÉ Cognac and Armand de Brignac Champagne.
JAY-Z’s philanthropic initiatives—from his public advocacy to his behind-the-scenes activism to his role in Roc Nation’s historic partnership with the NFL—take center stage in “Win-Win,” culminating with his continued tenure as adviser and Emmy-winning producer and director of the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Inspired by JAY-Z’s apparel company Paper Planes and the powerful imagery of intention-setting, “So Fly” documents the exhibition’s whimsical, large-scale paper plane installation in partnership with NYC schoolchildren.
“Hov Did That” details JAY-Z’s culture-shifting events, from the Made in America Festival to Glastonbury to his sold-out eight-night residency at the opening of Barclays Center in Brooklyn. A triumphant cache of artifacts follows—concert tickets, setlists, his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame statuette, his Cohiba Comador cigars, the Yankees cap he made “more famous than a Yankee can”—two lifetimes’ worth of ephemera highlighting one man’s steadfast odyssey.
“Manifestations,” with its striking stills bathed in cobalt and punctuated by weighty quotes and writings, is a fitting final chapter, closing out this decades-long time capsule bursting at the seams with the jewels in the crown, the intricacies, the flesh on the bone of this masterful artist’s life, achievements, and cultural influence.
Amid the burgeoning synergy of high-end luxury and hip-hop, JAY-Z carved out his identity as an industry titan, building his own ladder rung by rung so he could climb to new heights—not just to ascend but to elevate collaborators and emerging artists along the way. If there was a ceiling, he smashed right through it.
The legacy of Hov is eternal, and now you can hold its manifestation solidly in your two gloved hands. When you lift this signature blue masterpiece up onto your shelf, remember: “I might break but I don’t fold/Till I hold the sky in my hand/Yeah, that’s my goal.” Throwing up a HOV Hands sign in tribute is entirely optional.
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