Despite criticism, the Jay-Z exhibition at Brooklyn Public Library gets an 'Encore'

When “The Book of HOV,” the new exhibit about Jay-Z’s journey from Bed-Stuy’s Marcy Houses to the global stage, debuted at the Brooklyn Public Library in July, thousands rushed to see it in the first week. Some critics, however, wondered why it existed at all. And, why, of all places, it was at the library?

The Brooklyn-based art magazine Hyperallergic called it “a shrine to a billionaire’s glamorous life,” noting that it “hypes the success of a man who does not suffer from a lack of hype.”

Hip-hop media personality Joe Budden dismissed “The Book of HOV” on his podcast.

“I’m not going,” he said, laughing it off with his co-hosts. “I saw the lyrics on the building, I was like, I know that song.”

But despite the early criticism, the Brooklyn Public Library says the exhibition has been a success, and that it's more than doubled monthly visitors and driven a surge in new library cardholders.

Monthly traffic at the main branch hit 177,000 new visitors in the first month, compared to the average of around 80,000, according to figures provided by the Brooklyn Public Library.

Additionally, over 15,000 library cards were distributed this summer – many of them to people hoping to get their hands on one of 13 limited edition Jay-Z library cards, one for each of his albums. That’s about double the number of signups the library would expect to see in that time period.

Given all this success, it’s hardly a surprise that the library announced earlier this month that the exhibition would be extended through Dec. 4 – Jay-Z’s birthday.

Jay-Z’s rap lyrics are plastered on the façade of the library building at Grand Army Plaza. The airy two-story lobby inside is filled with glass cases of album covers, concert memorabilia and archived objects, like original recording masters. The walls are covered with photos of the Brooklynite both on and off stage. And upstairs, there’s the “manifestation room,” where a giant video screen plays different moments from Jay-Z’s career.

Linda Johnson, the president of the Brooklyn Public Library, said the exhibit was timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, which began in New York City.

“It occurred to me that if we were ever gonna honor Jay-Z it should be this year,” said Johnson, who reached out to Jay-Z’s entertainment company, Roc Nation, through mutual friends.

The CEO of Roc Nation, Desiree Perez, initially opposed the idea, but found the library's immense size intriguing given all the collectible items Jay-Z had in storage. Then, the wheels began turning. Perez said the company undertook the development, both in terms of creative design and funding, and insists that Jay-Z himself had nothing to do with it.

Perez enlisted the creative team of Bruce and Shelley Rodgers – whose firm has produced several Super Bowl halftime shows – to design the 40,000 square foot exhibit.

But there's one number no one is sharing: the price tag.

Johnson said Roc Nation funded the exhibit, and that even she doesn’t know how much they spent.

“I’m happier not knowing,” she said.

The exhibit hasn’t just resonated with folks who are new to the library; it's also impressed people who grew up in Bed-Stuy with Jay-Z, like library security guard Darnell King.

“It's amazing to me because I saw his journey from being a rapper to a businessman,” said King, on a recent Thursday at the main library. “I learned to get great people around you that share your vision. Because he defeated the odds as far as making it to where he is. He's shown that with the right people around, you can change your stars.”

The benefits to the library also go beyond the exhibition: Johnson said Roc Nation is also backing a pivotal library initiative called "Books Unbanned," which aims to ensure digital access for young readers across the country to books that are often suppressed, especially those touching on race and LGBTQ themes.

“Our efforts are only expanding as a result of Roc Nation's participation in all of this,” said Johnson.

The library's next challenge is to keep Jay-Z fans coming back.

“We wanna make sure that everybody who has the inclination, who has that intellectual spark or who likes to read a good book, knows that we're here for them, regardless of where they may be on their own journey.”

The “Book of HOV” runs through Dec. 4, 2023 at the Brooklyn Public Library’s main branch.