Jay-Z's Rare Paris Performance to Celebrate Art Icons Basquiat and Warhol

Rap mogul Jay-Z will return to the stage this week for a rare live performance. On Tuesday, his label, Roc Nation, announced that he would perform at the Louis Vuitton Foundation's Auditorium in Paris on Friday to celebrate the cultural impact of two of the most influential artists of the 20th century: Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol.

Basquiat was an American artist of Haitian and Puerto Rican descent who rose to fame in the 1980s as a neo-expressionist painter and graffiti artist. His works are known for their intense colors, bold brushstrokes and incorporation of symbols and text.

🇬🇧🎤JAY-Z - Celebration concert

To coincide with the #BasquiatWarhol exhibition at the Fondation, JAY-Z will give a concert to pay tribute to Warhol and Basquiat, on Friday 14 April 2023 at 9pm, in the Fondation’s Auditorium.

🎫Tickets on sale : https://t.co/Icp8NcO0zn pic.twitter.com/3p2gPwxjF2

— Roc Nation (@RocNation) April 12, 2023

Warhol, on the other hand, was an American artist, filmmaker and pioneer of the Pop Art movement, best known for his vividly colored silkscreen prints of celebrities, everyday objects and iconic American symbols such as the Campbell's soup can.

The "Basquiat x Warhol. Painting Four Hands" exhibition, which the concert will coincide with, features the two artists' 160 canvas collaborations, showcasing the distinctive styles of both artists and highlighting the artistic dialogue between them.

The event, dubbed the "JAY-Z Celebration Concert," is sponsored by Tiffany & Co. and marks a rare occurrence for Jay-Z, who hasn't been on an official tour since his $44-billion grossing 4:44 Tour in 2017. He was last seen on stage rapping his "God Did" verse at the 2023 Grammy Awards, something he said he did out of respect for hip-hop culture.

"I thought about it, I was in my head, and I just broke down and said, 'You know, it's a four-minute verse.' Again, for the culture, for hip-hop, we gotta do that," he told TIDAL.

Jay-Z's love for Basquiat and Warhol has been evident in his music for decades. In his 2008 song "Ain't I," he rapped, "I got Warhols on my hall's walls, I got Basquiats in the lobby of my spot/I'm so sophisticatedly hood, S. Carter cashmere premium goods." In his 2011 song "Illest Motherf*cker Alive," he rapped, "Basquiat, Warhols serving as my muses/My house like a museum, so I see 'em when I'm peeing, usually, you have this much taste, you European."

Beyoncé wearing the iconic Tiffany Stone alongside Jay Z & a never-before-seen painting by Basquiat. Jean-Michel Basquiat was regarded as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. He dies at 27 of an overdose. Jeffery Wright portrays him in “Basquiat.” pic.twitter.com/pj4US32zqV

— Loni Love (@LoniLove) August 23, 2021

It's worth noting that the concert will also be supported by Tiffany & Co., with which both Jay-Z and his wife Beyoncé have brand deals. Although Basquiat's estate has spoken out against his work being featured in Jay-Z and Beyoncé's Tiffany & Co campaign, Jay-Z emphasizes that he is solely a fan of the artist.

Rihanna Overtakes Katy Perry as Most Followed Woman on Twitter With 108 million Followers

YouTube Screengrab

Rihanna has added yet another accolade to her already impressive résumé, becoming the most followed woman on Twitter, according to the social media analytics tracking platform Social Blade.

With a massive 108,276,354 followers (at the time this story was published), she now sits in fourth place on the platform's global leaderboard, just behind former US President Barack Obama and Justin Bieber. At the top of the list is Elon Musk, who took over ownership of the social media platform in October 2022.

This milestone marks a significant achievement for the multi-talented artist, who has found success in music, fashion, and cosmetics. Rihanna's Twitter feat came just after her recent Super Bowl halftime performance, where she announced her second pregnancy while singing a medley of her hits.

Following the Super Bowl performance, her music saw a massive surge in sales and streams, with her digital album sales jumping by 301%. Among all her songs, "Pour It Up" saw the biggest boost, with a 1,387% increase in digital song sales and a 470% increase in on-demand audio streams.

Most followed female artists on Twitter:

#1. Rihanna — 108.2M🔺
#2. Katy Perry — 108.2M🔻
#3. Taylor Swift — 92.5M
#4. Lady Gaga — 84.6M
#5. Selena Gomez — 67M
#6. Britney Spears — 55.8M
#7. Shakira — 53.9M
#8. Demi Lovato — 53.6M pic.twitter.com/zHR5fNmwu2

— Noah ⁶𓅓 (@RIHINDUSTRY) April 9, 2023

Rihanna's cosmetics and lingerie brands, Fenty Beauty and Savage x Fenty, respectively, also experienced a significant surge in attention after her Super Bowl performance. Fenty Beauty alone earned $5.6 million in earned media within the first 12 hours following the game.

diamonds by rihanna - super bowl edition pic.twitter.com/yU1JSn6sUJ

— songs that changed history (@iconiksongs) April 4, 2023

Her powerful appearance at the Oscars, which took place exactly one month after her Super Bowl showstopper, may have also contributed to this increase. At the Oscars, she performed her ballad "Lift Me Up" from the nominated movie "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," paying tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman. This performance earned her the first Oscar nomination of her career and marked the release of her first new solo track in six years.

Watch @Rihanna’s full performance of “Lift Me Up” at the #Oscars pic.twitter.com/dl9jRmtreG

— RihannaDaily.com (@RihannaDaily) March 13, 2023

In an interview with British Vogue, Rihanna revealed her plans to release a new album, her first since 2016, adding to her already impressive track record. With all of these accomplishments under her belt, it's no surprise that her fans are flocking to Twitter to see what she has in store for them next.

Doja Cat's New Album to Showcase Rap Skills

Georgebre, via Wikimedia Commons

Grammy-nominated artist Doja Cat is set to release her fourth studio album, which she recently confirmed will focus on her rapping skills instead of her usual pop sound. 

Tentatively titled "Hellmouth," the 27-year-old artist took to Twitter over the weekend to announce that the album will be "rap only" and will not feature any pop elements.

"Pop isn't exciting to me anymore. I don't want to make it," she tweeted.

In response to a tweet from a naysayer who questioned her rap skills, Doja Cat confidently declared, "I'm definitely a rapper." She also expressed her desire to show her critics that she can write more than "mid" and "corny" verses with her new album.

i also agree with everyone who said the majority of my rap verses are mid and corny. I know they are. I wasnt trying to prove anything I just enjoy making music but I'm getting tired of hearing yall say that i can't so I will.

— Hellmouth (@DojaCat) April 8, 2023

"I wasn't trying to prove anything. I just enjoy making music," she tweeted. "But I'm getting tired of hearing y'all say that I can't [rap] so I will."

Later, she shared a screenshot of the audio files and three tracks from the album titled "Wet Vagina," "Agora Hills," and "Balut." When a fan asked if those were actual songs on the album, she simply replied with "Yes."

✍️✍️ pic.twitter.com/sjwi2FhBbP

— Hellmouth (@DojaCat) April 8, 2023

In other tweets responding to fans' speculations, Doja Cat continued to give away hints of what to expect from the album. In a separate tweet, she wrote that there will be a lot of cuss words. She also confirmed that the album has "10 tracks total +5 extras."

This shift towards rap marks a significant departure from Doja Cat's previous pop-leaning releases, such as her chart-topping hits "Say So," "Juicy" and "Streets."

Doja Cat, whose real name is Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamin, gained popularity in 2018 with her viral hit "Mooo!" and has since been making waves in the music industry. She received three Grammy Award nominations in 2021, including Best New Artist and Record of the Year for "Say So."