Jay Z Ousted as Secret Buyer of $4.5M Basquiat Painting (@S_C_)

A secret was recently leaked about the secret buyer of a 1982 Basquiat painting titled “Mecca,” and it was revealed Jay Z was the man behind the sale. The orange, white and black acrylic and oil-stick work features the Empire State Building under a trademark Basquiat crown, and was sold at Manhattan Sotheby’s last week. 

Hov has long been an admirer of the late artist, who’s “Charles the First” painting inspired Jay’s 2010 track “Most Kingz,” which starts out with the line, “Inspired by Basquiat, my chariot’s on fire.” On the most recent “Picasso Baby” he also raps, “It ain’t hard to tell, I’m the new Jean-Michel.” 

Check out the painting in the above slide: 

Source: hiphopwired.com