Rashid Johnson Photographs Jay-Z for GQ's Global Issue Cover

GQ magazine has released a special global issue featuring Jay-Z on the cover, photographed by contemporary artist Rashid Johnson. The cover story includes an extensive interview with the rapper, who is styling his name as JAŸ-Z to mark the 30th anniversary of his 1996 debut album 'Reasonable Doubt.' Johnson, known for exploring themes of Black identity in his work, was selected for his alignment with Jay-Z's career-long engagement with complex representations of Blackness in American culture. The artist cited influences from Harlem Renaissance photographer James Van Der Zee and painter Francis Bacon for the shoot. Jay-Z has been increasingly involved with contemporary art, appearing in music videos at Pace Gallery and the Louvre, and his entertainment company Roc Nation partnered with Brooklyn Public Library for a 2023 exhibition featuring works by artists including Daniel Arsham. Johnson recently had a survey exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, which later traveled to the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.