Design

Classic Paintings are Perfectly Paired with Hip Hop Lyrics

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Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci (c.1503) / Super Bass, Nicki Minaj

Since December 2013, artists Gisella Velasco and Toni Potenciano have been pairing classic paintings by renowned painters like Leonardo da Vinci, Matisse, and Dali with hip hop lyrics performed by contemporary musicians including Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, and Beyonce, amongst many others. The result is surprisingly complementary. Follow the ongoing project’s Tumblr called Fly Art for more flawless fine art and hip hop pairings.

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The Birth of Venus (1486), Sandro Botticelli / ***Flawless, Beyonce ft. Chimamanda Ngozie Adiche

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Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Luncheon of the Boating Party (1881) / Super Rich Kids, Frank Ocean

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Dancers practicing at the barre (1877), Edgar Degas / Fergalicious, Fergie feat. Will.i.am

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A Lady Writing a Letter, with her Maid (c.1670), Johannes Vermeer / Otis, Jay-Z, Kanye West feat. Otis Redding

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The first coat (1892), Vladimir Makovsky / American Boy, Estelle feat. Kanye West

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The Family of Henry VIII (c. 1572), Lucas de Heere / Big Poppa, The Notorious B.I.G.

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Noli Me Tangere (1442), Fra Angelico / U Can’t Touch This, MC Hammer

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Phaedra, Alexandre Cabanel (1880) / Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe, Kendrick Lamar

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The Persistence of Memory (1931), Salvador Dali / Ms. Jackson, Outkast

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The Ascension (1775), John Singleton Copley / Touch The Sky, Kanye West ft. Lupe Fiasco

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Antoine-François Callet, King Louis XVI (1754-1793) / C.R.E.A.M., Wu-Tang Clan

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The Death of Marat, Jacques-Louis David (1793) / N.Y. State of Mind, NaS

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Love’s Shadow (1887), Frederick Sandys / Ring the Alarm, Beyonce

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Hell (1450), Dirk Bouts / Drop It Like It’s Hot, Snoop Dogg feat. Pharell Williams

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Icarus and Daedalus (c. 1869), Frederic Leighton / Pretty Fly (For a White Guy), The Offspring

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L’Absinthe (1876), Edgar Degas / Gin and Juice, Snoop Dogg

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Louis XIV (1701), Hyacinthe Rigaud / Tom Ford, Jay-Z ft. Beyonce

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Pelt Merchant of Cairo (1869), Jean-Leon Gerome / Cold.1, G.O.O.D. Music feat. Kanye West & DJ Khaled

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La Coiffure (1901), Henri Matisse / Rocket, Beyonce

H/t: Beautiful Decay, Distractify