Published on April 1, 2026
GQ tapped American artist Rashid Johnson to photograph Jay-Z for its new special global issue, released on March 24th. The photoshoot accompanies a major interview with the musician and art collector, commemorating the 30th anniversary of his debut album, Reasonable Doubt.
Known for exploring Black American life through a diverse body of work that spans photography, painting, and large-scale installations, Johnson brought a unique perspective to this photoshoot. His approach drew inspiration from the observational photographs of Harlem Renaissance artist James Van Der Zee and the surrealist tendencies of Francis Bacon. One striking image captures Jay-Z partially covering his face with a mask as he gazes into the camera.
An avid art collector and champion of Black artists, Jay-Z has owned Johnson’s work for a decade. The photographer aims to honor Jay-Z’s legacy through these compelling images.
“Jay’s music, lyricism, and sophistication are very much in line with a lot of interesting and historically important Black thinkers,” Johnson told GQ. “He unpacked the density, the complexity, and the rigors of aspects of the Black experience, from issues of developing credit and finding credibility.”
Over the last two decades, Jay-Z has emerged as a prominent figure in the art world, curating a collection that includes works from renowned artists like Damien Hirst and Laurie Simmons. The rapper notably filmed a music video for Picasso Ba York’s Pace Gallery and commissioned Derrick Adams to transform one of his paintings into an NFT. According to Sotheby’s, Jay-Z owns Adams’s Style Variation (2020).
Johnson has made headlines in recent years, including a massive retrospective at the Guggenheim in New York in 2025 that showcased nearly 90 works. He has also held recent solo exhibitions at Hauser & Wirth Paris in 2024 and Stockholm’s Moderna Museet in 2023.
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