Marina Abramović had accused Jay-Z of completely using her after he shot his Picasso Baby" video in her studio. Marina had granted an interview to Spikeheart Magazine where she allegedly said the Brooklyn rapper had used her and what transpired between both of them was a one-way transaction and that Jay-Z completely used her.
Read the piece:
How did you feel when Jay-Z told you that he would be adapting “The Artist is Present” for his music video “Picasso Baby” in 2013?
I didn’t feel much. There are hundreds of people adapting my work. I have young pop groups who adapt my work. Just now, somebody’s made a porno movie called “Zadie is present”, have you seen that? [laughs] It’s insane!
But the difference with Jay-Z was that you yourself took part in his video shoot.
YES, BUT THERE WAS ONE REASON FOR THIS THAT I CAN’T TALK ABOUT. I AM VERY PISSED BY THIS, SINCE HE ADAPTED MY WORK ONLY UNDER ONE CONDITION: THAT HE WOULD HELP MY INSTITUTE. WHICH HE DIDN’T.
You did plan the shoot and your appearance together?
The day before, he came to my office and I gave him an entire power point presentation and said: okay, you can help me, because I really need help to build this thing. Then he just completely used me. And that wasn’t fair. This is very different from Lady Gaga, for example, who has done great work for me. Just by having 45 million followers, she brought all these young kids into my public.
Do you regret having supported Jay-Z?
I don’t look at things this way. Right now in my life, things happen. I don’t bother anymore. My life hasn’t been easy. There are very few performers from my generation even being considered. I’m a survivor. It’s very hard to be up there all the time. I could just do an exhibition at MoMA and go home, and it would be history. I didn’t need to kill myself with “The Artist is Present”. I also didn’t need to be here in São Paulo for two months doing workshops, doing eight lectures, working with this community. I do this because I believe in it. I feel responsible for performance in general.
When you rubbed your forehead with Jay-Z's, it seemed like an economical transaction: I grant you the right to use my piece, but in reverse you have to provide a space for my brand within your campaign.
And in the end it was only a one-way transaction. I will never do it again, that I can say. Never. I was really naive in this kind of world. It was really new to me, and I had no idea that this would happen. It’s so cruel, it’s incredible. I will stay away from it for sure.
Jay-Z Camps Reacts To The Interview
When the news of Marina Abramović went viral on the internet, Jay-Z camp has reacted to the accusation that she(Marina) was used by Jay-Z.
The Picasso Baby producer, Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn reads part of the document that was sent to them after the donation :
“Thank you for your donation"
The receipt is marked with W984804 and acknowledges a substantial donation, Greenberg Rohatyn said.
MARINA ABRAMOVIC INSTITUTE APOLOGIZES TO JAY Z
Marina Abramović apologizes to the hip-hop mogul, Jay-Z after it was confirmed that Jay-Z had donated all that was promised. A statement issued reads:
Marina Abramovic was not informed of Shawn ‘Jay Z’ Carter’s donation from two years ago when she recently did an interview with Spike magazine in Brazil,We are sincerely sorry to both Marina Abramovic and Shawn ‘Jay Z’ Carter for this, and since then we have taken to appropriate actions to reconcile this matter.”
Watch Picasso Baby Video: