How Hip-Hop Producer Swizz Beatz Is Disrupting the Art World

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Over the course of his career, hip-hop producer Swizz Beatz has been in the studio with everyone from Beyoncé to Nas. But lately, he’s been focusing much of his energy on the art world — upending its rigid sales model and helping to make art relevant to those outside the exclusive, white-walled bubble. Through his role as Bacardi’s “global chief creative for culture,” he produced No Commission NY, a four-day art and music event in the South Bronx, where 100 percent of the proceeds from sales go directly into the pockets of artists. The sprawling exhibition includes work by many of the artists in his personal collection, including Swoon, Ebony G. Patterson, Kehinde Wiley, Rashaad Newsome, and Jeffrey Gibson, along with daily musical performances.

No Commission NY runs from August 11–14, 2016.

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How Producer Swizz Beatz Disrupted the Art World