Jay-Z is going back to where it all started on the inaugural date of his JAŸ-Z30 pop-up activation in New York.
On Thursday (June 25), the Roc Nation founder surprised fans with the first location of the immersive experience: nonprofit arts organization Smack Mellon, located inside of a former boiler house at 92 Plymouth St. in Brooklyn.
The exterior of the site was featured in the music video for “Dead Presidents,” the first single on Jay-Z’s debut album Reasonable Doubt.
The Apple Music-sponsored event included merch, decorations, and an exclusive vinyl box set dedicated to Jay-Z’s career retrospective. Also on site was the white 1993 Lexus GS 300 featured in the “Dead Presidents” video, which was played on television screens throughout the activation.
The event, also dubbed ’96 & Forever, is free to the public and includes a second location in lower Manhattan. A statement from Roc Nation shares that the anniversary celebration will be “a year-long program” that “commemorates JAŸ-Z’s body of work as a cultural archive.”
Along with the pop-ups, the Brooklyn Public Library has reunited with Roc Nation to produce a limited-edition library card for Jay-Z’s seminal albums, Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint. The free commemorative cards are up for grabs on a first-come, first-served basis at all Brooklyn Public Library locations.
Three years ago, Jay-Z paid homage to his discography in library card form during The Book of Hov exhibition.
The celebration continues next month, when Hov will headline a three-night residency at Yankee Stadium, with the first two dates dedicated to 30 years of Reasonable Doubt and the 25th anniversary of his sixth album, The Blueprint.
Songs to be performed on the third and final night of the residency, titled “Extra Innings,” have not been announced.
