A Visual Breakdown: Jay-Z Vs. Pablo Picasso

As Jay-Z has made the slow and steady transition from mere hip-hop icon to cultural overlord, he's warmly embraced the art world and its many stars. Just last week, he shot a music video in a Chelsea gallery with help from performance artist Marina Abramovich and took a photo with RIAA execs in front of a Jean-Michel Basquiat piece. Dude is high-end. Another sign that he's looking toward art icons (living and dead) are the references on his new album, Magna Carta Holy Grail. But among all the expected Basquiats and Warhols are shout-outs for possibly the most well-known artist of the 20th century, Spanish-born Pablo Picasso. Not only does Jay mention Pablo's name several times on the album, he even dedicates a song to him, with the confident and menacing "Picasso Baby." All the shout-outs got us thinking about Pablo and Jay, so we decided to take a look at the lives of both icons and compile a visual side-by-side comparison of their history. Surprisingly, they're not so different after all.