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ROC NATION AND LEXUS: AN ICONIC MATCH

Why Lexus vehicles are a part of hip-hop history

The latest 2024 Lexus vehicles are, of course, forward-thinking paragons of
futuristic design. However, they also draw from their past—a 30-plus-year legacy
of Lexus models remaining synonymous with trending inventiveness and artful
ingenuity.

This is probably why rising culture influencers quickly recognized the earliest
Lexus vehicles as potent symbols of confidence and creativity. One superb
example: Shawn “JAY Z” Carter’s 1993 Lexus GS 300, which recently featured in a
vast, immersive exhibit from Roc Nation, called The Book of HOV, at Brooklyn
Public Library’s Central Location.

The popular, interactive installation, which the library bid farewell to in
early December, saw more than 600,000 visitors this summer and fall. It
celebrated Carter’s life and work as one of Brooklyn's most influential figures:
His awards and recording-industry leadership all speak for themselves, and his
innovation in music, business, philanthropy, and the arts continue to shape
culture on a global scale.

JAY Z’s 1993 Lexus GS 300 was a unique addition to exhibit’s intriguing items,
which covered all aspects of the artist’s professional life, and Lexus is
thankful to Roc Nation for its inclusion alongside Carter’s original recording
masters, never-before-seen photos, and iconic stage wear.

Early in his career, the artist placed the Lexus GS 300 front and center in his
iconic 1994 “Dead Presidents” video, which opens with a low, front-end vehicle
shot as a helicopter descends in the background. Carter went on to lyrically
weave the model into his 1996 song “Can I Live” (from his acclaimed Reasonable
Doubt album), as well his 2009 song “Empire State of Mind” (his first number-one
single on the Billboard 100 chart as a lead artist).

Back in the 1990s, any early Lexus GS driver would have greatly appreciated the
vehicle. Added to a lineup of other first-generation Lexus classics (the
original LS 400 and ES 250), the 1993 GS 300 attracted luxury-minded drivers
with its understated style. With influences from a renowned Italian automotive
designer, the vehicle offered sleek leather seats, walnut wood trim on the
center console, and a dual-toned exterior.

And while that early connection between Lexus luxury and hip-hop culture may
have seemed unlikely at first glance, their sync-up actually made a lot of
sense: Just as Lexus upended the luxury-vehicle market in its early days (and
continues to do so) with inventive technologies, performance features, and
dealership experiences, so have hip-hop artists always pushed boundaries,
challenged norms, and shaped new cultural directions.

The total number of Lexus-related music-lyric mentions are far too many to list
here (they’ve been counted in the hundreds), but they all add up to this: Lexus
models are a powerful muse. They’re genuine artistic expressions in their own
right, and they add to the elegant, energetic tempo of a life well-lived.

Posted: Dec 07, 2023

Brian Gill




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©2006-2023 Lexus, a Division of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. All information
presented herein is based on data available at the time of posting, is subject
to change without notice and pertains specifically to mainland U.S.A. vehicles
only (may differ in the state of Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands
and in other regions).





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