Beyoncé, Jay-Z, ‘Black is King’ album inspired new mural in Phoenix

CLOSE

Rasheda Worthy wanted the outside of her Phoenix bar to celebrate Black culture, so she had a mural featuring Beyoncé and Jay-Z painted on the building.

For Worthy, the iconic husband and wife represent the same message that she envisions for her bar, The Boom Boom Room.

“I wanted something that reflected Black excellence, Black Lives Matter and Black love. I think that Jay-Z and Beyoncé are a representation of all of that,” Worthy said.  

“This is a bar where you can come in and celebrate the culture of African Americans: the music, vibe, art and history.”

The completed mural was posted to Worthy’s Facebook page days after the release of Beyoncé’s visual album “Black is King,” which also celebrates many aspects of Black culture.

The mural has become a hot spot for selfies

It was painted by muralist Giovannie “Just” Dixon. The artist’s murals are popping up all over downtown Phoenix. Works include the Black Live Matter mural in the Arts District and the Dion Johnson mural just outside of downtown.

The mural has become a social media hot spot for photos. Beyoncé looks up at Jay-Z with a smirk, an iconic image from their 2020 Roc Nation Brunch. The annual brunch is hosted by the couple to celebrate Black music artists as celebrities gather for the Grammy Awards.

“Every day there are people of all ages, colors, races that are in front of the mural taking pictures, which is exactly what we wanted,” Worthy said.

“I really believe that our music, our culture, brings communities and brings people together, which is exactly what we need right now.”

A new mural located in Phoenix showcases Beyonce and Jay-Z who Rasheda Worthy says represent the same message as she envisions for her bar, The Boom Boom Room. (Photo: Courtesy of Rasheda Worthy)

COVID-19 has put the bar’s opening on pause

The Boom Boom Room is located at 1544 E. McDowell Road in Phoenix, at the intersection of E. McDowell Road and N. 16th St.

Due to the new coronavirus pandemic, the bar has not had its grand opening. However, Worthy hopes to open soon.

Worthy said The Boom Boom Room is a cocktail bar; no food will be served, but there will be several handcrafted cocktails to choose from.

Bringing a ‘swanky vibe’ to the neighborhood

Worthy is originally from Chicago but grew up in Phoenix. Opening a bar was not something she planned to do, but the longtime entrepreneur felt there was a lack of places to go in Phoenix that celebrated Black culture.

“We’re trying to bring a swanky vibe to the neighborhood and really to the entire city,” Worthy said.

“Phoenix is such an amazing city, and it has so many opportunities, we want the opportunity to offer a safe, culturally deep spot for everyone. Somewhere where everyone can congregate, have a great time, and we plan to be a staple in the community.”

Elizabeth Montgomery is Arts and Culture Reporter for The Arizona Republic, azcentral.com. Reach her at emontgomery@azcentral.com or 602-444-8764. Follow her on Twitter @emontnews.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/arts/2020/08/12/beyonce-jay-z-black-king-album-inspired-new-mural-phoenix/5578519002/


Credit: Source link

Next Post

Recent News