Most Kings Spades Black

Inspired by the words of Basquiat and echoed by Jay-Z, “Most Kings Die Young,” this piece is both a tribute and a warning. The artwork depicts a skeleton crowned in glory, moments before decapitation an image that captures the fragility of greatness in a world that often punishes brilliance.
The visual collage is anchored by Basquiat’s raw honesty and Jay-Z’s lyrical reflection, expanded through moving imagery of Black icons such as Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., The Notorious B.I.G., and Tupac Shakur. Each figure, taken too soon, represents the tension between genius and mortality.
Most Kings asks us to consider the price of power, the weight of influence, and the legacy of young Black kings who transformed culture but were cut down before their time.