Jay-Z exhibit at New York library has drawn a surge in library card sign ups

The facade of Brooklyn's Central Library in New York is wrapped with Jay-Z lyrics for the tribute exhibition celebrating the superstar rapper's career. The exhibit 'The Book Of HOV' features artwork, music and memorabilia. Photo: AFP

From a display of Jay-Z lyrics on the facade of the Brooklyn Library to a concert of rap pioneers at Yankee Stadium, New York is celebrating 50 years of hip hop, a genre born in its ghettos and now dominant around the world.

Inside the library, a vast exhibition retraces the career of one of Brooklyn’s most famous sons, charting his rise from “a street-smart hustler to a global revered music mogul.”