Hollywood Africans

Jean-Michel Basquiat started as a street artist writing graffiti as SAMO, then became immersed in the Downtown art and music scene. He was in an experimental band called Gray, but he was also connected to the emerging Hip-Hop movement.[1] Basquiat was friends with graffiti artists such as Fab 5 Freddy, Toxic and Ramellzee. In 1983, Basquiat produced the hip-hop single "Beat Bop" by Rammellzee and K-Rob, and he created the cover art.[2] Ramellzee and Toxic accompanied Basquiat to Venice, Los Angeles while he prepared for his March 1983 show, his second at the Gagosian Gallery in West Hollywood.[3] While in Los Angeles, the trio called themselves "The Hollywood Africans" as social statement to counter the stereotypical portrayals of African Americans in Hollywood.[4] During this trip, Basquiat painted Hollywood Africans, which questions the depictions of African Americans in film, particularly during the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Set to a golden yellow backdrop, at the center of Hollywood Africans is a self-portrait of Jean-Michel Basquiat and his friends artists Toxic and Rammellzee, who accompanied him to Los Angeles. To the upper left of Basquiat are the numeral 12,22, and 60, his birthdate.[5]

As he often did in his works, Basquiat crossed out some words and phrases. He explained that this was actually meant to direct attention to them, "I cross out words so you will see them more; the fact that they are obscured makes you want to read them."[6]

Across the canvas are phrases such as "HOLLYWOOD AFRICANS FROM THE NINETEEN FORTIES" and "WHAT IS BWANA?" which indicate Basquiat is questioning the depictions of African Americans in film in the 1940s. Bwana is the Swahili word for master or boss. The date 1940, written at the top of the painting, may refer to the year actress Hattie McDaniel became the first African American to win an Oscar for playing the racial caricature "Mammy" in Gone With The Wind (1939).[7]

With the notations "TABACCO," "SUGAR CANE," "GANGSTERISM," and the title of the artwork, "HOLLYWOOD AFRICANS," Basquiat seems aware of the limited roles given to African Americans in both Hollywood and real life due to discrimination.[5] On the left side of the painting are blue footprints, referring to the footprints of movie stars outside of the Grauman's Chinese Theatre on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame. Basquiat and his posse are challenging the perception of three young black men in Hollywood and are cementing their place in history.

Hollywood Africans is part of the permanent collection at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. In 2017, it was exhibited at the Barbican Centre in London as part of Basquiat: Boom for Real.[8] In 2020, the artwork will display at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston for its exhibit, Writing the Future: Basquiat and the Hip-Hop Generation.[9]

• List of paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat