Update 09/12/2021 2:57pm:

Jay-Z and Beyoncé did a campaign with Tiffany & Co that showed off a never-before-exhibited painting from Jean-Michel Basquiat. The campaign made headlines in great ways, but friends of the late artist ended up calling out the couple. Now, Jay-Z and Beyoncé have reportedly teamed up with Tiffany and Co once more to donate funding to various HBCUs.

The partnership found the couple’s BeyGOOD and Shawn Carter Foundation coming together with Tiffany to create the About Love scholarship program. The scholarship is aimed at students at HBCUs who are in the creative field. Reports noted the amount donated totals up to $2 million and will be given to private and state schools like Lincoln University, Bennett College, Central State University, Norfolk State University, and more.

The initiative was reportedly launched around the time the About Love campaign was launched but got overlooked due to criticism Jay-Z and Beyoncé received for the inclusion of Tiffany diamond in their shoot.

source: People

Original 09/07/2021 3:44pm:

Friends of Jean-Michel Basquiat are speaking out against Jay-Z and Beyonce using a never-before-exhibited painting from the late artist entitled Equals Pi in their Tiffany & Co ad. Tiffany’s now owns the portrait, and executive vice president of product and communications Alexandre Arnault stated that the painting having a similar shade of Tiffany blue is a way to "modernize" the color. 

Alexis Adler, who lived and worked with Basquiat between 1979-1980, spoke out against the campaign, telling The Daily Beast that "the commercialization and commodification of Jean and his art at this point—it’s really not what Jean was about." Adler then added, "Unfortunately, the museums came to Jean’s art late, so most of his art is in private hands and people don’t get to see that art except for the shows. Why show it as a prop to an ad? Loan it out to a museum. In a time where there were very few Black artists represented in Western museums, that was his goal: to get to a museum." 

Basquiat's former assistant, Stephen Torton, also spoke out on Instagram, writing, "The idea that this blue background, which I mixed and applied was in any way related to Tiffany Blue is so absurd that at first I chose not to comment. But this very perverse appropriation of the artist’s inspiration is just too much." You can read more of his message above.

Source: The Daily Beast