Putting Tracks on the Map

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Jay Shells, an artist currently working in New York, is taking favorite rap lyrics and putting the tracks on the map … all over the Big Apple.

This project, which Shells calls “Rap Quotes,” consists of homemade but very official-looking street signs bearing rap lyrics at the specific locations of the songs they appear in. For example, near Jay-Z’s original home in the Marcy Projects, in Brooklyn, you can find: “Cough up a lung / where I’m from Marcy son / ain’t nothing nice.”

Featuring lyrics all from New York hip hop tracks, Shells has quoted Busta Rhymes, Cam’ron, KRS One, Kanye West, Pharoahe Monch, Capital Steez, Puff Daddy, and many, many others. Track the ongoing project on the artist’s Twitter for updates and more signs.

Tony DeGenaro is an MFA candidate at the University of San Francisco. His poetry has been seen in Rusted Radishes, Quiz & Quill, and his chapbook, “Drink From the Ohio River,” was published at Otterbein University. He is an Ohio native and not afraid to show it. Tony is also a prolific blogger and twitter-er. More from this author →