We finally have our answer to the question on everyone’s minds following Monday night’s “Hotline Bling” video drop.
No, not “Is Drake’s dancing just dorky or so dorky it’s crossed over into suave?” We’ll all go to our graves turning that one over in our heads. Instead, legendary artist James Turrell has finally clarified whether or not the video design was a Turrell production or just….heavily Turrell inspired. (The artist is best known for ambient light installations á la “Hotline Bling’s” minimalist backgrounds.)
Lawyer Donn Zaretsky, who represents Turrell, has posted a short statement on his blog:
While I am truly flattered to learn that Drake f*cks with me, I nevertheless wish to make clear that neither I nor any of my woes was involved in any way in the making of the Hotline Bling video.
Turrell, of course, is referencing Drake’s 2014 Rolling Stone cover profile (“I fuck with Turrell…He was a big influence on the visuals for my last tour”) and the chorus to “Know Yourself,” the breakout track from Drake’s January mixtape If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late. Good to know that, at 72, Turrell both knows what kids these days are up to and has a healthy sense of humor about Aubrey jacking his swag. We ship it.