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Meet the Artist Who Inspired Drake's 'Hotline Bling' Video

James Turell influenced Drizzy's colorful installations.

While the debate over D.R.A.M.s influence on the sound of “Hotline Bling” is still a valid discussion, we now know who inspired the music video. An American artist by the name of James Turell, 72, was the aesthetic force behind Drakes new video.  

CLICK FOR WHEN RAP MEETS THE ART WORLD

Fans have noticed the visual’s likeness to Sean Pauls "Gimme the Light" video, helmed by “Hotline Bling” director Little X. But as Noisey reports, Drake is actually taking a page from Turell’s "Light" exhibit, which he visited at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art last year.  

After the visit, the Toronto rapper posted a photo to Instagram with the caption “Drake x OVO” and as we can now see, Turell’s influence is all over the new video. Turell describes the work as “the cosmic to the plain everyday existence that we try to live in.”

Drake, meanwhile, is becoming quite the art enthusiast. He curated his very first Sotheby’s exhibit earlier in the year.  

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(Photos from Left: George Pimentel/WireImage, Jochen Luebke/dpa/Corbis)

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