August 1, 2025
Created by Fahamu Pecou the portrait coincides with the 20th anniversary of Jeezy’s debut album, “Thug Motivation: 101.”
Jay “Jeezy” Jenkins debuted a self-portrait created by Dr. Fahamu Pecou.
The unveiling took place at the Johnson Lowe Gallery in Atlanta. Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of Jenkins’s debut album, Thug Motivation: 101, the gathering was a celebration of longevity and transformation.
The sale of the image will benefit Jeezy Jenkins’s Street Dreamz Foundation and Pecou’s African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta. The portrait displays the rapper in an all-white ensemble. He sits atop what appears to be a stool reading a fictitious book, They We Didn’t Realize We Were Seeds. Additionally, Jenkins is surrounded by symbolic imagery: a school chair, a clear backpack filled with cowrie shells, engraved with his signature snowman emblem, and more.
In an essay on Substack, Pecou wrote about the significance of Jeezy’s legacy and metamorphosis over the years. She celebrates his decades-long journey and likens his walk to that of Black people in general. Dr. Pecou believes the Soul Survivor rapper’s music is “both mirror and map—a reflection of struggle” and “a blueprint for transformation.”
“This collaboration is a celebration of legacy—not just Jeezy’s or mine, but the broader legacy of Black creativity that thrives in the face of constraint. It honors what we’ve survived, what we’ve built, and what we continue to imagine,” Pecou wrote.
The event highlighted a growing trend where artists and musicians partner to channel creativity in order to uplift their respective communities.
Indeed, Jeezy has been on a roll supporting Atlanta communities. On July 26, the rapper partnered with Local Initiatives Support Corporation to organize a community day for College Park residents.
Atlanta and its artists continue to thrive and continue its rich cultural history. The unveiling reflects Jeezy’s ambition to merge art, business, and social uplift in ways that generate both inspiration and impact.
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