The AndAz West Hollywood Collection

French Canadian artist Jerome Rochette's unique street-pop-graffiti style is employed with whimsical brilliance as it explores the wicked irony of a "gangsta's paradise".  Inspired by Coolio's 1995 hit song, Rochette's imagery tells us that it's a jungle out there in the mean streets of urban America; an unforgiving place ruled by gangsta-kings with an iron fist and meditative mind:  "As they croak, I see myself in the pistol smoke". POW!   

Led Zeppelin's masterpiece "Stairway To Heaven" tells the story of "a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold" who is "buying a stairway to heaven".  The essence of her mysterious journey to paradise is captured by French Canadian artist Jean-Daniel Rohrer in his multi-media collage where layers upon layers of imagery both reveal and conceal at the same time.  The plethora of Zeppelin iconography blended throughout the painting is sure to please die hard fans of the band.  But for those late night moments where the call for deeper introspection comes through the whispering wind, the painting's layered colors, paint splatter, and mesmerizing imagery offers a feast for the imagination.  As this paradise story goes: "There's a sign on the wall, but she wants to be sure 'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings".

No one can accuse Lionel Dumas of not having a sense of humor.  In this tribute to Joan Jett's song about female rebellion, Dumas hopes to re-energize Jett's point of view by showing sweet and innocent Snow White smoking a joint.  "I don't give a damn about my reputation.  You are living in the past, it's a new generation".   You bet it is. 

Toronto artist Peter Horvath takes a deep dive into the iconography behind Childish Gambino's "This Is America".  With a creative eye on composition and a flare for storytelling, the artist assembles collage pieces that capture the mood and iconography of Gambino's rebellious world.  This includes spelling out the unforgettable lyric "Grandma told me get your money. This is America" 

The 1969 movie Easy Rider is a counter culture classic that defines the failed hippy American dream.   Steppenwolf's "Born To Be Wild" will forever be associated with scenes of  Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper cruising down the highway on their motorcycles, looking cool and searching for the meaning of freedom.  Toronto collage artist Peter Horvath connects the dots between the song and Peter Fonda's iconic "Captain America" persona using imagery that speaks to a time and place in history when the movie and soundtrack were part of the social zeitgeist.  The artwork even includes a crushed beer can and a crumpled pack of cigarettes, representing random discards along the highway as one is "looking for adventure, or whatever comes my way". 

"I like the way you talk" is the growling flirty phrase from John Lee Hooker's classic blues song "Boom Boom" that inspired Toronto artist Peter Horvath to make his JLH tribute artwork. 

Lou Reed's groovy song about sexual and gender liberation   was ahead of its time.  Finnish artist Matti Pietari Jarvinen uses his cubist style to express the rebelliousness of androgynous characters like Holly who "Hitch-hiked her way across the U.S.A, plucked her eyebrows on the way Shaved her legs and then he was a she". 

British artist Niki Hare heightens the impact of the written word by adding  layers of photographic image and starkly muted contrasting color to draw your attention to the  power of Nina's Simones civil rights protest song lyrics. 

Finnish artist Matti Pietari Jarvinen creates intrigue and mystery using a cubist portrait of Stevie Ray Vaughn in his artwork inspired by the lyrics to SRV's soulful song about loss. 

Spanish artist Mercedes Lagunas' vibrant color palette explodes with musical energy in her vibrant portrait of the legendary Muddy Waters, infused with random lyrics from his iconic song "Hoochie Coochie Man".   

Broken glass shards, mother of pearl, brick and mortar, and steel rods are the materials used by LA artist Mike Cohen in his sparkly Rolling Stones tribute "It's Just A Kiss Away". 

LA artist Lucky Luie draws inspiration from the classic Abby Road album cover. By reimagining the perspective of this famous image of the Fab Four, the artist breathes new life into something iconic and perhaps overly familiar.  Adding further intrigue into the scene, Lucky Luie incorporates  the lyrics "Get back to where you once belonged" into the scene; but of course, as any major fan of the Beatles knows, the song Get Back is not on the album Abby Road.  Perhaps the artist is trying to tell us something about the Beatles or maybe even ourselves; either way it's always fun when something gets your mind a-wonderin'.