Hip Hop Tarot

Ben Gore, the founder of Blue Monday Press is an experimental artist living in Folkestone, England who makes sculptures, skateboards, graphics, and bootleg toys.

Gore says that the “origin of the Hip Hop Tarot Deck came after I bought a symbology book from a charity shop. There was a big chapter on Tarot and it really intrigued me. I’ve always been a huge hip hop fan, so I thought it’d be fun to re-imagine the cards of the Tarot with rappers that reflect the personality of each of the cards"

Each of the 22 Major Arcana cards has been re-envisioned with a different rapper, with inspiration drawn from the Rider-Waite style.

Gore started with the hermit which he based on rapper MF DOOM “he was notoriously secretive, a bit of an outcast, and played this elusive super-villain character in his raps, so I thought he fit perfectly as the Hermit.” Gore has also created an action figure of the MF DOOM Hermit (seen right), which is for sale on his website.

Judgment is portrayed by Kanye West, Death by 2Pac, Temperance by Lauryn Hill, the World by Beyoncé, and the High Priestess by Nicki Minaj, among other rappers.

Gore says "it's fun when you get your cards read, you're also given a playlist of songs by the rappers from the cards you drew.”

Gore has just released Evergreen Fantasies, "a book collecting artwork inspired by The Simpsons from over 40 artists from around the world. I might have another deck of cards on the way next year, you’ll have to wait and see!”

The Hip Hop Tarot Cards are sturdy A6 cardboard, packaged in a plastic sleeve without a box. There is no booklet or interpretations provided. Visit Blue Monday Press ➤