Need to come back to this, b/c what's so astonishingly smart about the shot here is not only the homage to Ringgold but also its setting before Napoleon's Coronation. The Louvre is FILLED w/art looted by him. And Beyoncé (The Queen) stands in front of Empress Josephine.
So much of this video focuses on revealing centuries of writing black people out of history, relegating black people to the sidelines (note all the details from paintings). And it's at times an exuberant restoration, placing Beyoncé & Jay-Z & accompanying dancers front & center.
So, to me, the line of women in front of Napoleon's Coronation is the crux of this video, its acknowledgment that the legacy of imperialism is at its core.
Been focusing on B, but: this video is called Apeshit. Here’s JayZ in Paris in the video saying he’s a gorilla in a coop. And here is a screenshot of him as Kanye says “..got my * in Paris and they just went gorillas.” 
There is a long and horrific history of white people justifying slavery and other atrocities against black people by comparing them to animals. Both videos, but especially Apeshit, are referring to this history.
Not news, but Jay Z has long been using fine art to assist in communicating his own messages. I didn’t want to ignore him in this conversation. vimeo.com/50600813
