These earrings are inspired by the art of Jean-Michel Basquiat. The crown was his signature motif. In some paintings, the crowns top nameless, generic figures; but more often, they crowned his heroes. These included renowned jazz musicians, and celebrated athletes. Like the royal titles that famous African American musicians have sometimes adopted as nicknames — such as Duke Ellington or Count Basie — Basquiat used crowns to ennoble his icons.