As the 2025 Junos were celebrated, acclaimed music producer Boi-1da (Matthew Jehu Samuels) received the 2025 JUNO International Achievement Award. In honor of his achievement, ADVANCE Music Canada, Canada’s Black Music Business Collective, commissioned me to paint his portrait.
Entitled Boi-1da: The Beats Beyond the Mask, the concept is derived from the influence of Boi-1da’s name, Robin the Boy Wonder, and merges the iconic music producer with the iconic superhero. The composition is based on a comic book panel from a vintage issue of World’s Finest Comics #153 (c.1965). The panel itself has become a well-known image in pop culture, frequently used and recognized in the form of meme art.
While the original comic book panel showed Robin’s legendary partner Batman slapping Robin during an argument, this piece remixes the visuals by reversing the roles. However, instead of conflict, the tone of the piece is now one reflecting a mood of upliftment as Boi-1da hits Batman with a symphony of beats, symbolized through the record that Boi-1da is holding. In doing so, the Dark Knight, usually stoic in demeanor, breaks into a big grin as he is sent into musical ecstasy by the audio waves moving through him.
Boi-1da: The Beats Beyond the Mask is meant to convey the influence of Boi-1da’s work in the music industry and its long-lasting cultural effects across the world.
The colors of Boi-1da’s superhero attire not only match those of Robin’s original costume, but are also representative of the Jamaican flag, a nod to Samuels’ Caribbean roots. Also fitting is the red colored background which is the color of the original comic book panel background, while also representing and symbolizing Boi-1da’s Canadian ties.
