“G.O.A.T.” is an acronym for “Greatest of All Time,” a phrase commonly used in American sports – made famous by Muhammad Ali, as well as in hip-hop – most notably as the title of Queens native LL Cool J’s best-selling album. The appropriation of the word “goat,” turning an insult into a moniker for excellence, demonstrates the power of wordplay, while the modifier again implies historical repetition.

“G.O.A.T.” also alludes to the African-American experience and political theater, which are both common themes in Ward’s work. The figure of the goat featured prominently in ‘Nari Ward: G.O.A.T., again’ as the artist’s articulation of social dynamics, conjuring the animal’s attributes and symbolic connotations, from an ambitious climber of great heights to an outcast.