Current Events > Jay Z compares being called a capitalist to slurs

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.thedailybeast.com/jay-z-takes-on-capitalism-and-eat-the-rich-critics-in-twitter-space-interview

... In a snippet being circulated on social media, Jay-Z addresses those who have criticized his business ventures and pro-capitalist approach to activism throughout his career.

We not gone stop, the musician said. Hip-hop is young. We still growing. We not falling for that trick-nology the public puts out there now. Before it was the American Dream. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps. You can make it in Americaall these lies that America told us our whole life. And then when we start getting it, they try to lock us out of it. They start inventing words like capitalist and things like that. Weve been called [n-words] and monkeys and shit. I dont care what words yall come up with. Yall gotta come with stronger words.

He added: We went our alternative route, we made this music, we did our thing. You know, we hustled, we fucking killed ourselves to get to this space and now its like, eat the rich. Man, were not stopping.

The internet seemed both perplexed and humored by Jay-Zs comments, particularly his belief that capitalist is some illegitimate or derogatory term invented to bring down the Black community. Additionally, folks pointed out the disparity between Jays conservative economic views and his admiration for radical, anti-capitalist Black leaders such as Malcolm X and Fred Hampton in his lyrics.

Despite most famous musicians partaking in capitalist ventures and flaunting their riches, Jay-Z has become an especially controversial figure over the past few years for his emphasis on money-making as a path to Black liberation. This ideology has long been embedded in his music but has come under more scrutiny as his fanbase evolves politically. For instance, the rapper was sharply criticized when he announced a partnership with the NFL amid the leagues countless racism scandals and even criticized Colin Kaepernickwhom he once supported in a songfor his method of protesting the league. He also infamously encouraged Black people to engage in gentrification in a song he performed in a tribute for slain rapper Nipsey Hussle.

Most recently, Jay-Z came under fire for a financial literacy program he launched with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey called The Bitcoin Academy for residents of Brooklyns Marcy Houses, the public housing complex where he grew up. Amid growing backlash against the use of cryptocurrencyparticularly, celebrities promoting the financially risky digital currency to their followersthe program was met with sharp criticism on social media. Residents of Marcy Houses also criticized the rapper for being out of touch with his former community in an article for The Guardian.

Lol

B7 for saying the c-word.

Antifar posted...

The internet seemed both perplexed and humored by Jay-Zs comments, particularly his belief that capitalist is some illegitimate or derogatory term invented to bring down the Black community.

Wtf

I mean Jay-Z is literally a capitalist. He builds his wealth by owning businesses.

I don't even hate Jay but objectively he's a capitalist lol

Think he just doesn't like the negative connotations associated with the word. He put in all this work to get to where he is and doesn't want people to cast a negative light on him for it.

JayZ with the Midlife CriZis

He was born in the projects, and became a billionaire, yet he thinks you cant make it in America?

mustachedmystic posted...

He was born in the projects, and became a billionaire, yet he thinks you cant make it in America?

what he means is he understands he was extremely lucky and that will not happen to 99.999% of people but the "american dream" sells the idea that wealth will come to anyone who just works hard

Ryuko_Chan posted...

what he means is he understands he was extremely lucky and that will not happen to 99.999% of people but the "american dream" sells the idea that wealth will come to anyone who just works hard

The funny part is that he started building his wealth by doing illegal shit

Ryuko_Chan posted...

what he means is he understands he was extremely lucky and that will not happen to 99.999% of people but the "american dream" sells the idea that wealth will come to anyone who just works hard

Then he should have said that.

that's pretty clear the way jay z said it.

i guess jay z skipped reading karl marx and pierre proudhon

i bet he actually read machiavelli tho

There's only one correct answer to this topic and since all of you failed I will do it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfyQ8muKLdc

_Angel_ posted...

There's only one correct answer to this topic and since all of you failed I will do it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfyQ8muKLdc

I was just listening to got urself a gun lol

He sounds ridiculous and is rightfully getting dragged by black and white folk alike

Adam posted...

I was just listening to got urself a gun lol

Said it before and I will say it again, I listen to this everyday in the morning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeQzYpxcrR4

I'm listening to King's Disease 1&2 heavy too though

Does he not understand he's still going to be unimaginably wealthy even after tax adjustments? He's acting like people want him to be broke.

I can kind of understand where he's coming from in that we are finally at a point where black people have finally started to gain more money and power and being hit with a backlash seems a bit troubling since this country has been fine propping up white businessmen and women for so long.

But.....a lot of stuff Jay's been saying and doing loses me. So I get what he's saying but his actions don't really mesh well with it.

Also Ether sucks soo bad. It's aged like milk. I get why it's held in such high regard historically but man I hate it. Beat goes hard tho.

This is why money is scary.

You go through all the shit Jay-Z went through and still sonehow end up thinking some extremely stupid shit like this.

Is it safe to call it victim syndrome when you're literally considering yourself a victim for being called out for getting rich lol. Bruh, go cry in your money.

I like Jay-Z too. This just is some goofy shit. I'll be bumpin 4:44 next week though lol. Dude literally put a song on there teaching people how to game capitalism instead of wasting their money. Which is good advice when those 2 things are the options and it's a dope ass song. But jusus christ, that money really seeps deep into your brain sometimes.

Kastrada posted...

I can kind of understand where he's coming from in that we are finally at a point where black people have finally started to gain more money and power and being hit with a backlash seems a bit troubling since this country has been fine propping up white businessmen and women for so long.

Art from all centuries prove that people were never fine with this. It's just the people in power convince you everyone is fine with it so that you become complacent and feel outcasted for thinking otherwise.

The voice of the capitalists at the top were way louder than anyone elses before the internet. They were the ones that could afford to be heard.

We have people like Bob Marley and everyone supporting him in earlier art. And further back than that but that's when I start losing specifics real quick.

The sentiment is correct. He's just using the wrong wording as an example.