He mad at ya’ll. Ya’ll really got to him!
I love the message of the video. Black potential, excellence and success. Who can argue with that. Nobody.
And also.....Jay Z and Pharrel needed to remind ya’ll the importance of entrepreneurship in the Black community to deflect a little from their lack of physical involvement in the movement.
I mean.... that’s what I got from the track.
But they care! The chorus is “Black man” chanting a zillion times. Because if you can’t hold the sign saying it in front of the police, why not just record the message in a state of the art home studio over beaucoup thousands of dollars worth of production?
I’m kidding...... but seriously.
I know where Jay Z is at and I’m at peace with it. I was conflicted at first but the visibility of an influential Black capitalist of this magnitude is needed in America. It’s about time.
I have come to the understanding that there is no way America would afford him his next phase of upward mobility and wealth without some proper hazing from the good ole boys of America.
You can’t just have it all. He know this—as his pockets continue to grow more and more he is simultaneously condemned to an eternal balancing act.
He can’t get too “in the streets” and shit because of the good ole boys! But his ass is still Black and he’s a capitalist not a coon so to a large extent, his heart is still with the community.
He needs to appease The Blacks. So here ya’ll go. You happy? Shit. Each side wanting more of him for its own vindication and proliferation.
Ima just let this man exist in the grey for me. He is what he is and there’s much to learn from it.
And as for the song Jay Z maintains his genius level bars in that lone rap verse. The song is aiight and I’m cool with that too. It progressively starts sounding better and affirmed. Neither of them have shit to prove and it shows. It grows on you.
Pharrell falsetto ain’t what it used to be.
And what’s really good with those Eisenhower samples he’s been throwing over his latest tracks?
It’s a White man speaking like he’s delivering a speech. There’s some motif continuity to it but I dont know what it is. I’m not sure many others do either. I know I heard it on the NERD and Rihanna track Lemon and on Ariana Grande The Light is Coming track.
I wonder how Pharrel Williams “New American” identity ties into all this. “New Americans” are sort of a diet version of conservative Black “free thinkers”.
Raven Symone and a few others talked about it. They’ve been quiet as of late but I wonder where Pharrell is at with it.
There’s a butthurt vulnerability and vibe to this track because Jay Z comes for the social media platforms in his bars. It’s very capitalist. Do for yourself self starting but also “stop waiting for folks to throw you a bone” he raps. hmmmm. That gave me some pause. It sounds like a reinvention. A little conservative? I’m intrigued.
I truly love seeing the times referenced like this. Jay Z is of Gen X and didnt have to worry about much of social media like this for the majority of his career, now that he’s older and having to deal with it, I truly wonder how he’s dealing with it.
Hopefully he’ll continue to channel it artistically and more butthurt brilliance will come of it.
