The rapper isn't literally instructing black youths to sell drugs for money. "Take your drug money and buy the neighborhood. "Please don't die over the neighborhood that your mama rentin'," he said. Throughout the track, Hov is also letting us know how he acquired his billions, and, from experience, what steps we can all take to pour that wealth back into our communities - black communities, more specifically. If that seems far too obvious, don't worry. In "The Story of OJ," Jay Z makes it clear that the only way to really break the chains of financial slavery is to obtain wealth. Between the longstanding history of private banks targeting our communities and redlining our wealth, America has historically made a fortune off of keeping people of color below the poverty line. Those jokes about black people always having bad credit aren't at all funny when you understand the root of the issue. It comes as a result of systematic oppression and parameters put in place to prevent people of color from getting a hold of the same financial opportunities as their white counterparts. And that's not something that just happened yesterday. And living as if there's some kind of hierarchy within our race only does us all a disservice in the long run.Īccording to the Center for Global Policy Solutions' global wealth study, published in 2014, the median wealth for white families in American is 20 times more than that of black families. Throughout the song, the rapper is adamant that, at the end of the day - regardless of your wealth, status, or complexion - black is black. Jay Z, on the other hand, begs to differ. OK," which is a quote that OJ Simpson is not confirmed to have ever actually said but that echoes the idea that wealth and status somehow helped black people to transcend the color of their skin.
JAY Z THE BLACK ALBUM CARTOON SKIN
Right after the sweet samplings of Nina Simone singing "my skin is black," Jay Z rhymes: "OJ like, ' I'm not black, I'm OJ'. Just seeing the track's title alone should hint at what to expect when listening. But how, when you have some type of success, to transform that into something bigger." And that something bigger is thriving and forward-thinking communities for people of color. We all make money, and then we all lose money, as artists especially. While speaking to iHeartRadio about the meaning of "The Story of OJ," the rapper said the track "is really a song about we as a culture, having a plan, how we're gonna push this forward.
JAY Z THE BLACK ALBUM CARTOON HOW TO
The video for the song contrasts the past and present of black people in America to teach the community how to build a brighter future. "The Story of OJ" short film contains one such valuable gem and presents it in a way that forces folks to stand up and pay attention.
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But instead of focusing on Hov admitting that he almost lost "the baddest girl in the game," fans need to take a second to absorb the important lessons of the album. Jay Z’s 13th studio album, 4:44, deserves all of the praise that it's getting and then some.