What is a society without music criticism? Shall it shrivel into oblivion or persist through the dry cracks of rubble? To all my sisters and brothers in the struggle, “May Allah bless your career as a music critic” and remember to wash your hands for 20 seconds.
In the days ahead, we can all learn from Jay, Jay, and Joe. “That guilt trip ain’t gon’ work, don’t put your luggage on we / You ain’t keep the same energy for the du Ponts and Carnegies” he offers on “Universal Soldier,” setting aside the fact that his listeners were not alive during the Gilded Age. I would’ve stayed on the sidelines if they could’ve tackled the shit themselves” - “Flux Capacitor”ĭespite his billionaire status, across the album, Jay seems intent to simultaneously rebuke his detractors within the black community, while explaining his way of thinking. Got more money than Goodell, a whole NFL benchĭid it one-handed like Odell handcuffed to a jail “Why would I sell out? I’m already rich, don’t make no sense “I could never sell my soul, they sold they soul to me,” he begins the album before breaking down his thought process behind Roc Nation’s NFL deal five songs later. Across two verses on “The Ghost of Soulja Slim” and “Flux Capacitor,” Jay revolts against the idea that he’s become a “sellout.” For so long, Jay’s narrative conflict was internal, as a man at war with himself - his hubris, daddy issues, and fear of commitment - that it’s entertaining to see him use half a Jay Electronica album to essentially battle rap his far less wealthy detractors. On A Written Testimony, Jay can’t help but turn his recent cultural folly into a moment to dig his heels into the sand. At the time, Jay’s latest business venture was rightfully seen as hypocritical after the rapper spent the majority of the rollout for 2017’s 4:44, supporting Colin Kaepernick, only to partner with the same organization that still refuses to hire him. This is a version of Jay with some points to make, and he sounds more defiant than he has in ages.Įver since Jay-Z’s Roc Nation became the NFL’s “live music entertainment strategist” in August 2019, the rapper/mogul has been on the defensive. In fairness to all involved, if you’re going to call A Written Testimony a Jay Z album, it’s important to note that it’s a very good Jay Z album, in part because he came to this album ready to defend himself. J A Y E L E C T R O N I C A March 17, 2020 Jay-Z later founded Roc-A-Fella Records with close friends Damon Dash and Kareem 'Biggs.
Jay-Z began his music career in the 1980s, building a reputation as a fledgling rapper in his hometown of Brooklyn and collaborating with his mentor and fellow rapper Jaz-O. may Allah bless your career as a journalist. As of December 2014, Jay-Z has sold 29,179,000 studio albums in United States. May Allah bless your career as a journalist.” In response, Electronica replied with words that slightly crushed the soul of every journalist forced to work from home for the foreseeable future: “I never heard your albums bro. “I never got absolutely mopped around on my own project either,” Budden tweeted after the rapper tagged one of the podcast’s co-hosts, Rory.