Jay-Z Discusses Rap, Marriage and Being a Black Man in Trump’s America
- 6 years ago
Jay-Z Discusses Rap, Marriage and Being a Black Man in Trump’s America
And if you didn’t have a problem with the general statement I made about black people, and people eating watermelon and things like
that [the animated music video for the song, which references racist cartoons, includes a caricature of a black man eating watermelon] — if that was fine, [but] that line about wealth bothered you, then that’s very hypocritical, and, you know, that’s something within yourself.
Like, you know, as a young man, your music was the way a lot of young rappers are — it’s like, you know, [your music was about] the violent life.
Do you expect black people and white people and young people and old people to hear different things in your music?
It’s hard to perform ... songs, but, um, I feel it’s the most important work
that I’ve done and I’m very proud of it and the effect that it’s having on people.
And if you didn’t have a problem with the general statement I made about black people, and people eating watermelon and things like
that [the animated music video for the song, which references racist cartoons, includes a caricature of a black man eating watermelon] — if that was fine, [but] that line about wealth bothered you, then that’s very hypocritical, and, you know, that’s something within yourself.
Like, you know, as a young man, your music was the way a lot of young rappers are — it’s like, you know, [your music was about] the violent life.
Do you expect black people and white people and young people and old people to hear different things in your music?
It’s hard to perform ... songs, but, um, I feel it’s the most important work
that I’ve done and I’m very proud of it and the effect that it’s having on people.