Jay Z says 'My presence is charity', compares self to Obama in response to Harry Belafonte's critici

[whatstruistru]

I stop reading right there ... NOTHING MORE THAN A FIGURE HEAD?

"The farmer imagines power and place are fine things. But the President has paid dear for his White House. It has commonly cost him all his peace, and the best of his manly attributes. To preserve for a short time so conspicuous an appearance before the world, he is content to eat dust before the real masters who stand erect behind the throne." from Compensation by Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803 -1872 

 

[lordofcastamere]

Only a few of those dude in the hood will make it out if they follow Jay's blueprint. 

Not his musical blueprint, but I'm talking about the blueprint that allowed him to come into the game a hundred grand strong from grinding g packs.

There is only one Jay, and if he's providing hope, that's more or less what Jesse Jackson did when he ran for President in the late 80's.

Jay is selling dreams. 

Obama is the real hope because he did it the honest and legit way. You can say it's square or whatever, but if the dudes out there hustling now think they can rise up like Jay, that's wishful thinking for most.  

You have to go get it. But the true means is the educational route. Jay should not have compared himself to Obama.

LOL @ your interpretation oF how jay-z made it big. Jayz's drug dealing didn't make him rich, after all rap music is fraught with musicians who glorify that lifestyle and most of them are riding in rented cars. Jay-z possesses qualities of what makes someone successful. An intelligent person would ask themselves what separates jay-z from the rest who failed.

For the record, jayz doesn't only cater to "hood people". Depending on your upbring I suppose some people are smart enough to filter out jay-z drug dealing pasts and see what he has made of himself "legitimately".

 

[knowledgebones72]

Just putting a thought out there...we might actually be gods, and our artists are trying to get us to admit to and realize or potential through a shift of ideas and thought processes.



[Hook: Justin Timberlake]
Have you ever been to heaven?
Have you ever seen the gates?
Have you bowed unto your highness?
And do you know how heaven taste? Knock me down

[Verse 1]
Arm, leg, leg, arm, head – this is God body
Knowledge, wisdom, freedom, understanding, we just want our equality
Food, clothing, shelter, help a ***** find some peace
Happiness for a gangsta, ain't no love in these streets
Conspiracy theorist screaming Illuminati
They can't believe this much skill is in the human body
He's 6'2", how the **** he fit in a new Bugatti?
Aw, **** it, you got me
Question religion, question it all
Question existence until them questions are solved
Meanwhile this heretic, I be out in Marrakesh
Morocco smoking ha***** with my fellowship
Y'all dwell on devil ****, I'm in a Diablo
Yellow ****, color of Jell-O ****
Hello *****, it's me again
Fresh in my Easter clothes feeling like Jesus and

[Hook]

[Bridge: Jay-Z]
That's me in the corner, that's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion, losing my religion

[Verse 2]
Getting ghost in the Ghost, can you see me? Can you see me?
Have mercy on a Judas, angel wings on a 'ghini
I'm secular, tell the hecklers seckle down
Y'all religion creates division like my Maybach partition
And God is my chauffeur, boy they love Hova
From the south side of Chi to Brooklyn where I growed up
I confess, God in the flesh
Live among the serpents, turn arenas into churches
I'm like Michael, recycle, these are not 16's
These are verses from the Bible
Tell that preacher he's a preacher, I'm a motha******' prophet
Smoke a tree of knowledge, drink from a gold chalice
You gotta love it, I arrive at the pearly gates
I had luggage, meaning I had baggage
****** asking me questions, I don't answer to these busters
Only God could judge us, motha****as, uh

[Hook]

[Outro: Justin Timberlake]
Heaven or Hell, the cards we been dealt
Are the cards that we play, play, play
Die for what you believe, only one god recedes
When the shots spray, spray, spray

 

[whatstruistru]

I stop reading right there ... NOTHING MORE THAN A FIGURE HEAD?

I already head a few inspirational story so I comment for all, but IMHO when I think of Jay Z and many other rappers in regards to spreading/giving hope/inspiration, I think about dope dealers/murders/criminals trying to make it big by following his blueprint.

We got a disenfranchised youth who made lemonade with lemons AND...you're mad because he didn't make grape juice.  He aint have no grapes homie.

 

[shoelyesses]

I stop reading right there ... NOTHING MORE THAN A FIGURE HEAD?

Um in a sense yes

Duties of the President:

1. The information the president gives Congress is called the State of the Union address.

2. The president can make suggestions that Congress pass certain legislation.

3. He can convene (call into official session)one or both houses.

4. The president receives ambassadors and public ministers of foreign powers.

5. Represent the citizens of their nation.

So in other words he informs congress what the ppl want. He can make suggestions to ppl who actually make decisions. He can call both parties to discuss issues they disagree with. And he represent and speaks on behalf of our country.

So yes a figure head

 

[keko jones]

"The farmer imagines power and place are fine things. But the President has paid dear for his White House. It has commonly cost him all his peace, and the best of his manly attributes. To preserve for a short time so conspicuous an appearance before the world, he is content to eat dust before the real masters who stand erect behind the throne." from Compensation by Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803 -1872 

So because he said that, it's gospel?

Bruh - with all the respect, you don't know what you talking about!

The president sets/voids policies that affect the masses.

He can start/end wars.

He can make a difference for the better or worst.

Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.
Adolf Hitler  
 

 

[gllahone84]

LOL @ your interpretation or how jay-z made it big. Jayz's drug dealing didn't make him rich, after all rap music is fraught with musicians who glorify that lifestyle. Jay-z possesses qualities of what makes someone successful.

For the record, jayz doesn't only cater to "hood people". Depending on your upbring I suppose some people are smart enough to filter out jay-z drug dealing pasts and see what he has made of himself "legitimately".

You sure about that? 

He said he came into the game already straight. So how did it happen?

What are these qualities you speak of?

Jay snaked mad dudes to get to this point today. 

 

[frankmatthews]

I stop reading right there ... NOTHING MORE THAN A FIGURE HEAD?

You need to start reading right there. You gotta be one corrupt dude who knows how to play politics under the table to even get your party nomination to run for president. It amazes me how people can watch someone like Bush steal the presidency and then think some do-gooder, average black man with the voice of the people can win president organically and even further, follow through on the hope and change nonsense he preached on the campaign. It's all rigged man. All of it.

Obama is to the conservative right what Bush was to the liberal left. It's all a game to further conspiracy theory mindsets and foster hate and distrust. Your Obama vilifiers are the exact opposite demographic of your bush/9-11 conspiracy theorists, now the whole country hates the system which necessarily needs a replacement. Hmmmm. Everything is going how it's supposed to, blee dat.

 

[Jordan8]

Jay doesn't lend a voice to real issues, and when I use to listen to a dude like Nas growing up he made me want to learn something.

Like when I first heard If I Ruled the World, that was major for a young dude, because it was lyrical and full of substance. 

Not the case with Jay. He hasn't made one track in the vein of If I Ruled the World, or anything that touches on real issues. 

If I'm wrong please correct me, but you would have to point out a track that transcends his typical braggadocious flair. 

When Nas does a track like These Are Our Heroes, he's not playing it safe. But Nas is too inconsistent for me at this point. He does a project like Distant Relatives then reverts back to the bs. But this is about Jay. 

Jay never speaks on anything real like Talib, or Mos would do. It's like he's scared or something. He just cares about the paper. 

Like he says he's anti-Santa Maria, but then he goes on to say he doesn't even like Washington's in his pocket, black card go hard when he's shopping. 

It makes no sense if you really think about. 

Black community has enough people talking on issues we deal with everyday. Aint nobody doing **** to change it. Just preaching.

Who's showing a TRUE way out?

Like I said Jay influenced a lot of young dudes to go the business route. Why? because we saw the transformation he made from a ***** to a businessman. 50 too. I like what Jay Morrison is doing too.

Before Jay you would have thought all this business **** was reserved for the Harvard student, born rich white people or minorities born with a silver spoon

Before Obama you would have thought the presidency was truly only for white men.

So for an ambitious cat with no real outlet other than hustling.....just having the images or models to show that it can happen the legal route that provides "hope"

a synonym for hope is encouragement ....

a synonym for encouragement is aid....

a synonym for aid is...........charity.....

so what are we really arguing about in here? Semantics?

 

[Jordan8]

And if the whole Drug dealing thing means he cant be a role model

Then I better not hear a Malcolm X quote come from you.

You better not say **** about the racist *** Ghandi either.

MLK cheated on his wife so his presence cant be a charity either right?

 

[keko jones]

Um in a sense yes

Duties of the President:

1. The information the president gives Congress is called the State of the Union address.

2. The president can make suggestions that Congress pass certain legislation.

3. He can convene (call into official session)one or both houses.

4. The president receives ambassadors and public ministers of foreign powers.

5. Represent the citizens of their nation.

So in other words he informs congress what the ppl want. He can make suggestions to ppl who actually make decisions. He can call both parties to discuss issues they disagree with. And he represent and speaks on behalf of our country.

So yes a figure head

Who is saying he is not a figure head, but only a figure head? Come on dude - I know what the Commander in Chief does. 

Let's see congress try to pass a law that he doesn't like and/nor approve.

VETO POWER!

That's more than just a figure head!

 

[knowledgebones72]

Here's another track off Hov's latest album where he apparently never talks about anything:


[Intro]
(You see this ************* face)
Blessings, blessings, yeah, I see..

[Hook: Frank Ocean]
Elephant tusk on the bow of a sailing lady, docked on the Ivory Coast
Mercedes in a row winding down the road
I hope my black skin don't dirt this white tuxedo before the Basquiat show
And if so, well **** it, **** it
Because this water drown my family, this water mixed my blood
This water tells my story, this water knows it all
Go ahead and spill some champagne in the water
Go ahead and watch the sun blaze on the waves of the ocean

[Verse 1: Jay-Z]
Dope boy still smelling like cocaina
White boat, white robe, can he be more cleaner
The oil spill that BP ain't clean up
I'm anti-Santa Maria
Only Christopher we acknowledge is Wallace
I don't even like Washingtons in my pocket
Black card go hard when I'm shopping
Boat dock in front of Hermes picking cotton
Silk and fleeces, lay on my Jesus
Oh my God, I hope y'all don't get seasick
See me in **** you never saw
If it wasn't for these pictures they wouldn't see me at all
Aww, whole world's in awe
I crash through glass ceilings, I break through closed doors
I'm on the ocean, I'm in heaven
Yachting, Ocean 11

[Hook]

[Verse 2: Jay-Z]
Me and Ty Ty is like Pablo and Popeye
Winding dirt roads on mopeds spilling Opus
Welcome to the magnum opus, the Magna Carta
The best-selling author Decoded
On the holiday playing "Strange Fruit"
If I'mma make it to a billi I can't take the same route
Swoosh, that's the sound of the border
Swoosh, and that's the sound of a baller
Muhammad Hovi my back against the rope
The black Maybach, I'm back inside the boat
Shepard Fairey they finally gave me some hope
Can't believe they got a ***** to vote
Democrat? Nope, I sold dope
In trouble waters I had to learn how to float
On the ocean, I'm in heaven
Yachting, Ocean 11

[Hook]

 

[antidope]

Lost ones? Serious?

That last verse? His nephew died in a car that he bought him..... Cause that amount of guilt isnt a real issue.

Jay-Z is da most superficial of da elite rappers b..

No way around it.

There's not alot of content compared to his

colleagues.

The issue is that you guys have a close minded definition of what content is. His music is filled with plenty of content. One does not need to speak on social ills 24/7 to have their music have substance which is all people have been using as the basis for their argument in here.

Here's another track off Hov's latest album where he apparently never talks about anything:


[Intro]
(You see this ************* face)
Blessings, blessings, yeah, I see..

[Hook: Frank Ocean]
Elephant tusk on the bow of a sailing lady, docked on the Ivory Coast
Mercedes in a row winding down the road
I hope my black skin don't dirt this white tuxedo before the Basquiat show
And if so, well **** it, **** it
Because this water drown my family, this water mixed my blood
This water tells my story, this water knows it all
Go ahead and spill some champagne in the water
Go ahead and watch the sun blaze on the waves of the ocean

[Verse 1: Jay-Z]
Dope boy still smelling like cocaina
White boat, white robe, can he be more cleaner
The oil spill that BP ain't clean up
I'm anti-Santa Maria
Only Christopher we acknowledge is Wallace
I don't even like Washingtons in my pocket
Black card go hard when I'm shopping
Boat dock in front of Hermes picking cotton
Silk and fleeces, lay on my Jesus
Oh my God, I hope y'all don't get seasick
See me in **** you never saw
If it wasn't for these pictures they wouldn't see me at all
Aww, whole world's in awe
I crash through glass ceilings, I break through closed doors
I'm on the ocean, I'm in heaven
Yachting, Ocean 11

[Hook]

[Verse 2: Jay-Z]
Me and Ty Ty is like Pablo and Popeye
Winding dirt roads on mopeds spilling Opus
Welcome to the magnum opus, the Magna Carta
The best-selling author Decoded
On the holiday playing "Strange Fruit"
If I'mma make it to a billi I can't take the same route
Swoosh, that's the sound of the border
Swoosh, and that's the sound of a baller
Muhammad Hovi my back against the rope
The black Maybach, I'm back inside the boat
Shepard Fairey they finally gave me some hope
Can't believe they got a ***** to vote
Democrat? Nope, I sold dope
In trouble waters I had to learn how to float
On the ocean, I'm in heaven
Yachting, Ocean 11

[Hook]

I see Yachts and Benzes there he goes talking about money again

.

 

[keko jones]

You need to start reading right there. You gotta be one corrupt dude who knows how to play politics under the table to even get your party nomination to run for president. It amazes me how people can watch someone like Bush steal the presidency and then think some do-gooder, average black man with the voice of the people can win president organically and even further, follow through on the hope and change nonsense he preached on the campaign. It's all rigged man. All of it.

Obama is to the conservative right what Bush was to the liberal left. It's all a game to further conspiracy theory mindsets and foster hate and distrust. Your Obama vilifiers are the exact opposite demographic of your bush/9-11 conspiracy theorists, now the whole country hates the system which necessarily needs a replacement. Hmmmm. Everything is going how it's supposed to, blee dat.

Bruh - Who is talking about Obama here?

I'm talking about the President of the US being much more than just a figure head with no power.

Obviously by your comments you have proven that he is much more than just a figure head for the better or worst.

That's all I'm saying!

 

[shoelyesses]

So because he said that, it's gospel?

Bruh - with all the respect, you don't know what you talking about!

The president sets/voids policies that affect the masses.

He can start/end wars.

He can make a difference for the better or worst.

Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.
Adolf Hitler  
 

He can only set/void policies with the consent of the senate.

He can start/end wars in a state of an emergency. Otherwise he needs a congressional approval.

Not to minimize what he does.... But dude just cant make bills/pass bills, start wars, pass and deny laws etc... all willy nilly whenever he feels like it, in which your making it seem like.

 

[shoelyesses]

Who is saying he is not a figure head, but only a figure head? Come on dude - I know what the Commander in Chief does. 

Let's see congress try to pass a law that he doesn't like and/nor approve.

VETO POWER!

That's more than just a figure head!

I mean I just laid it out in exact terms... You suggested it as if dude have some free range and can do whatever/whenever/however he so pleases. Like some God. It takes extreme and circumstantial situations for the pres to have that power. To which doesn't happen on a regular basis. 

 

[knowledgebones72]

The intro to Jay Z's "Fwithmeuknowigotit":

[Intro: Pimp C]
"A little over a year ago I was in bondage, and now I'm back out here reaping the blessings and getting the benefits that go along with it, everything that's out here for kings like us. The reason why we like this, this jewelry and this diamonds and stuff, they don't understand is, because we really from Africa, and that's where all this stuff come from. And we originated from kings, you know what I'm saying? So don't look down on the youngsters because they wanna have shiny things. It's in our genes, know what I'm saying? We just don't all know our history, so—"

 

[whatstruistru]

So because he said that, it's gospel?

Bruh - with all the respect, you don't know what you talking about!

The president sets/voids policies that affect the masses.

He can start/end wars.

He can make a difference for the better or worst.

Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.
Adolf Hitler  
 

I take nothing as gospel unless it makes sense to me.  I've long felt MOST politicians are nothing more than leeches who live off the actual work of the people they "rule".  I read it, agreed with it and shared it with you for some perspective.  

Maybe there's some truth to the president being a figurehead or maybe I'm wrong.  Either way, to me and 1000s of people like me. The president is a figure head because he ultimately represents the interests of the $ behind him similar to the CEO of General Motors.

I don't know everything but I know quite a bit of what I talk about and the president TALKS a big game but he's a figure head.  Blah blah blah VETO power etc, the system is broken, it's been broken and he doesn't reflect my interests or yours. He is a figure head there to give hope and pacify the melanin infused masses.

We can ALL make a difference for better or worst in our own personal lives and what you do in your life will have more of an effect than what Obama, Romney, Bush or any politician will do for you.  

I'm not going to address the Hitler comparison because I'm not sure where it's going. 

 

[gllahone84]

And if the whole Drug dealing thing means he cant be a role model

Then I better not hear a Malcolm X quote come from you.

You better not say **** about the racist *** Ghandi either.

MLK cheated on his wife so his presence cant be a charity either right?

Why are you even comparing these dudes with Jay?

Malcolm changed for the better, let's not act like Malcolm continued to glorify his past life well into his mid 40's. Malcolm stopped glorifying that lifestyle even before he converted. 

MLK was on the front lines fighting for the struggle. These are men who wound up dead for all of this. Men who were conscious. 

Jay is all about his bread and that's really what it comes down to. 

Who really cares about his Picasso and Basquiat artwork, along with his affinity for Tom Ford? Come on man, ya'll gotta stop putting him in the same breath as Malcolm and King seriously. 

And if a politician is a leech, what's the difference in Jay leeching off his people without bringing any kind of awareness to social causes?

This dude never speaks on anything man. Nothing. 

He said he wants a billion ok...exactly for what?

If dude reaches a billion dollars, and African Americans are less than 13% of the US total population, dudes will just say look man Jay got a billion, I can get a billion too...come on, be realistic.

Selfish interests are not hard to conceal. Then he says ahhh **** it I want a trillion...

Did you ever hear Malcolm and King glorifying money at the expense of the people? They recognized the conditions and were brave enough to speak on it, and hopefully cause enough debate to where change can occur. 

King was responsible for so much change that was actually beneficial. 

 

[lordofcastamere]

I don't understand...is there a new wave of popular rap musicians not rapping about money at least once in every song?

Dudes ignore the entire message in the song then point out one line where he says he's rich.

Eg. ignorant sh*T, everyone knows the message behind the song. Has nothing to do with bragging about how many cars you have but I'm sure there's a reference to it in the song. But somehow that takes away from the overall message. Even Nas raps about how rich he is in a lot of songs. The most excessive song/ music vid in rap history is Hate me now. I'm more of a Nas fan bdw.

 

[knowledgebones72]

How bout the lyrics to FUTW?



[Intro]
Just let me be great, let me be great
I feel like motha******' Cassius Clay right now, Genius!
Don't be good my *****, be great
After that government cheese, we eating steak
After the projects, now we on estates
I'm from the bottom, I know you can relate

[Hook]
**** up the world
Just **** up this world
**** up the world

[Verse 1]
Me and destiny got a date
Martin had a dream, Hov got a team
My chain already heavy, don't let me get a ring
Parades down Flatbush, Confetti on my fur
Turn right in Red Hook, ****** heavy on the curb
See most my ****** died early twenties or late teens
I'm just trying to come from under the thumb of this regime
1% of a billion more than ****** even seen
Still they wanna act like it's an everyday thing, clean

[Hook]
**** up this world
**** up the, uhh

[Verse 2]
High Yellow sky dweller and the rose gold
Legend of the summer in the Rose Bowl
Came through Pasadena in the low-low
Just to show respect to the cholos
Feelin' like a stranger in my own land
Got me feeling like Brody in Homeland
I just want a shot to show my genius
Standing on the top hold my penis
America tried to emasculate the greats
Murder Malcolm, gave Cassius the shakes
Wait, tell them rumble young man rumble
Try to dim your lights tell you be humble
You know I'm gon' shine like a trillion watts
You know a ***** trill as Michael Jackson socks
Sendin' light out to Compton and the hundred blocks
Lil bastard boy, basking on top

[Hook]
I **** up this world
Just **** up this world
Let's **** up the world
**** up the, uhh

[Verse 3]
Sipping D'USSE boy this ain't your daddy yak
He in a Cadillac; me? I'm in the Maybach
This ain't grey sweat suits and white tube socks
This is black leather pants and a pair of Stance
Socks is my synopsis is clear
Got stripclubs feeling like Oxford, I swear
Teacher-teacher, I'm trying to unteach ya
All the **** they taught y'all, they got you all in the bleachers
When you front row at the Knicks game, those the Spike Lees
You front row everywhere, you in the H.O.V.'s
Jordan 1's and dungarees
And that's just the half of my warpath
Make a million another million let my ****** make a million
'til we all check a billion, **** it's just the way I'm feeling
We have yet to see a ceiling, we just top what we top
Cause the bars don't struggle and the struggle don't stop

[Hook]
Just **** up this world

 

[frankmatthews]

Bruh - Who is talking about Obama here?

I'm talking about the President of the US being much more than just a figure head with no power.

Obviously by your comments you have proven that he is much more than just a figure head for the better or worst.

That's all I'm saying!

"Puppet for wealthy business interests via lobbying firms" is probably more accurate than "figurehead" if that suits you better. JFK is what happens when presidents try to flex that power your poly sci book talks about. The reality isn't so black and white as the power he's given on paper would make it appear.

 

[lordofcastamere]

You sure about that? 

He said he came into the game already straight. So how did it happen?

What are these qualities you speak of?

Jay snaked mad dudes to get to this point today. 

I never said he came into the game straight, I said drug dealing didn't make him a billionaire.

A lot of business men, rich and human beings in general are "snakes". Jay-z isn't any better or worse. He sold millions of records, and instead of taking the MC Hammer route he made a lot of great investments. He intelligent, charismatic, a great strategist....doesn't hurt that he's actually decent at making music. You could argue his whole marriage to Beyonce was a business move, everything he does seems calculated. People have made money in worse ways than jay-z.

 

[keko jones]

He can only set/void policies with the consent of the senate.

He can start/end wars in a state of an emergency. Otherwise he needs a congressional approval.

Not to minimize what he does.... But dude just cant make bills/pass bills, start wars, pass and deny laws etc... all willy nilly whenever he feels like it, in which your making it seem like.

1. He can veto anything he doesn't like - Then Congress would then have to vote to overwrite the presidential veto in order to make it law without the presidents consent.

2. The president can launch a full scale war for 60 days as long as he feels our National Security its threaten after he can get a 30 day extension by proving why the security is threaten. Congress can't shut him down before then.

3. Dude can just make bills, he just needs approval from Congress to make them law.

Anyways .. point being that he is just more than JUST A FIGURE HEAD! 

 

[shoelyesses]

1. He can veto anything he doesn't like - Then Congress would then have to vote to overwrite the presidential veto in order to make it law without the presidents consent.

2. The president can launch a full scale war for 60 days as long as he feels our National Security its threaten after he can get a 30 day extension by proving why the security is threaten. Congress can't shut him down before then.

3. Dude can just make bills, he just needs approval from Congress to make them law.

Anyways .. point being that he is just more than JUST A FIGURE HEAD! 

and to be honest this is all based on principal and what is SUPPOSE to happen. I mean lets be real here. Aint like our government is a str8 arrow, by the book, up and honest and is some well oil machine that is flawless.