Have Rappers Gone From Repping The Disenfranchised To Repping The Upper Crust?

September 13th, 2012 - By rjohnson

From Black Voices

Super rapper Jay-Z and his recent comments regarding the Occupy movement are a great example of the unfortunate shift within the Hip-Hop culture from representing the poor and disenfranchised to essentially shunning them. In a New York Times Magazine profile the Jiggaman had this to say about the Occupy movement.

“What’s the thing on the wall, what are you fighting for? I’m not going to a park and picnic, I have no idea what to do, I don’t know what the fight is about. What do we want, do you know?”

Clearly Jay-Z is intelligent enough to know that the basic premise behind the Occupy movement is the disproportionate distribution of wealth in America and the excessive greed by Wall Street bankers, which is the primary catalyst for this country’s economic woes, particularly the growing poor class, both working and not. Not to mention that Jay-Z’s Rockafella clothing line began producing ‘Occupy Wall Street’ shirts and refused to donate any of the profits to the movement he was stealing from. The king of Hip-Hop is also the king of what’s wrong with Hip-Hop.

Read more at Black Voices

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  • Stanley

    What do you mean by Jay Z was stealing from the movement? (Jay-Z’s Rockafella clothing line began producing ‘Occupy Wall Street’ shirts and refused to donate any of the profits to the movement he was stealing from.)
    The hate for prosperity shows it ugly head in the fact you’ve declared a businessmen a thief for doing business.

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  • Bubbles

    Wow he might have it all now but, what happens when the paper stops rolling and humility comes in. Just as fast as you can receive money it can be taken away.

  • Alexa

    This is NOTHING NEW! I’ve been saying this for the longest. All rappers talk/rap about is “Money over everything” ” I’m getting money” “Money ain’t a thing” and several other quotes that basically big up the rich and talk down to the poor or those who aren’t rolling in te dough. That’s why after high school when I finally got a clue I refused to support or buy any more rap albums because apparently they all seem to forget where they came from and have made money their God. And don’t even get my started on the mysogynistic lyrics.

    • Alexa

      *the dough. And may I add this is exactly what Harry Belafonte was talking about when he accused Jay and Bey of forgetting their social responsibility.

    • realadulttalk

      The funniest part is that most of them are actually quite broke. I just love to hear those with a single talking about how much money they have-meanwhile their car is being paid for by the label–with an advance the artist has to repay and a good deal live right at home with their momma’s. Singing money aint a thing…but living like money is a major issue.

  • jynx

    This is why NAS said hip hop is dead, just like most things, the flood of money has corrupted the art form. I stopped listening to mainstream/radio hip hop years ago when Pandora and sportify came out. those sites have introduced me to some real modern day MC’s like DVS, madlib, brother Ali and Roots Manurva. if you’re paying $10 for gas instead of walking or cycleing, and listening to urban radio the drain on your bank account and the morality of your children are your fault. if you believe that you can or should be a part of the 1% you’re delusional and or immoral as they are.
    “if everybody jumped off a cliff, would you jump too? aparantly so.

  • realadulttalk

    Seriously? Jay-Z has been downing where he came from in covert and not so covert ways for many years now. Ya’ll just noticing? One of the many reasons I don’t support him as an artist.

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  • IllyPhilly

    Is this new to anyone? It’s, especially in the last four years, what Rap has been about. “My bish, my house, my car, my money. F the poor. broke N*gs can’t see me, I got more money than ya pops.” It’s like gas prices. The sh*t keeps getting crazier and crazier and it will until muthaf*ckaz say, “That’s it I’d walk before I pay that price.”
    Nobody will though cuz we all dream of becoming the one percent. That’s why rappers, actors, and athletes will always make more money than teachers, doctors, and soldiers.

    • whit

      The reason rappers make more than teachers is because we buy their albums, go to their shows, and buy the alcohol their commercials, when, raps promote.
      when doctors got kick backs from pharmaceutical prescriptions, they were rich too.
      not everyone is trying to be a part of the 1%. a lot of people are waking up and resist the materialism and pure ratchedness they’ve flooded urban radio with. its like the liquor stores or ghettos are flooded with. stop supporting entities that don’t support the community, throwing all your money trying to keep up a standard of materialism you deem as successful, live below your means and save mobey. if you’re running up behind these fake, mostly broke and fronting tools of the music INDUSTRY, you re just as lost as they need you to be to maintain their 1% status.

      • IllyPhilly

        Not me, never been materialistic, but as I said we all dream of having, if you say you don’t you’re a liar. I don’t have “broke” fans that I belittle though. That’s what’s loss, that sheer respect and it seems to be more acceptable to be ignant to the people that make them.

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