Streets Is Talking: Socially Conscious Jay-Z Rhymes
Some powerful and poignant words from Hov.
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Speaking for the People\r - If skill's sold, truth be told \rI'd probably be, lyrically\rTalib Kweli\r--Jay-Z, “Moment of Clarity”\r\rIn this famous line from 2003’s The Black Album, Jay-Z admits that he’s no Talib Kweli when it comes to conscious lyrics. But ironically, when Jay has chosen to address social ills in his rhymes, he’s shown that he can be just as powerful, poignant and deep as Kweli, Mos Def, Chuck D, Common or anyone else in the game. Click on to see some of Jay-Z’s best socially conscious lyrics.
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"A Billi" - In this freestyle over Lil Wayne's "A Milli" beat, Jay says that he could easily meet the same fate as Sean Bell, an unarmed Black man who died in a hail of 50 NYPD bullets in 2006.\r\rShawn Carter, Sean Bell\rWhat's the difference? Do tell\r50 shots or 50 mill', ain't no difference go to hell\rSo, brrrrack, lick a shot for\rBarrrrrrack Obama\rChange gon' come-ah\r(Photo: REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/Landov)
Photo By REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/Landov
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"Watch Me" - On this 1999 collabo with Dr. Dre, Jay cites the police shooting of Amadou Diallo and the government's drug war hypocrisy as reasons to go for yours with no qualms.See that Benz? Cop that nowDrop-that-top-down, they gon' kill us anywayThem cops uptown hit homes with forty-one rounds....This place is f---ed, all type of AIDS and suchHow they make it where you afraid to f---They gave us drugs then turned around and investigated us(Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
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"Minority Report" - Jay takes shots at George W. Bush's much-maligned response to Hurricane Katrina on this dramatic 2006 cut.The commander-in-chief just flew byDid he stop? No, he had a couple seatsJust proved Jet Blue he's notJet flew by the spotWhat if he ran out of jet fuel and just droppedHuh, that woulda been something to watchHelicopters doing fly-bys to take a couple of shotsCouple of portraits then ignored himHe'd be just another Bush surrounded by a couple orchidsPoor kids just 'cause they were poor kidsLeft 'em on they porches same old story in New Orleans (Photo: Paul Morse/White House via Getty Images)
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"My President Is Black" - Hov celebrates Barack Obama's historic election on this triumphant 2008 anthem with Young Jeezy.Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther could walkMartin Luther walked so Barack Obama could runBarack Obama ran so all the children could flySo I'ma spread my wingsYou can meet me in the sky...No more warNo more IraqNo more white liesThe president is Black(Photo: AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
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"Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)" - Mr. Carter linked with Rihanna, Bono and The Edge to release this charity single in response to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.Sak pasé, my Port-Au-Princes My Haitian gods and all of my princesses Our condolences as you fightin’ against this We’re right by your side as we tryin’ to make sense of this...Learn from the past, New Orleans was floodedSo we know we just can’t rely on the government (Photo: AP Photo)
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"Blueprint 2" - In response to Nas' scathing "Ether," Hov says here that socially conscious charity work is more impactful than socially conscious raps. I put dollars on mine, ask ColumbineWhen the Twin Towers dropped, I was the first in line Donating proceeds off every ticket soldWhen I was out on the roadThat's how you judge Hov, no?Ain't I supposed to be absorbed myself?Every time there's a tragedy, I'm the first one to helpThey call me this misogynist, but they don't call me the dudeTo take his dollars to give gifts at the projects(Photo: REUTERS/Landov)
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"Murder to Excellence" - On this powerful back-and-forth from Jay and 'Ye's Watch the Throne, Hov mourns police brutality victim Danroy Henry and raises a fist in solidarity. This is to the memory of Danroy Henry Too much enemy fire to catch a friendly Strays from the same shade n---a, we on the same team Giving you respect, I expect the same thing All black everything, n---a, you know my fresh code I’m out here fighting for you, don’t increase my stress load N---as watching the throne, very happy to be you Power to the people, when you see me, see you
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"Izzo (H.O.V.A.)"\r - The God MC strikes back against the record industry’s exploitation of hip hop on this 2001 smash. \r\r\rI do this for my culture\rTo let 'em know what a n---a look like\rWhen a n---a in a roaster\rShow 'em how to move in a room full of vultures\rIndustry shady, it need to be taken over\rLabel owners hate me I'm raisin’ the status quo up\rI'm overchargin’ n----s for what they did to the Cold Crush\rPay us like you owe us for all the years that you hoed us\rWe can talk, but money talks, so talk mo' bucks\r\r(Photo: ColdCrushBrothers.com)
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"The Ruler's Back" - Jay opened up his 2001 classic The Blueprint by shouting out the civil rights icons who paved the way for his success. I'm representin’ for the seat where Rosa Parks satWhere Malcolm X was shotWhere Martin Luther was popped (Photo: dpa/Landov)
Photo By Landov
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"A Ballad for Soldiers" - Jay lashed out at the NYPD in this extended allegory that mourned fallen soldiers—both in Iraq and the streets of New York. Bin Laden been happenin' in ManhattanCrack was anthrax back then, back whenPolice was Al Qaeda to Black men(Photo: Jason Szenes-Pool/Getty Images)
Photo By Jason Szenes-Pool/Getty Images