JayZ under fire for 'pulling race card' in Tidal debate

[summer]

 www.thewrap.com/jay-z-under-fire-for-pulling-out-the-race-card-in-tidal-debate/#sthash.jtgnALFL.dpuf


Dr. Boyce D. Watkins tells TheWrap he takes issue with music mogul “invoking the names of Freddie Gray, Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown” in freestyle rap

Jay Z’s got 99 problems and his freestyle is one.


On Saturday at his closely-watched “B-sides” concert — which ran exclusively on the hip-hop mogul’s music streaming service Tidal — Jay Z responded to critics with a sharply-worded freestyle rap. During one verse, he connected Tidal’s troubles with the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown and Freddie Gray — unarmed African-American men whose tragic deaths made international headlines.


“You know when I work, I ain’t your slave, right? You know I ain’t shucking and jiving and high-fiving, and you know this ain’t back in the days, right? Well I can’t tell how the way they killed Freddie Gray, right? Shot down Mike Brown how they did Tray, right?” the rap legend said.


But nationally known scholar, Boyce D. Watkins, Ph.D., who frequently speaks out on issues involving social justice, tells TheWrap Jay Z may have gone too far.


“He’s invoking the names of Freddie Gray, Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, which have become somewhat sacred in the black community, and you’re invoking those into this conversation you’re having about whether your multimillion-dollar corporation is going to be successful or not?” Watkins said. “I think that that unfortunately can come off as somewhat disingenuous, because I don’t recall Jay Z ever really being that vocal, that irate over any issue that did not involve himself.”


The rap legend’s freestyle also included a verbal shot at Google for apparently trying to buy him out, and YouTube for what he perceives as shortchanging artists.


“I feel like YouTube is the biggest culprit. Them ni**as pay you a tenth of what you supposed to get. You know ni**as die for equal pay, right?”



Jay Z went on to suggest Tidal faces additional scrutiny because it is black-owned. And he lashed out at African-Americans for buying Apple and Nike products, but dissing Tidal.


“Oh ni**as is skeptical about they own shit. You bought nine iPhones and Steve Jobs is rich. Phil Knight worth trillions, you still bought those kicks. Spotify is nine billion, and they ain’t say sh*t! ‘Lucy you got some ‘splaining to do.'”


Watkins, a Scholar in Residence in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Syracuse University, believes Jay Z’s rap was self-serving and misguided.


“He’s not mad about mass incarceration. He’s not mad about wealth inequality. He’s not mad about the minimum wage not being high enough. He’s mad because millionaire artists are not getting a bigger cut of the money from the music that they make,” Watkins said. “Whatever his little corporate beef is right now, if that beef were not occurring, would Jay Z still be pulling out the race card on this issue?”



Jay Z bought Tidal in January for a reported $56 million. Since then, it’s been besieged by branding problems, bad press, layoffs and the departure of CEO Andy Chen.


The streaming service was originally billed as being created to put control of music back in the hands of artists. Its relaunch in March — by some of the richest musicians on the planet including Madonna, Kanye West, Beyoncé and Rihanna — arguably hurt the brand’s image.


The streaming service kicked off with two subscription tiers: a basic membership for $9.99 per month and a $19.99 membership for better sound quality. While Tidal has promised exclusive content, some consumers say that’s not enough, especially when they can use “freemium” streaming services like Spotify.


On Monday, Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj dropped the surprise music video for “Feeling Myself” exclusively on Jay Z’s service. Within hours of its debut, the footage had been ripped and posted on other websites, reinforcing the question of whether Tidal is worth the cost.


“Are there a million people who would sign up to get that exclusive?” Russ Crupnick, managing partner of streaming industry research firm MusicWatch, recently asked TheWrap. “Forgetting piracy. If that special album came out in Walmart or iTunes, how many people would buy it?”

While Spotify has a free option, and Pandora generates free custom radio stations, Tidal is just an app that streams music — for a hefty price, Crupnick explained.


Jay Z did not respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.


But as Tidal’s struggles mount, Watkins believes they have little to do with the struggle for civil rights, despite Jay Z’s protestations.


“If you’re a Jay Z fan and you want to get behind him on this because he told you to do it, that’s fine. But this is far from any kind of meaningful statement on civil rights.”

[IIOY]

May 22, 2015 4:53:07 GMT -5 summer said:

On Monday, Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj dropped the surprise music video for “Feeling Myself” exclusively on Jay Z’s service. Within hours of its debut, the footage had been ripped and posted on other websites, reinforcing the question of whether Tidal is worth the cost.

This actually made me laugh. The Internet is tricky.

[KateAggie]

Jay needs to stop hanging out with Kanye. Ego craziness must be highly contagious.

[NitaX]

May 22, 2015 6:35:52 GMT -5 KateAggie said:

Jay needs to stop hanging out with Kanye. Ego craziness must be highly contagious.

Jay's ego has been big since forever. He just needs to stop with this Tidal foolishness. You don't browbeat people into your service. Either they flock to it or they don't. 

Jay failed marketing class or something. Why am I going to pay MORE than what I pay for Spotify? I'm not finna do that. And quiet as it's kept, ERRRBODY ain't a Queen Bey fan. I'm not paying extra for Bey to wear a NBA Jersey Onesie. I really ain't trying to see that ratchetness. If you're trying to say you have a better selection of original artist music, fine. But, folks STAY getting around programs on the Interwebz. Playa. You need to grab one of them dude's from HBO's Silicon Valley or sumthin' and let them help you.

I dunno know, but where you heading Jay is gonna cost you a lot of coins. A LOT of coins. Because Black Twitter and Broke Black Folks ain't paying for this.

[ttt]

Who told Jay Z that painting himself as a downtrodden, exploited victim with barely two pennies to rub together was a good marketing strategy???

[ijack]

May 22, 2015 12:38:52 GMT -5 NitaX said:

May 22, 2015 6:35:52 GMT -5 KateAggie said:

Jay needs to stop hanging out with Kanye. Ego craziness must be highly contagious.

Jay's ego has been big since forever. He just needs to stop with this Tidal foolishness. You don't browbeat people into your service. Either they flock to it or they don't. 

Jay failed marketing class or something. Why am I going to pay MORE than what I pay for Spotify? I'm not finna do that. And quiet as it's kept, ERRRBODY ain't a Queen Bey fan. I'm not paying extra for Bey to wear a NBA Jersey Onesie. I really ain't trying to see that ratchetness. If you're trying to say you have a better selection of original artist music, fine. But, folks STAY getting around programs on the Interwebz. Playa. You need to grab one of them dude's from HBO's Silicon Valley or sumthin' and let them help you.

I dunno know, but where you heading Jay is gonna cost you a lot of coins. A LOT of coins. Because Black Twitter and Broke Black Folks ain't paying for this.

This. I feel like the more he talks about it and forces it, the less people are going to want to check it out. STFU already.

[thejackpot]

The Tidal foolishness aside. I don't think him using the names is bad especially in light of the fact that he has quietly supported the people who were arrested etc. Rappers are known for using current issues in their songs and linking themselves to those issues.

[thejackpot]

May 22, 2015 13:35:59 GMT -5 @soudesafinado said:

I am less than disinterested in this "project"

I am here with you on this one but I don't think I am his target audience. 

[NitaX]

May 22, 2015 13:36:44 GMT -5 thejackpot said:

The Tidal foolishness aside. I don't think him using the names is bad especially in light of the fact that he has quietly supported the people who were arrested etc. Rappers are known for using current issues in their songs and linking themselves to those issues.

I agree. That's really what spawned rap music anyway. It's always been a genre that highlighted political issues. Boyce is reaching on this one. Folks stay on Jay for not doing "enough" but then he adds something extra to a lyric and you criticize it. No. That's not how this works. Either you want him to be politically aware or you want him and Bey to just stay in IG and drop last minute tours. 

[ttt]

May 22, 2015 13:36:44 GMT -5 thejackpot said:

The Tidal foolishness aside. I don't think him using the names is bad especially in light of the fact that he has quietly supported the people who were arrested etc. Rappers are known for using current issues in their songs and linking themselves to those issues.

I am just not seeing the parallel between a multimillionaire not making as many millions as he thinks he ought to be and a man murdered by the police. 

[thejackpot]

May 22, 2015 14:21:13 GMT -5 ttt said:

May 22, 2015 13:36:44 GMT -5 thejackpot said:

The Tidal foolishness aside. I don't think him using the names is bad especially in light of the fact that he has quietly supported the people who were arrested etc. Rappers are known for using current issues in their songs and linking themselves to those issues.

I am just not seeing the parallel between a multimillionaire not making as many millions as he thinks he ought to be and a man murdered by the police. 

Maybe you should read the actual lyrics. I think he follows a logical argument.He starts by saying he is being made a villian b/c he wants to do it his way. etc Talks about the other businesses that have profited and all from the talents of others. He will not do that, it's not back in the day. He is not shucking and jiving..it's not the past although we wouldn't be able to tell from the way the did Gray, Brown etc. 
I don' t think is is so much about making what he deserves versus being in power & in control of your life. Which very much parallels what happened to those two----a person in power took you out because they could. At least that is the way that I am reading it.

[ttt]

May 22, 2015 18:01:36 GMT -5 thejackpot said:

May 22, 2015 14:21:13 GMT -5 ttt said:

I am just not seeing the parallel between a multimillionaire not making as many millions as he thinks he ought to be and a man murdered by the police. 

Maybe you should read the actual lyrics. I think he follows a logical argument.He starts by saying he is being made a villian b/c he wants to do it his way. etc Talks about the other businesses that have profited and all from the talents of others. He will not do that, it's not back in the day. He is not shucking and jiving..it's not the past although we wouldn't be able to tell from the way the did Gray, Brown etc. 
I don' t think is is so much about making what he deserves versus being in power & in control of your life. Which very much parallels what happened to those two----a person in power took you out because they could. At least that is the way that I am reading it.

I did read the lyrics but I am having a hard time seeing Jay Z as someone who has been exploited and denied the fruits of his labor. Is he really someone with no power and no control?

Eta it seems like he is saying that he is being made a villain because the Man is trying to keep him down rather than people rejecting his argument that he deserves to make even more money than he already does.

[thejackpot]

May 22, 2015 18:04:31 GMT -5 ttt said:

May 22, 2015 18:01:36 GMT -5 thejackpot said:

Maybe you should read the actual lyrics. I think he follows a logical argument.He starts by saying he is being made a villian b/c he wants to do it his way. etc Talks about the other businesses that have profited and all from the talents of others. He will not do that, it's not back in the day. He is not shucking and jiving..it's not the past although we wouldn't be able to tell from the way the did Gray, Brown etc. 
I don' t think is is so much about making what he deserves versus being in power & in control of your life. Which very much parallels what happened to those two----a person in power took you out because they could. At least that is the way that I am reading it.

I did read the lyrics but I am having a hard time seeing Jay Z as someone who has been exploited and denied the fruits of his labor. Is he really someone with no power and no control?

Eta it seems like he is saying that he is being made a villain because the Man is trying to keep him down rather than people rejecting his argument that he deserves to make even more money than he already does.

I am not saying that Jay has no power and control but if he views other streaming services as corps that  take more than a cut that he feels is fair, then he doesn't have the power he feels he should. Hence his argument about the powerless. Again. I am not saying that I support Tidal but him using the names is not a big deal. That strategy has been used by rappers since the inception of rap.