JAY-Z has been called out by Dr. Umar Johnson for what he feels is a betrayal of Hip Hop and the Black community as a whole — and it all centers on a recent performance for Tom Brady.
In an outspoken interview with The Art of Dialogue, the activist and internet personality slammed Hov for performing at the NFL legend’s induction into the New England Patriots’ Hall of Fame last month but not any of the events celebrating Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary.
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After explaining that he is a longtime follower of JAY-Z’s, Dr. Umar said: “If it wasn’t for Hip Hop, music and culture, he might not be the megastar megabillionaire that he is. Therefore, I would have to agree that the criticism against JAY-Z is well-earned.
“You have no right — no right — honoring a white man, Tom Brady, who’s never done anything of significance for the Black community, and the NFL, who has destroyed Black men’s careers, Colin Kaepernick included, and continues to do so.
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“You have no right celebrating Tom Brady’s NFL career and at the same time not perform at the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop […] I believe that JAY-Z owed it to Hip Hop to perform at the 50th anniversary.”
Dr. Umar acknowledged that Jay and his wife Beyoncé “do a lot more than a lot of these other celebrities” when it comes to giving back, but continued to argue that the Roc Nation mogul was “wrong” for not hitting the stage last year in celebration of Hip Hop’s semicentenary.
“If you’re gonna celebrate the white man, you should’ve came and celebrated the Black man,” he added. “And I just hope JAY-Z isn’t suffering from Black male narcissism. You know, we get successful and we start thinking we God and we’re better than other Blacks and we’re too good to be around other Blacks.
“So I hope Mr. Shawn Carter remembers his roots and the Marcy Projects in Brooklyn, and I hope he remembers everything he had to go through to get where he is […] A lot of people helped JAY-Z get where he got, and for him not to come and pay homage, that was wrong.”
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The Pan-Africanist speaker then suggested that JAY-Z can “make it right” by putting on a free concert for “all Hip Hop heads in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop.”
Despite Dr. Umar’s criticism, the Brooklyn-bred billionaire wasn’t entirely absent during last year’s Hip Hop 50 celebrations.
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He did put together a free multimedia exhbition at the Brooklyn Public Library called The Book of HOV, which “explore[d] JAY-Z’s global impact as a musician, innovator, entrepreneur, and philanthropist,” according to its website.
Thousands of artifacts from the rap legend’s decorated career filled multiple floors of the library, including original recording masters, never-before-seen photos, iconic outfits and prestigious awards.
There was even a stunning recreation of Baseline Studios, the famed New York City recording spot where Jigga crafted classic albums like The Blueprint and The Black Album.
The 54-year-old faced similar racially-charged cricism in 2019 when he partnered with the NFL following the league’s alleged blackballing of Colin Kaepernick for taking a knee during the national anthem in protest of racial injustice and police brutality.
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The multi-year deal saw JAY-Z and Roc Nation become involved in shaping much of the league’s entertainment programming, including the halftime show, as well its social justice efforts.
Hov defended the divisive partnership by arguing that Kaepernick’s protest was powerful but that “we’ve moved past kneeling” and “it’s time to go into actionable items.”
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“I believe real change is had through conversation, real conversation and real work,” he said at a press conference at the time. “And what better way to do it than where the conversation first took place?”
