Saul Williams took JAY-Z’s views on economic freedom to task in a TV One interview clip, which he recently shared on Instagram. The critique elicited a response from Hov himself, who sent an email to Williams that prompted more extensive commentary in a separate post.
“Somebody had made the mistake of equating money with freedom or money with it being the ultimate power,” Williams said in the clip that started the exchange. “So then you hear an artist like JAY-Z say on The Black Album, ‘Well, I couldn’t help poor people if I was poor.’ Correction: the majority of our leaders and people that have helped over time have not been able to help us because they have money, they helped us because they had vision and desire to do so.”
The video caught Hov’s attention, prompting him to reach out to Williams via email and defend his position.
“Our fight for economic freedom is new, it’s not the same war that Harriet Tubman was fighting,” Hov wrote. “If I used the same ‘weapons’ as them I would be shooting a musket at people with Fully automatic assault rifles.”
He added, “Although I think it’s a must, we challenge each other, we should be careful it doesn’t come off as judgement.”
Williams posted a screenshot of JAY-Z’s email on Instagram and captioned it with a lengthy argument about why Hov was incorrect.
“I wouldn’t characterize our fight for economic freedom as ‘new,'” he responded. “There have been wealthy black Americans in every generation since the 1600’s, and in Africa since forever.”
Williams also noted, “Even as we push against the systemic structures in criminal justice, housing, etc. we know that it is not simply a question of money being used against us rather it is the ideology that negates our worth as human beings that seems to justify the constant exploitation of our worth and work. Thus the attack is largely against belief systems, philosophies empowered by money and a corrupted rule of law.”
The veteran artist/activist explained why he took issue with Hov’s outlook too.
“I challenge the messaging through music when I feel it supports the system primarily because I see art and music as tools or weaponry that can be used to destroy it,” he concluded. “The truth bangs harder. We learn that the more we tell it.”
Check out Williams’ full response to JAY-Z below.
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What do you expect from jayz? His rhymes are about brand names and money. Shit, the man believes himself to be a business, nothing more. What he doesnt realize is that he has had to compromise on his skills, subject matter and views in order to have, which is the completely the opposite of freedom. He himself said that he had to dumb down his lyrics to double his dollars and that he does want to rhyme like common but then wouldn’t sell as well.
Broke thinking, money is power.
that you believe this is exactly the problem Saul is speaking to. if you equate money to power, then what happens as those who have all the money use it to make sure you don’t get any? or give it to others like Jay to be gatekeepers and influence you to buy into the philosophy of a system that has oppressed you at every turn? that you are a man who exists in this world is power. no one should be able to deny you a future based on that alone, and certainly not because they have more in the bank.
Money is power. God comes first. Nature. Humans. But money is very important. You need it to pay bills and feed your family. Jay Z has proven to be more conscious and relevant than most 90s rappers. Fact.
Not necessarily. Money can be power if you earn it without compromising who you are/what you want, and once you get it you dont worry about using it to impress others. Jayz fails on both counts. He is in no way a conscious rapper. His lyrical focus has been on money, power down fame, which is the very opposite of conciousness.
The Bible literally says that money answers everything.
Lmao. Jesus said that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Yes he did ! That is why most of the rich cats believe in occult teaching not the Bible.
The Bible says no such thing! The Bible says the love of money is the root to all evil!
Interesting – show the quote source tho.
Jay-Z is not conscious? Have you ever listened to The Story of OJ? “You know what’s more important than throwing money in the strip club… credit”.. if that’s not conscious I don’t know what is
No talking about credit is not conscious. Talking about injustice, peace, spirituality, love…those things are conscious. Personal finance is in no fucking way conscious
.
I disagree. Personal finances is the most conscious. No? Okay – don’t sell records or shows to not pay off and just rip off your video director, producer, sound engineer. No personal finances also equates to raining your kids in poverty and not being able to help old parents. Spirituality is important but ppl have to balance it with the physical world. Jay Z is great. Period. I never liked him in 95. I grew to respect him alot now.
Sorry man, I disagree. Jay earned every penny. Alot of so called conscious rappers from the 90s have failed. I have seen them cheat on their women after claiming loyalty, have seen them drunk when they claimed sobriety. Have seen them broke and fighting their record labels claiming empowerment but are victim minded. Look at hip hop’s history. The true greats have all rapper great AND had money to continue – Ice Cube, Eminem, Jay Z, Ice T, Krs One, Nas, Gza – all great who have sold millions of records.
Check for your underground 90s rapper speak against money yet try to sell t shirts on Instagram in 2019.
Hypocrites.
Sorry man. Money does count. If you don’t understand this as a teen you will get it in your 30s.
Good luck. And thank you everyone here who backed up my statements I appreciate you.
Saul made a mistake here. Jay is right you can’t help ppl unless your good first. Jay has helped and is in a better position to then Saul. These conscious rappers all fell off. Money does matter. You need money to pay rent and feed your family. This do hip hop for the love has proven to be a horrible mistake in thinking. Good luck. Jay Z is one of the greatest and Saul needs to release an album. Love.
Saul constantly releases music and probably has a deeper impact on people than jay and his bullshit about cars lol
yeah, and you rap about your small wee-wee.
You’re clueless
you are a fuckhead
People gonna come at Saul about not selling records and this that and the third. At the end of the day, there’s a reason that Jay is in the position he’s in. Yes, the music SOUNDS good, but Jay made his money from rapping and glorifying a destructive lifestyle and the fans ate it up. Jay didn’t make one “mature” album until what…Kingdom Come? Put money on it that he wouldn’t have the money he has now if he rapped about what Saul talks about back then. He’d be like O.C or De La Soul. I said this before…some of the best rappers dropped the ball in the late 90s when Hip Hop was getting more looks, because they wanted to sell a record and an image all because they were scared to tell fans to grow up. And Jay was older than most rappers by the time he blew up. I love the music on Politics As Usual (Ski is a GOAT) but even he said “Feel my pain, I’m lying” and Vol 2 “eff rap, coke by the boatloads”…no way he would’ve made half the records on 4:44 back then. Hell, he even tried to clown Nas “garbage, what you tryna kick knowledge (eff outta here)” and Jay was 32 years old when he dropped Takeover. I don’t listen to Saul but he makes a lot of sense if you can step outside of the Jay fandom, and that’s not judgment. It’s just the real.
You need to go back and listen to RD and Vol. 1 if you think they weren’t mature. He’s always been talking about HIS life, it’s not his fault if other rappers started glorifying and copying because it worked for him. It’s also wrong to bring up a battle where the whole intent is to score points off your opponent’s character. Of course he’s going to clown Nas, not just for “kicking knowledge” but for being a hypocrite while he does it. If anything, Jay’s the most mature rapper of all time because he’s the only one who tried to expand the shit you’re allowed to talk about as a middle age artist. Eminem still talking about farts and killing women and he’s damn near 50 FOH
Don’t got time argue with a grown man who peen rides another man
Jay isnt the first and only rapper to talk about his life and it shows how disgustingly impressionable you are as an adult. The music is a spell and a chant and he sold it to dudes like you in the community because it had “appeal” because more than likely you lacked a father or father figure, or just fail to think for yourself so you want to be cool. Blind leading the blind. It’s 100% fact that Jigger would not have his money if he didn’t rap about selling crack and just coming off insecure in general. Just because you did it doesn’t mean you put the message out there. He wouldn’t have his portfolio if it wasn’t for him selling crack. And if he’s that real, tell him to give up the money from his record sales to the hood and have him start from scratch like regular folks and let’s see how easy it sounds for him then. Real recognize real right…average Black man has it rough in corporate America and has to get it out the mud in other ways. Most black men work at OUR expense (either taking legit business risks or while working for others) and aren’t out here making money at the expense of our people and others. And don’t have the heart for that. That’s reality, not the “cute” talk Jay is romanticizing y’all with. He’s out of touch…what J Cole say…been out in Hollywood for WAY too long
Nah, not none of that shit lol, I just know his music from day one’s been more mature than 90% of commercialized rap. Just facts, and he doesn’t owe us anything. Period.
You think Jay Z is mature?
Seriously? I mean…clearly lol. Who else did it? He was the first big commercial rap artist that tried to make mature, age related music cool. Who else did it, niggas keep talking this dumb shit because the dude’s won so much, but tell me who else been trying to stretch hiphop for middle aged niggas???? I’ll wait…
This the same Jay that robbed Dehaven’s stories and Biggie’s swag? FOH Groupie love is incredible
So is hate. On his best album he went head up with a still very much alive Biggie and rhymed him to a standstill, knock it off. And if Dehaven’s so right, then why is he STILL spending time talking about a nigga that’s so foul and fake and all that??? Again, I’ll wait…
Yea I’d go back to Reasonable Doubt, he makes brief mentions of black empowerment, how one should deal with Regrets (a damn good song by the way), and having a those you can trust in your circle. And the reason why he knocked Nas’s approach, was because it was inconsistent. Remember when Jay said something along the lines of “is it black girl lost, or shorty owe you for ice?”. It seemed like Nas didn’t know whether he wanted to be a street poet/prophet or a gangsta/anything that goes against the former.
Mistake – my reply was directed to the person named Sad not absenteeism. Bless.
In a war, the victor is the one that has multiple strategies and attacks from multiple fronts.
Saul needs Jay-Z. He can only create “woke” people who do not have the resources to make a change or impact and hence get frustrated. Woke people have been around forever. The Established system is not afraid of them.
Jay-Z needs Saul. Else, he creates capitalist people who only use their resources for themselves and their inner circle. These types of people have been around forever too and the established system is not afraid of them.
But – A Wealthy and Woke N*gger? – That’s what the establishment is afraid of. The more of those we have, the faster the system changes.
Being woke is easy, having the resources is not. The established system would prefer to have a million “Sauls’ than 10 Jay’Z’s
! ! !
but Jay-Z is part of the established system, Jay-Z has not and will not go against he grain because if he does then he loses his money. You really think Jay gives a fuck about You cause you Black? Spoiler Alert – He doesn’t.
1. Jay-Z has freed quite a few people from Jail and is fighting to reform the system. Saul would do the same but does not have the resources, so all talk for now.
2. Jay-Z freed paid bail for hundreds of black men who had questionable arrests so they could be with their families at thanksgiving. I am sure Saul would too…. if he could
3. Jay-Z has paid tuition for a whole bunch of black kids who have the chance to change the economic situation in their families. Saul would love to do that too I’m sure…..
Talking is easy……
That’s the problem though; there are a million Jay Z’s and only one Saul Williams.
Really? – there are a million black billionaires? I’m sure there is 10-15 tops.
But trust me, there are a 100 million Saul’s – My little cousin is just like him. They both talk and yet have minimal impact
Fuck Saul Williams. He a straight bitch
Why though?
Money is evil when its not handled right. &jayz is putting money in the wrong pockets if he wants to bring this “change”.
K-os is a dope ass rapper btw, and yea Jay don’t give a fuck about us. everyone keep thinking it’s his burden to uplift the entire Black population in America, it isn’t. I don’t like Jay-Z, I won’t support him and I ain’t buying none of his music – BUT I can not put the burden on him to uplift Black America, it isn’t his or any other Black celebrity duty or task BUT ALSO, Jay-z need to stfu with this fake ass “pro-black, for my people” game he running. I don’t put the burden on him but I ain’t gone let him blow smoke up my ass either. Jay is faking like he cares for Blacks to get the Black support, it’s political moves and financial games for him.
Look at what has happened in New York and DC, blacks didn’t have economic power (home ownership) and they were pushed out by whites (gentrificiation), basically ethnically cleansed out of an area
to be fair, and I’m a DC resident – a lot of Blacks owned homes in this city because the 2000’s hit.
once the 2000’s hit, and contracts were signed and put into place, then construction started and been going on ever since.
the reason why gentrification is working in DC is not because Blacks don’t have home ownership power – it’s the fact that Money is the main motivator.
these same Black homeowners were selling their homes for between low 100k and maybe 200k, then the white folks who bought up the houses, renovated them and flipping them for close to a Million or better.
so we have to be fair here and put the blame on the black homeowners who gave up their economic power of home ownership for a paycheck. and I don’t know it, hell if I had a house I bought for under 100k and was offered 100-200k, I’d take it, move to the country and buy another house.
but nah, just white people alone isn’t why gentrification is working in DC. but also, a lot of us live in co-ops or apartment buildings, meaning we seldom get the financial capabilities to even purchase a house.
What I would like Jay-Z to do is publicly apologize for the drugs(poison) he sold to his own community and give back to those communities through various programmes and using the influence he has to bring changes. even kim kardashian is doing something for prisoners
I rock with Saul over Sean any day of the week.
Sean is about a dollar and never been about Blacks in America,
same rapper who made his fortune pushing poison now wants to be a fighter for and of the people?
lmao Jay-Z you reading this, just know that niggas born in the 80’s ain’t falling for your games. it’s these new 2000 babies who think you’re sincere in your pro-black new image, but us from the 80’s know it’s about a dollar with you. which is cool, but just stop faking like you fighting for me. your ass ain’t never come to my city and do nothing for the needy.
Saul speaks truth and has Soul Power. Greedy Jay Z saw Kaepernick’s Nike deal and wanted to cash in on woke $.
BOOM!