This Is My Rifle: Jay Z, Belafonte & The Debate Over Rap Responsibility Posted by Jason James on 10/02/13 | Filed under Opinion, This Is My Rifle, Debates, Jay Z

Ok, so here’s the deal. I’m sick as fuck with the flu right now and I wasn’t going to write anything tonight. But after I decided to post an article on my Facebook page a heavy debate broke out that I’ve spent most of my night involved in, and now I have a topic that I would like to discuss.

In keeping with the tradition of Refined Hype, and instead of spending the next few hours of my life going into my usual tirade of words on my laptop (I am deathly ill after all), I’m going to copy and paste the debate below and continue it here. If I know one thing about the Refined Hype Nation it’s that everybody who frequents this site has an opinion and loves to share it- so let’s do it. The original post is below followed by the comments from my Facebook page. Make sure you hit the comments section of this article and let me know your thoughts!

(For the record, I would like to point out that commenter #2 is a close friend of mine and is black as is commenter #3. It doesn’t take any of the sting out of what commenter #2 had to say, nor is it something that I myself would say, but it takes the comment out of insanely racist territory and places it gently in the “holy shit, I don’t know what to say to that” box.)

Original Facebook Post:

Since I only listened to Magna Carta Holy Grail twice before it was deleted from my iPod, I had no idea Jay Z called Harry Belafonte "boy" on the song Nickels and Dimes.

Sorry Jay. I haven't been a fan for a while but now you've lost me forever. No matter how many millions of dollars you make you will never even come close to putting a scratch in what Mr. Belafonte has accomplished, both as a philanthropist and a civil rights hero.

Here's 5 reasons why Harry Belafonte is greater than Jay Z.

Commenter #1:

Old news .... Freedom of speech bra.

Jason James:

Sure. And I highly disagree with his opinion. Maybe you should take a moment and read about some of what Harry Belafonte has done throughout his lifetime. To call that man "boy" is beyond disrespectful.

Commenter #1:

..your so funny. As if I don't already know Mr Belafontes contribution to society, but thanks ..

Opinions, opinions, I just find it funny you actually care about that lyric. What provoked that lyric is what I was interested in. That's the part that makes you go hmmmmm. You can't take a rappers lyrics that seriously .. But Mr Jigga, hasn't censored his music before .. Nor should he now.

Jason James:

No, but he should back up before he goes after somebody who has PHYSICALLY put his neck on the line for a greater cause than himself on many occasions. If Harry Belafonte, or anybody on his level for that matter, wishes to be critical of the fucking poison that modern mainstream Hip Hop culture pumps into not just the black community but the world community as a whole they of all people have a right to do so. To say that your presence is charity, and to brainwash a nation of kids into believing in a president who's own administration is so far out of control that the world had to stand up and stop them from entering into another war is reckless. Be it a black or white president, Jay Z has a SOCIAL responsibility to the people that pay for his products, and that includes explaining as to why he supports this regime wholeheartedly- which is something he has never done. And then to call a man, who if it weren't for his efforts Jay Z wouldn't even exist, "boy" is so fucking disrespectful it makes me sick to my stomach.

An issue like this being "old news" goes beyond being cool or following along with an apathetic trend. It's something that must be addressed. Whether it's yesterday, today or tomorrow.

Commenter #1:

That was JIgga's reaction to Harry B's comments about him.... reaction or not. ALL is fair in RAP MUSIC. Buts thats MY opinion. Eminem makes songs about raping and killing his baby moms and his mom. But I digress. WHO cares, go watch the butler and put a smile on your face.

Commenter #2:

Jay Z= Cock Sucking, House N****r

Commenter #3:

Freedom of speech doesn't make something right Commenter #1! Another example of a dumbed down society… Commenter #2 said it best.

Jason James Response to Commenter #2:

I can't really speak to your comment for obvious reasons, but I'll take your word for it brother!! Hahaha.

Jason James Response to Commenter #3:

Amen. It has nothing to do with free speech and everything to do with being waaayyy the fuck out of line. The fact that more people didn't check him for it is ridiculous to me.

Jason James Response to Commenter #1:

No, all is not fair in Rap music. It's that "who cares" perspective that's made Hip Hop the soulless meaningless culture that it is today in regards to mainstream America. The whole irony-soaked, apathetic hipster attitude is bullshit and it has to stop.

Every artist, no matter how big or small, whether it's Jay Z and Eminem or myself, has a social responsibility. If you have a voice one way or another it will be applied to real-world circumstances. To insinuate that Jay Z can earn half a billion dollars through his direct or indirect involvement in Hip Hop culture and give nothing of intellectual substance back to his listeners outside of the products that he profits from is ludicrous. Sure, one could argue that he has indeed done that, but I have yet to see him take a stance on a particular issue that is in direct conflict with his financial interests. Beyond that, he actually went as far as to play a PSA from Barack Obama at every one of his concerts during both election years (2008 and 2012) and in doing so he influenced an entire country of kids to support a presidential candidate.

So where is he now that the president is being heavily criticized by nearly everybody in the (marginally) free world? How does he feel about NSA spying, the conviction of Bradley Manning, drone strikes or the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East? Nobody knows because once again he dodges these issues in order to avoid any financial and/or personal conflicts of interest. He publicly acknowledges his political leanings when they work to his benefit and disappears when the criticism comes. It is simply not enough to say, "my presence is charity" and then act like because you're incredibly wealthy you are an example to those less fortunate than you and working to push themselves into a better situation when nearly every one of his songs is about a lifestyle that nobody outside of his financial circle could afford.

As for Eminem, the difference between him and Jay is that Em's lyrics are tongue and cheek and are meant to be insanely over the top. When he raps about raping and killing women, it's in an entirely different context than Jay Z rapping about real life scenarios.

BUT...

Eminem has a social responsibility as well that he definitely has not lived up to either. I'll go as far as to say that he's even more of a corporate artist than Jay Z since everything that he does, from the clothes he wears to the way his music is packaged and presented, involves a huge multi-national corporation to some degree or another.

And so, the message here is that when a man like Harry Belafonte calls you on your bullshit, you take it on the chin like a man and do some self-analyzation. The biggest mistake our generation has made is looking at people like Harry Belafonte and Bill Cosby like they're living in the past and don't know what they're talking about, when these are the people who actually lived through real struggle and fought for their basic rights as human beings. We, as the leaders of today, absolutely have to take what men like Harry Belafonte say to heart and try to understand his point of view. To refer to him as "boy" on a song is so far over the fucking line that it borders on criminal. And to say "whatever" about it just goes to show that Hip Hop has lost it's spark and no longer represents the voice of the people.

Commenter #1:

I don't know Commenter #3, hi. Nice to meet you. I never said his lyrical content was right... Be clear about that. I do not "agree" with the lyric in that song, although, it's not my rap beef, nor do I FEEL it's my place as a non black man to stunt like its a major deal breaker in my support of him or his artistry. I grew up on Jay Z, the amount of conscious lyrics He's put down has earned him a certain amount of respect as a creditable rapper. Commenter #2 did not say it best. I think you did. And lastly, befits you bash all the "hipsters" .. You may want to consider the following: The millennials have different characteristics than any generation before them and in order to serve them better, K-12 education and colleges and universities are having to change the way they do business. The millennials have grown up in a society that is very different than any group before them. They have been plugged into technology since they were babies, are a safe generation, are the first generation for which Hispanics/Latinos will be the largest minority group instead of African Americans and have the most educated mothers of any generation before them. They are the most scheduled generation ever, are true multi-taskers, expect to have 6-8 careers in their lifetime and are attracted to diverse environments.

Point being, the stereotype hipster is played out by people who are out of touch, old and bitter. These people you bash, aren't hipsters my dude. They are your peers.

To be fair, Belafonte's original comments weren't exactly reasonable, either. Here's what he said: "High-profile artists, powerful celebrities... have turned their back on social responsibility. That goes for Jay-Z and Beyoncé, for example. Give me Bruce Springsteen, and now you’re talking. I really think he is black." You can see why Jay Z would fire back, even if he chose to do so months and months later. It's unfair to suggest that a white rock musician is "black," but Jay Z is not.

Jason James:

How does your race determine whether or not you support an artist? To say that an artist who has done little to nothing by way of actually being on the ground with the people and fighting back against corrupt governments and unjust acts taking a pot shot at a man who has dedicated his life, so much of it that most people in the world today have forgotten that he himself is an artist as well, to exactly the opposite is not out of line or not your "rap beef" is bypassing a very real issue.

As for the "millenials" or whatever we're calling them now, how do you explain the drastically reduced attention span amongst children and young adults across North America? What about the increasingly dumbed down mainstream culture? If this is a special group of people and I'm old and bitter, than why is it that this "millenial" generation can barely make it through a 2 minute video on YouTube let alone read a fucking book? Where are the leaders and the thinkers? Where is the passion? There is none, because this particular group of people are following a trend designed to make anything that requires even a fragment of individual thought or rebellion against authority a task that requires too much energy. This hipster or "millenial" trend is empty, painfully mediocre and highly unintelligent. Popular culture will always reflect the conscious state of the majority and if you take a look around you get a good idea of where we're at.

Harry Belafonte was right in his statement. I don't know about Bruce Springsteen being black, but he was 100% on the mark when he called out the popular artists of today and their lack of social responsibility. Especially now, considering the political, social and economic climate, it's staggering to know that only a handful of people are stepping forward and using their voices to shed light on important issues- not just for their neighborhood or race, but for the people overall.

(Jason James is an artist, freelance columnist and writer for RefinedHype.com. You can read/download his free eBook, "This Is My Rifle" and listen/download his most recent album, "Pyramids in Stereo". You can also contact him here and here.)