Since the photos leaked of Jay-Z and Beyonce vacationing in Cuba, Jay-Z has been the center of rumors and politics. In “Open Letter” the 43-year-old rap veteran addresses the rumor mill, silences politicians, and unintentionally damages Obama’s image.
Yes, he’s selling his ownership stake in the Brooklyn Nets, but he’s only doing so by force; if he doesn’t sell, he can’t join the world of sports agencies.
The “99 Problems” rapper says, “I woulda moved the Nets to Brooklyn for free/ except I made millions off you f–king dweebs/ I still own the building, I’m still keeping my seats/ you buy that bullsh-t, you better keep your receipts.”
Since Jay-Z designed the Net’s logo and apparel and he owns the 40/40 club located inside Barclays Center, it’s not surprising that he refuse to exit the building indefinitely after departing team ownership.
In responds to the politicians who criticized him for vacationing with wife, Beyonce’, in Havana, Jay-Z responds by saying: “Politicians never did sh-t for me/ except lie to me distort history/ Wanna give me jail time and a fine? / Fine, let me commit a real crime. / I might buy a kilo from Chief Keef / out of spite, I just might, flood these streets…got a onion from, Universal read it and weep.”
Hopefully Jay-Z and his “onion” (Beyonce’) won’t flood the streets with rapper Chief Keef’s drugs in an attempt to seek revenge on politicians we don’t care about. “Open Letter” feels like a typical diss record from a highly respected rapper; it isn’t until the Brooklyn native quotes an unexpected individual that the record becomes bigger than music.
President Obama is targeted in “Open Letter.” Jay-Z says that Obama told him to “Chill you’re going to get me impeached/ you don’t need this sh-t anyway, chill with me on the beach.” This minor addition to a song directed to haters holds the most controversial lyrics.
Throughout his presidency Obama has been judged for his liberal perspective, avid vacations, and friendships with athletes and musicians. From the conservative perspective, a president that frequently socializes with controversial individuals like NBA players and rappers ay appear to lack admirable character, morals, and values. But over the years Obama has gained republican supporters and warmed the hearts of conservative citizens; there are even Facebook pages dedicated to republicans and conservatives that support Obama.
Regardless of how many attempts he makes to get right-siders to support him, his character is always brought into question, “Open Letter” just ads fury to the fire burning inside Obama critics.
If the quote Jay-Z presented is word-for-word and not his interpretation of the statement, we now know that Obama probably uses foul language more often than we assumed, and he proves his critics right by resorting to vacations and “chillin’ on the beach” as a solution to the country’s problems.
Jay-Z may not have intended to throw Obama under the bus, but by quoting him he may have shattered his recovering image. “Open Letter” is an example of venting gone wrong.
