During a newly-published interview with Vlad TV, Brand Nubian rapper--and 30-year member of the Five-Percent Nation--Lord Jamar shared his thoughts on Jay Z's affiliation with the Nation.
“There’s been little hints,” Jamar said. “I’ve heard him for a while now dropping little things in his music. Saying little—Giving slight acknowledgement to the Gods. And shit, even to us. You know? ‘Only God can judge me, so I’m gone. Either love me or leave me alone.’ And especially on the last album. On that [Magna Carta Holy Grail] he got a song called ‘Heaven’ where he’s shouting out the Gods basically…But as far as actually coming out and proclaiming that he’s God and coming amongst the Gods and building with the Gods. And making knowledge born. Making understanding understood. He has not done that. That’s something that if he is interested in obtaining the knowledge of self or if he has been studying unbeknownst to us, that’s something that we’d like to know. Because we’d love to welcome him in and make sure what he’s learning he’s learning correctly.
“But usually someone who’s not in the Five-Percent Nation doesn’t wear our flag,” he added. “You know what I mean? That’s something that’s usually reserved for people within the Nation…I’m not upset with him. It’s not like I’m upset that he’s wearing it. I think it’s actually—It’s helping to raise awareness about us.”
Jamar also answered if he follows the Nation's belief that the white man is the devil--agreeing with the concept, but with a prerequisite.
“Yep,” Lord Jamar said when asked if he believes the white man is the devil. “But now with that being said white people come from the black man. And the original devil, the strongest devil is a black devil. So, are white people devils by themselves? No. They come from a stronger version of the devil, which was the original black man. And when we speak of God and devil we are not speaking in the same terms that you would think of a God and devil how you’ve been traditionally taught as far as within religion. We redefine what God and devil is and what it means to us. And it’s not anything spooky. It’s a frame of mind, basically. And even white and black is not necessarily a skin color. It’s a frame of mind. So, is the white man the devil? Yes, he is.”
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