Today, Jay-Z has been fighting for the cause by ensuring Arbery Ahmaud's attorney could make it to the hearing, providing him with a private jet for his voyage. But the legendary rapper has always been a champion for the people, particularly for those whose voice is all too often obscured. On Kingdom Come, an album often overshadowed by its reputation as Jay's comeback from retirement, the Roc Nation mogul addressed the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina head-on, painting a bleak picture of how the system had failed Black Americans.
Though the exact circumstances differ from those of today, the message remains equally poignant. In fact, Jay's writing on "Minority Report" rivals his best work, with one segment in particular standing out. "Silly rappers, cause we got a couple Porsches, MTV stopped by to film our fortresses," he raps. "We forget the unfortunate, sure, I ponied up a mil but I didn't give my time / So in reality I didn't give a dime or a damn / I just put my monies in the hands of the same people that left my people stranded."
A message delivered over a haunting instrumental from Dr. Dre, Jay's Kingdom Come classic still resonates to this day. It's interesting to see how the narrative has remained all these years later -- the government has abandoned the Black community, tempted though they may be to take credit and suggest otherwise.
QUOTABLE LYRICS
Silly rappers, cause we got a couple Porsches
MTV stopped by to film our fortresses
We forget the unfortunate
Sure I ponied up a mil but I didn't give my time
So in reality I didn't give a dime
Or a damn, I just put my monies in the hands
Of the same people that left my people stranded