Jay Z Argues Hip Hop's Positive Impact On Race Relations For Oprah's "Master Class"

Whether you acknowledge it or not, Jay Z has made a point of addressing race issues in his music, with his more recent work looking at black affluence, and the problems that persist through wealth and class. In a new piece for Oprah's "Master Class" project, Hov argues that hip hop has improved race relations in a way that almost no other figure or artform.

"I think that hip hop has done more for racial relations than most cultural icons," says Jay in the clip. "Save Martin Luther King, because his dream speech we realize[d] when President Obama got elected. But, the impact of the music, you know, this music didn't only influence kids from urban areas. It influenced people all around the world."

The rap icon goes on to explain his belief that racism is often learned at a young, but can be obstructed through idol worship. “It’s very difficult to teach racism when your kid looks up to Snoop Doggy Dogg," he said, going on to describe the benefits of the club scene. "Before people partied in separate clubs. There were hip hop clubs and there were techno clubs," he explained. "Now people party together, and once you have people partying, dancing, and singing along to the same music, then conversations naturally happen after that."

Watch the full video below.