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Jay-Z And Saul Williams Debate Freedom Fighting For Black America

The conscious Black community continues to engage in discussion regarding ways to experience true political freedom within the context of an institutionally racist society. Recently, veteran independent rapper (and known intellect) Saul Williams seemingly critiqued Jay-Z’s approach of Black-America’s quest for political freedom by placing Hov’s lyrics in comparison with historical freedom fighters, stating (check the video clip below),

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“Correction.” #blackfriday #robeson #fbf

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Williams then claims Jay-Z responded to this post via an email where Jay directly addressed Williams, writing,

“It’s not the same war that Harriet Tubman was fighting. If I used the same ‘weapons’ as them I would be shooting a musket at people with fully automatic assault rifles. Although I think it’s a must, we challenge each other, we should be careful that it doesn’t come off as judgment.”

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To which Williams responds publicly via IG by stating in the caption,

“I wouldn’t characterize our fight for economic freedom as “new”. There have been wealthy black Americans in every generation since the 1600’s, and in Africa since forever. During segregation accumulated black wealth and black-owned business were at a peak. Black newspapers, magazines, schools, record labels… Yet psychological freedom from hard taught capitalism is hard to earn. African billionaires, for example, have brought little relief to the continent of Africa. The seduction of power and the systemic constraints of white supremacy will take more than money to burn. The root of the market economy is still almost entirely based on the sourcing of rare minerals where the exploitation of African miners and land is the analogue reality of the our modern-age technological advances. Thus, we push for essentially socialist measures which provide healthcare and education to all. Money can be disappeared, but the lessons you learn along the way are yours to keep. Whether we learn from the streets, schools, in prisons, or by playing the game, it is that hard-earned knowledge that allows us to understand how to spend what we earn in ways that can truly make a difference.
Even as we push against the systemic structures in criminal justice, housing, etc. we know that it is not simply a question of money being used against us rather it is the ideology that negates our worth as human beings that seems to justify the constant exploitation of our worth and work. Thus the attack is largely against belief systems, philosophies empowered by money and a corrupted rule of law.

Guggenheims, Rockefellers, Fords, Nobels, and the great philanthropists and supporters of the arts are all in recompense of the oil, the factory work, the mining, the weaponry, the staple crops, the plantations… that profit off the design of the system, after which the charitable hand is the only one left to give. I challenge the messaging through music when I feel it supports the system primarily because I see art and music as tools or weaponry that can be used to destroy it.
The truth bangs harder. We learn that the more we tell it.”

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I wouldn't characterize our fight for economic freedom as "new". There have been wealthy black Americans in every generation since the 1600's, and in Africa since forever. During segregation accumulated black wealth and black-owned business were at a peak. Black newspapers, magazines, schools, record labels… Yet psychological freedom from hard taught capitalism is hard to earn. African billionaires, for example, have brought little relief to the continent of Africa. The seduction of power and the systemic constraints of white supremacy will take more than money to burn. The root of the market economy is still almost entirely based on the sourcing of rare minerals where the exploitation of African miners and land is the analogue reality of the our modern-age technological advances. Thus, we push for essentially socialist measures which provide healthcare and education to all. Money can be disappeared, but the lessons you learn along the way are yours to keep. Whether we learn from the streets, schools, in prisons, or by playing the game, it is that hard-earned knowledge that allows us to understand how to spend what we earn in ways that can truly make a difference. Even as we push against the systemic structures in criminal justice, housing, etc. we know that it is not simply a question of money being used against us rather it is the ideology that negates our worth as human beings that seems to justify the constant exploitation of our worth and work. Thus the attack is largely against belief systems, philosophies empowered by money and a corrupted rule of law. Guggenheims, Rockefellers, Fords, Nobels, and the great philanthropists and supporters of the arts are all in recompense of the oil, the factory work, the mining, the weaponry, the staple crops, the plantations… that profit off the design of the system, after which the charitable hand is the only one left to give. I challenge the messaging through music when I feel it supports the system primarily because I see art and music as tools or weaponry that can be used to destroy it. The truth bangs harder. We learn that the more we tell it.

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Williams has a way of intelligently putting concepts into poetic lectures. He was in Abu Dhabi doing just that earlier in this year. Catch the brief clip below.

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“…. as is always the first sign of a new age.” 🙏🏿 @culturesummitad ・・・ . ‎ضمن إطار برنامج عروض الأداء في #القمة_الثقافية_أبوظبي2019، ألهب صاحب المواهب المتعددة والشاعر شاول وليامز بأبياته الشعرية التي ألقاها حماس المشاركين. إليكم بعض المقتطفات #القمة_الثقافية_أبوظبي2019 #الثقافة #الأدب #التغيير_الإيجابي #الفن #منارة_السعديات #التكنولوجيا #متحف #إعلام #تراث #في_أبوظبي #CultureSummitAD2019 #culture #ManaratalSaadiyat #art #technology #heritage #museum #media #change #InAbuDhabi

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