Jay-Z Addresses Illuminati Accusations and Enlightens His Haters
Posted on : 06-05-2011 | By : Duane | In : Editorials, Jay-Z collaborations and freestyles, Jay-Z interviews, Reasonable Doubt
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Jay-Z recently did what he rarely does: speak out in reference to all of the Illuminati chatter going on in the streets and on the web. In an interview he did with Sky Magazine (Delta Air) he responds to the haters who accuse him of being apart of a secret society: “I may sound a little arrogant but I just think people can’t handle when somebody is successful. Something has gotta be wrong; you gotta be down with some higher power. And I guess when someone else is successful it makes you feel like maybe you’re a failure. So it can’t be you, it has to be some other force.” Here’s my take on Jay’s “controversial” statement that has the web and the streets talking yet again:
The more you spend hating the less you spend hustling.
As Jay-Z stated preemptively, some people are likely to take his words as arrogance. But if you know the principles of success and have learned the lessons of failure, then Jay’s statement will strike you as profound. When you hate on someone else’s hustle it adversely impacts you more than it does the person who is the recipient of your hate. Though hating has certainly gone on long before the Internet, the web has really given the anonymous person a platform to hate, hate, hate….in the blogs, forums, Twitter, Facebook, etc., on anyone who is doing their thang in life. If you invest so much energy hating how are you going to have enough strength, skill and stamina to hustle, hustle, hustle in your own life?
It seems that in this era, too many of us no longer seek inspiration, but validation of our cynicism. Spending time and energy trying to discredit the next man’s (or woman’s) success does not increase the probability of your success. Another person’s success or failure doesn’t determine your fate. Many of us hate so much that it’s as if we’re praying for the next man’s downfall. Why is that? His setbacks WILL NOT move you forward.
Now, let’s be clear: criticism has value but constant hate will only leave you bankrupt figuratively and even literally.
Though Jay-Z’s statement in Sky magazine reflects his personal perspective on haters, he’s actually making a much broader point about success vs. failure that relates to us all. You don’t have to be in Jay-Z’s position to experience hate from the haters- you may be successful in your own right and have relatives, friends, foes or strangers practically making it their life’s mission to discredit your accomplishments. The roots of their resentment of your success are their own failures. If their experiences aren’t equal or greater than yours, than somehow, someway, your growth and progress is fraudulent.
Of course, we know that’s completely ridiculous!
I wrote in a previous post that the root cause of Jay-Z hate is the immortality of both Biggie and Pac. But really, it’s much deeper than that, hating on great success didn’t start and won’t end with Jay-Z. Whether you’re a rap superstar/entertainment mogul or just an everyday person hustling above and beyond everyone around you, your success will always be criticized and scrutinized. I do think Jay-Z is in a unique position however. Most black males (in fact, most people-period.) will never get close to reaching his level of success. Those who have never related to him are dismissive of his success while many of even his most loyal fans may feel little to no connection with him now that he has become so successful. He’s in another whole stratosphere and some folks think bashing his success brings him down to earth- to their level of mediocrity.
Jay-Z may have talked explicitly about the Illuminati allegations in Sky Magazine but he has addressed the core issue- the relationship between one’s successes vs. another’s failures, countless number of times throughout his musical career. I’ve written extensively about this in my book. But for now, let me give you two examples:
Over 15 years ago, Jay-Z told us that we Can’t Knock the Hustle. It’s far deeper than a catch phrase. Can’t knock the hustle reflects a mindset that is intended to keep YOU focus on YOU.
Quick story: When I was in high school, I used to read classic street books about the pimp game by legendary authors, Donald Goines and Iceberg Slim. During this time, I got in a conversation with one of my uncles (who is a straight up professional) about pimps and after he finished bashing the pimp game, I told him, “Hey, you can knock the hustle.” Needless to say, he was somewhat stunned by my statement. Our conversation turned into an argument. I explained to him that I was not condoning the pimp game, but I wasn’t living “the Life” and refused to judge the the next man’s hustle. My self-righteousness does not equate to my success.
Now, that story is somewhat extreme because the pimp game is obviously not widely played or accepted by the broader society, but the point is, don’t dwell on knocking another person’s hustle, just focus on yours.
Second example: When Kanye West’s So Appalled came out, all the buzz seemed to be on Jay-Z’s verse because some of his lyrics appeared to be a diss to Hammer. When I first heard the song, the lines in reference to Hammer (which I believe were less of a diss to Hammer and more of a word of caution to us all) were barely on my ears’ radar because I was too focused on these gems:
Dark Knight feeling
Die and be a hero
Or live long enough to see yourself become a villain
I went from the favorite, to the most hated
But would you rather be- underpaid or overrated?
Moral victories is for minor league coaches
And ‘Ye already told you, “We Major”, you cockroaches.
These lyrics from So Appalled have a connection with the statement Jay-Z made in the Sky magazine article.
Let’s take a look at these insightful lyrics line by line:
Dark Knight feeling
Die and be a hero
Or live long enough to see yourself become a villain
As long as you’re not too successful, people will love and celebrate you. When Jay speaks of dying, it can be taken literally or metaphorically. Successful people become heroes in a sense, as long they can still be “touched” by those inspired by their accomplishments. But once you reach that next level, and now you can no longer be “touched”, you live long enough to see yourself become a villain. This is the gift and the curse of success.
I went from the favorite, to the most hated
But would you rather be-underpaid or overrated?
One moment-people cheer you on, and in the next moment- all you hear are boos! Take sports for example: We love a team when they play hard and win a championship but once that team dominates the league and become a dynasty, we root for them to lose!
Jay’s next point is on-point: The purpose of your hustle is not to receive praise but to make progress. Think about it: Would you rather be overrated at your job-or underpaid? When your focus is on your hustle, you’re not really concerned whether your performance is considered overrated, as long as you reap what you sow and get what you’re worth!
Moral victories is for minor league coaches
And ‘Ye already told you, “We Major”, you cockroaches.
Jay-Z drops a pretty clever baseball analogy here, but his insight outshines his wit. When you’re in the pursuit of success, you can’t settle for moral victories. Close doesn’t cut it. As part of the title of my book states, “good is not enough”. You don’t hustle to be good, you hustle to be great. In the game of life don’t play for moral victories, PLAY TO WIN.
While his song lyrics are a plentiful source of food for thought, Jay-Z continues to drop gems in his interviews. His conversations in the media have nothing to do with Illuminati and everything to do with illuminating the path to greatness.
Stop. Watch. Read. Listen.