So What Did Hov Do To You?

King, G.O.A.T, Best to ever do it.....These monikers among many more get applied to Jay-Z by supporters across the world. I personally don't use these labels but I respect where they come from. But this isn't a post about Jay-Z's lyrical ability or his place among the greatest of all time. As is usually the case on the Blvd, this is about the people. This is a general inquiry into why so many people dislike a guy who so epitomizes growth, evolution and escape from negative circumstances? We're the "talk about it" generation. We have so many ways to express ourselves that there is rarely time given to think about the validity of what is being said.

A few days ago Jay-Z & Kanye West, another of the people's favorite targets, released a new track off their upcoming Watch the Throne album. The song, Otis, had everyone talking, as if we need more fuel to start chattin' but anyway, you had those that loved it more then their new born child, you had those that labeled it another addition to their satanic, Illuminati driven catalog. And then you had those in the middle. The calm and the more rational that may have liked it or not, but didn't put too much more weight on one song then it deserves.

What caught my attention were posts I was seeing that had little to do with the actual song in question. Jay-Z is a fraud, a biter, a sell out, an Uncle Tom, etc,etc.....The digital venom was potent I thought my hard drive may crash if I viewed to much. Did Jay sleep with your girl back in the day? Were you tight with Harlem and never got over those shots Jay-Z tossed at Mase's Uptown crew never a decade ago? I'm just curious what is it that people want? I'm curious if folk realize how foolish and hypocritical they look with the outlandish accusations? Drug dealer to multimillionaire mogul. That's fact so within that fact what would people have Mr Carter do?

It reminds me how people got at Jordan for not speaking out more against certain injustices and using his fame and power for more. That wasn't his thing. I think when it comes to us black folk we expect the major give back from our celebs. We hope for and want those that came up to give back. Not just give back but give back directly to us. Don't save lives in Africa. Don't raise social awareness in Europe. All of that is voided if you're not creating millionaires back in BK on the streets you once ran. Let's ignore the fact that the streets DO NOT financially support artists but are the first to demand some one keeps it real. Yeah ok, far be it for the guy to get as far away form his street hustling roots as possible. Nothing like listening to 40 yr old man spit about "moving them things" O_o

Along with that, I hear folk say that Jay doesn't rap "for the hood" anymore. Ummmmm, when was he last in the hood to be rapping about it anyway? The man's a married multimillion. Who would take when seriously? This is his world that's what he speaks on. Why is this so hard to deal with?

Then one of the more popular issues is that Jay-Z is merely success from biting other peoples lines. BIG, Pac, Nas, so on and so forth. This too never makes sense to me. You can maybe construct 1 or 2 songs worth of Jay "line bites" but then what do you attribute the other 11+ albums worth of material too? Again it's something that sounds good to say but doesn't really have legs.

You see, if you ask me to name my favorite MC's there are a few that will be named before Jay-Z. If I had to pick between Jay and Nas as the only artist I could listen to for the reminder of my life I'd pick Nas. So this isn't a Jay-Z fan campaigning for my favorite. I'm just thrown off by how crazy people sound when they go at him.......nevermind that nothing being said actually has any bearing on his life but you know.