Poem Analysis Of Jay-Z By Malcolm X

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This song addresses the many difficulties black people may face no matter what shade of skin they possess because in a society driven by racist ideologies and policies, any form of blackness is viewed as the same. Jay-Z goes through the history of slavery and the division it created amongst black people on the basis of their skin tone (“House n****, don't f*** with me. I'm a field n****, go shine cutlery”). However, he also goes on to show his position as a businessman who emerged from a harsh environment, which was a result of capitalism; despite being a black man in a White America (“Financial freedom my only hope. F*** livin' rich and dyin' broke; I bought some artwork for one million. Two years later, that s*** worth two million”). …show more content…
political, economical, and social) and how they have yet to be addressed and fixed by the government. Dave raps, “For 22 years my mum was doing the cleaning dreaming that her kids would have a better life. Go in bed at night, struggling with getting by. That's the reality for millions of people in a nation”; describing his experiences as he grew up in environments where he and his family had to struggle to simply get by. Another lyric states, “A question for the new prime minister, And please, tell me if I'm being narrow-minded; but how do we spend so much money on defence and weapons to wage war when the NHS is dying?” referring to the high amount of funds countries have used for wars opposed to being used for resources and aid for citizens within their own nation. He even goes on to addressing the incident that occurred in the Grenfell Tower. Inarguably, by Dave bringing awareness to these issues occurring, he provides not only an “ethnographic” like outlook on the experiences he has faced but he also uses this awareness to demand the government to make changes to better the lives of all …show more content…
Pac raps, “Started as a young motherfucker doin' dirt, and now I'm in the rap game” referring to the necessity for him to sell drugs to generate an income prior to becoming a rapper. He then raps, “Thug for life, high til’ I die. When them stupid-a** b****** ask why, tell 'em, shootin' crooked ass cops, let me fry” addressing the incitement of violence and mistrust black individuals have against the police/authority as a result of their corruptness. Additionally, he states “I'm livin' in L.A., still clutchin' on my AK”, meaning that despite becoming famous and moving to a more affluent neighbourhood, he still holds his opinion on needing to protect himself with weaponry as for America is not a safe place for black individuals, no matter what state they reside in. Conclusively, this song considerably deconstructs the popular narrative being the ideology of a thug through addressing the reasons for why the role

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