Jay-Z takes on capitalism and Eat the Rich critics in a Twitter Space interview

No one angers Black Twitter more consistently than Jay-Z when he speaks out in support of capitalism and defending his billionaire status — things he honestly does far too often.

That was the case again on Wednesday night, when the Brooklyn rapper joined a Twitter space hosted by journalist Rob Markman along with DJ Khaled to promote her latest song, “God Did,” from the producer’s new album of the same name. In a snap circulating on social media, Jay-Z addresses those who have criticized his business ventures and pro-capitalist approach to activism throughout his career.

“We didn’t stop,” said the musician. “Hip-hop is young. We’re still growing. We don’t fall for this trick nology that the public is now spreading. Before that it was the American Dream. “Pull yourself up by your boots. You can make it in America’ – all those lies that America has been telling us all our lives. And when we start getting it, they try to shut us out of it. They start inventing words like “capitalist” and things like that. We were called n—–s and monkeys and shit. I don’t care what words come to mind. You must come with stronger words.”

He added: “We went our alternative way, we made this music, we did our thing. You know, we rushed, we fucking killed ourselves to get to this place, and now it’s like, eat the rich. Man, we don’t stop.”

The internet seemed both confused and amused by Jay-Z’s comments, particularly his belief that “capitalist” is an illegitimate or derogatory term invented to bring down the black community. Additionally, in his lyrics, people pointed to the discrepancy between Jay’s conservative economic views and his admiration for radical, anti-capitalist black leaders like Malcolm X and Fred Hampton.

Though most famous musicians participate in capitalist ventures and flaunt their wealth, Jay-Z has become a particularly controversial figure in recent years for his emphasis on making money as a way of black liberation. This ideology has long been embedded in his music, but has come under increasing scrutiny as his fan base has evolved politically. The rapper was criticized for announcing a partnership with the NFL amid the league’s myriad racism scandals, and even criticized Colin Kaepernick, whom he once endorsed in a song, for his method of protesting the league. He also infamously encouraged black people to engage in gentrification in a song he performed in a tribute to murdered rapper Nipsey Hussle.

Most recently, Jay-Z has come under fire for a financial education program he launched with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey called The Bitcoin Academy for residents of Brooklyn’s Marcy Houses, the public housing complex where he grew up. Amid growing backlash against the use of cryptocurrency — particularly celebrities promoting the financially risky digital currency to their followers — the program has drawn harsh criticism on social media. Residents of Marcy Houses also criticized the rapper for not being in touch with his former community in an article for The Guardian.

As evidenced by his recent comments, Jay-Z seems to have been listening a lot but hardly learning. It may seem foolish to expect a billionaire to give up hoarding, but the least he can do is pick up a dictionary.