Jewish-American music mogul: Jay-Z's lyrics not antisemitic

Madonna and U2's manager says Jewish wealth was treated with "wrong sentiment" in the past, "but not by Jay-Z."

By JPOST.COM STAFF

JULY 3, 2017 12:11

Updated: JULY 3, 2017 12:30

American rapper Jay-Z performs at Bercy stadium in Paris, October 17, 2013. (photo credit: BENOIT TESSIER /REUTERS) — American rapper Jay-Z performs at Bercy stadium in Paris, October 17, 2013.

(photo credit: BENOIT TESSIER /REUTERS)

American rapper Jay-Z's new album 4:44 is causing an uproar in the media thanks to a song titled "The story of O.J."

The provocative song describes various types of labor placed upon black people who were subjected to slavery in America before asking: "You ever wonder why Jewish people own all the property in America? This how they did it."

The idea that Jewish people own all the property in America, even if intended as a compliment, closely resembles antisemitic stereotypes of Jewish people controlling the economy and somehow exploiting the common man.

Yet, Israeli-American music manager Guy Oseary has defended Jay-Z.

"If you listen to the song in its entirety you will hear that the whole of the song is based on exaggerated stereotypes to make a point," said the manager of Madonna and U2, "Jay is giving the Jewish community a compliment."

I've received a few messages from friends wondering why Jay-Z is putting out anti-semitic lyrics in his new song "The Story Of O.J." ... If you read the lyrics out of context I can understand why people are jumping to that conclusion.. But if you listen to the song in its entirety you will hear that the whole of the song is based on exaggerated stereotypes to make a point.. There are African American stereotypes throughout the song.. The music video directed by @markromanek and Jay is entirely full of exaggerated stereotype imagery of African Americans.. Jewish people do NOT "own all the property in America". Jay knows this.. But hes attempting to use the jewish people in an exaggerated way to showcase a community of people that are thought to have made wise business decisions.. As an example of what is possible and achievable.. Yes, the "rich jew" the "business jew" the "jew that owns the world" is a stereotype which has been repeatedly used with the wrong sentiment.. meant only to harm the Jewish people. Perpetuating the absurdity that jews are taking over the world.. Fact: There are 7.5 billion people in the world.. Only 14 million of them are jews.. Thats 0.2 percent of the worlds population.. In my opinion, Jay is giving the jewish community a compliment.. " Financial freedom" he mentions as being his ONLY hope.. If you had to pick a community as an example of making wise financial decisions achieving financial freedom who would you choose?.. Im not offended by these lyrics.. I hear them the way he inteded them to be heard.. Giving "credit" to a community that supposedly understands what it means to have "credit".. I'm good with that.. ✡️
A post shared by Guy Oseary (@guyoseary) on Jul 1, 2017 at 11:43am PDT

Oseary freely admits that negative Jewish images like the 'rich Jew,' 'the business Jew,' and 'the Jew who owns the world,' had been used with the wrong sentiment in the past - but not by Jay-Z, who is using the stereotype of the very wealthy Jewish community as a positive example of how wealth can be kept by a specific people.

In an interview to iHeart Radio, Jay-Z said that the song is about "we as a culture, having a plan, how we're gonna push this forward."

"We all make money," said the rapper, "and then we all lose money, as artists especially."