Back in January, one reporter attempted to get Jay-Z’s thoughts on Donald Trump’s election. Hov had campaigned for Hillary Clinton, so it was just too soon; Jay promptly shut the reporter down. With the wounds less fresh, he’s now ready to share his thoughts. Asked by BBC Radio 1’s Clara Amfo how he’s prepared to raise black children in Trump’s America, Jay-Z notes that black people are resilient, but it’s been difficult to shake the reality of having a president who’s a “joke.” “With all — I can’t even say with all due respect — with all disrespect,” he says, “I just think he’s not a very sophisticated man.” Jay later adds that as he’s observing the state of America, particularly its rampant partisanship, it’s already inspiring his next album. Here are his full comments on Trump:
“I believe that everything that happens in life is for your greatest good. I don’t think that this [would] happen if we weren’t prepared to handle it. I’m just actually looking forward to what’s next after that because usually when things are darkest, light is on its way. I’m not fearful. I believe that we are resilient, especially us as black people and especially the culture, we’ve been through so much more than this guy. This guy, I’m looking at him like, man, this is a joke, with all — I can’t even say with all due respect — with all disrespect. I just think he’s not a very sophisticated man, especially when it comes to the idea of until everyone is free, no one is free. Period. That’s just a fact. We are all linked some kind of way. So if you oppress a certain people, everyone is in danger, karmically and in real life. If I’m being oppressed and you have this big, nice mansion, I’m coming inside there. That’s gonna happen, that’s just how life is. So on a practical level, that just makes sense. On a spiritual and karmic level, if we’re all children of God, then we’re all brothers and sisters, and at some point, if you’re doing that to your brother, then that can’t last.”
Jay-Z also performed his Linkin Park collaboration “Numb/Encore” in the Live Lounge in memory of Chester Bennington, telling Amfo that he hopes Bennington’s suicide “serves as a wake up call” about mental health. “You think because he’s a performer and sold 14 million records that equates to happiness,” he says. “He’s telling you he became numb. You just get bigger audiences and move further away from yourself.”
