Like Annie, this discrimination, marginalisation and societal disregard drew him into the life of crime he describes on his opening bar, “ standin’ on the corners, boppin’.” In the very next line, however, comes the all important explanation as to why Jay-Z is so venerated in these parts he has gone from dealing drugs “ to driving some of the hottest cars New York has ever seen.” For a population largely suppressed by the greed of our governments, for a people whose reality is so hopeless they believe their desperation can only be alleviated through crime, Jay-Z’s hard knock life is an entirely relatable fate on the African continent. As a black person in America, the criminality projected onto the orphans, the marginalisation that strips them of their basic rights and humanity is one to which Jay-Z can most easily relate, as it’s a reality he’s had to endure too. “Hard Knock Life” is a bleak number sung by Annie and her friends in the orphanage as they recount their gross maltreatment in an effort to justify their misbehaviour on screen. 2… Hard Knock Life’, Jay-Z opens the album’s second track with one of the most famous chorus’ in theatre musical history.
In dinner-with-Jay-Z’s case, it’s his inspiring rags to riches story, that forms not only the crux of his personhood but also lies at the heart of his music, in songs such as “Legacy”, verses such as “Clique” and evergreen hits such as “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)”.Ī single off his 1998 third studio album, ‘ Vol. The disagreement is fair, but as is always the case when people on the internet land in a tiff, there is a seed, from which this thorny bush of incredulity spawned, that is well worth interrogating. For many, it is, and for many others that is ridiculous. The internet often throws itself into tatters debating whether an evening meal with the Hip-Hop mogul is worth forfeiting a hypothetical million dollars. In these parts, dinner with Jay-Z is almost as coveted as a first-class ticket through the pearly gates. From Brick & Lace’s “Love is Wicked” to Mario’s “Let Me Love You”, these are the evergreen songs that we love to love. To this end, in our best efforts to kick off the first week of African American History Month, the NATIVE team is bringing you our best 8 American throwback songs that traversed time zones and cultures, crossing over to the vibrant parties that populated our younger years. From R&B, to Hip-Hop/Rap, to Soul music, Pop and more, it’s infinitely clear that the music of our childhood had it all and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone that won’t jump at a chance to witness a Young Money reunion or kick back with your favourite Bow Wow and Nelly songs playing on a loop. Even though our tastes continue to acclimatise to the furore of modern times, we can’t help but remain big fans of the golden age of music back in the late ’90s and ’00s. While our ethos at NATIVE has always been to deliver content as the reliable pulse of the African millennial, we, like many millennials and Gen Zers our age have a soft spot for the nostalgic. It’s why today we have artists such as Amaarae, Playboi Carti, Juice WRLD and more, consistently defying traditional conventions and setting their own rules.
These days, rappers can decide to make Emo, Hip-Hop artists are dabbling in Country, and some artists mix so many different styles that it’s impossible to stick them with any labels. Unlike before, many artists are less likely to stay confined within certain boundaries of genre, now prone to experimenting more and blurring the lines between these traditional modes of music-making. There’s no denying that music in the 2020s is different.
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