Madonna manager Guy Oseary defends Jay-Z over claims of 'anti-Semitic' lyrics
Some fans were disappointed by the rapper's lyrics
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Your support makes all the difference.The man who manages Madonna has spoken out in defence of Jay-Z after the rapper was accused of featuring anti-Semitic lyrics on his new album.
Guy Oseary, who knows Jay-Z, took to Instagram to respond to criticism of 4:44 track 'The Story of O.J." after receiving messages from friends about the lyrics.
On the song Jay-Z raps: "You wanna know what's more important than throwin' away money at a strip club? Credit/You ever wonder why Jewish people own all the property in America? This is how they did it/Financial freedom my only hope/F*** livin' rich and dyin' broke."
Some fans on social media expressed disappointment at the lyrics:
However Oseary, who is Jewish, said that while he could understand while people were "jumping to that conclusion", the song in its entirety is based on exaggerated stereotypes to make a point.
"There are African American stereotypes throughout the song," he pointed out.
"Jewish people do NOT 'own all the property in America'. Jay knows this. But he's 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 available.
"Yes, the 'rich Jew' the 'business Jew' the 'Jew that owns the world' is a sterotype 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."
He added: |n 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? I'm not offended by these lyrics. I hear them the way he intended them to be heard. Giving 'credit' to a community that supposedly understands what it means to have 'credit'. I'm good with that."
It was also pointed out that Jay-Z, along with Russell Simmons, was part of a 2006 campaign where he spoke out against racism and anti-Semitism.
Jay-Z himself has said that the song is about how "we as a culture, having a plan, how we're gonna push this forward. We all make money, and then we all lose money, as artists especially. But how, when you have some type of success, to transform that into something bigger."
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