Boots Riley on Jay-Z and the illusion of Black Capitalism

[Ya' Cousin Cleon]

Among the questions the movie raises is whether black success within capitalism is something to reflexively celebrate or whether the success of individuals who belong to an exploited class serves to ratify and consolidate — rather than thwart or ameliorate — the system doing the exploiting. Discussing this question, Riley used the example of the resolutely capitalist Jay-Z: “When people listen to Jay-Z, they’re working all day or trying to work and pay their bills, and what they hear is someone who’s free. Who doesn’t have to worry about the electricity. But all we’re taught is that those who are rich deserve to be rich because they worked harder than the rest of us or they’re smarter. And this may be true of some of those folks, but there are definitely very poor people who are very smart and work hard. It’s just that this system can only have a few people on the top. So Jay-Z is saying: ‘You can do this, too, I’m trying to give you game,’ and it ends up explaining poverty as a system of bad choices. Yes, maybe you can make better choices and be the crab that gets out of the bucket — but that’ll be at the expense of all the other crabs in the bucket.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/22/magazine/how-boots-riley-infiltrated-hollywood.html

 

[mr x]

 

[Creasy]

so we not supposed to celebrate black wealth now word

 

[Don Jesus]

so we not supposed to celebrate black wealth now word

you nikkas can’t read at all

 

[SleezyBigSlim]

Among the questions the movie raises is whether black success within capitalism is something to reflexively celebrate or whether the success of individuals who belong to an exploited class serves to ratify and consolidate — rather than thwart or ameliorate — the system doing the exploiting. Discussing this question, Riley used the example of the resolutely capitalist Jay-Z: “When people listen to Jay-Z, they’re working all day or trying to work and pay their bills, and what they hear is someone who’s free. Who doesn’t have to worry about the electricity. But all we’re taught is that those who are rich deserve to be rich because they worked harder than the rest of us or they’re smarter. And this may be true of some of those folks, but there are definitely very poor people who are very smart and work hard. It’s just that this system can only have a few people on the top. So Jay-Z is saying: ‘You can do this, too, I’m trying to give you game,’ and it ends up explaining poverty as a system of bad choices. Yes, maybe you can make better choices and be the crab that gets out of the bucket — but that’ll be at the expense of all the other crabs in the bucket.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/22/magazine/how-boots-riley-infiltrated-hollywood.html

Not reading shyt what the Times got to say about a black man

 

[Double Burger With Cheese]

so we not supposed to celebrate black wealth now word

It’s just an attention grabbing thread title. That piece of the article is not really criticizing or celebrating Jay, and it’s a small piece of a broader topic. The article doesn’t focus on Jay at all, and in that excerpt he’s just using Jay as an example of an issue that he is exploring in a movie he’s making.

 

[Taadow]

Not reading shyt what the Times got to say about a black man

Think Boots Riley writes for the Times, brehs who supposedly listen to rap

 

[HiredGun]

Ameliorate = to improve or make better
sent me to the dictionary on that one...that's the first time in a minute that happened lol

 

[Long Live The Kane]

When I saw the trailer for this movie I was legit shocked to see Boots Riley was the director...I had to Google and confirm it was boots from the coup and not just some cat with the same name... Film became an instant must watch, on top of it starring Lakeith Stanfield

 

[Harry B]

so we not supposed to celebrate black wealth now word

It’s just the threadstarter trying to attract the overwhelming amount of Jay-haters to come in and eat. In context what he’s saying is reasonable, taken out of context it might sound slightly haterish. Especially since he’s taking Jay giving “game” on basic things like thinking about credit scores and translating it to him saying that everyone can reach the level where credit scores is on your radar. Basically twisting bars to fit a narrative.

But then again he’s a self-proclaimed communist, so if he was hating it would be reasonable if he was hating on any type of financial wealth.

 

[The_Hillsta]

 

[SleezyBigSlim]

Think Boots Riley writes for the Times, brehs who supposedly listen to rap

Act like you didn't have to write a negative article about a black man to get it published brehs. A positive article about Jay Z won't get published in the Times unless he's the face of a cac real estate deal or interest.

 

[Piff Perkins]

@Walt

 

[Rembrandt]

Gonna give this a read.

Cannot fukking wait for sorry to bother you.

 

[Taadow]

Act like you didn't have to write a negative article about a black man to get it published brehs. A positive article about Jay Z won't get published in the Times unless he's the face of a cac real estate deal or interest.

How you know that if you won't read anything the Times got to say about a Black man?