Why Black America, Especially Black Internet, Is Waiting For Jay-Z’s Downfall
The fallout from the rape lawsuit that names both Jay-Z and Diddy continues to rock the internet.
Jay-Z at the “Mufasa: The Lion King” premiere at Dolby Theatre on December 09, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Image: Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images (Getty Images)
The fallout from the Jay-Z allegations continues to rock the world and Black internet at large. Since the rapper was named in a bombshell rape lawsuit on Sunday night, it seems like everyoneis taking to their favorite social media platform (TikTok) to share their opinions, perspectives, and thoughts on Jay, from why they think this has been a long time coming, to how his sudden response to the lawsuit may or may not have hurt his standing in the court of public opinion.
While this is the first time Jay-Z has been legally accused, it certainly is not the first time he’s been in the hot seat in the court of public opinion. Even before Diddy’s legal fallout began and long before his arrest, fans have posted rumors about the mogul. And once the video of Diddy beating his then-girlfriend exploded on social media and more stories of Diddy’s alleged wrong doing grew, predictions in regards to Jay-Z’s potential involvement with the disgraced rapper’s bad behavior— also grew, especially as Jaguar Wright’s claims gained more and more steam.
We won’t even get into the insane, idiotic and ignorant devil worshiping claims on social media. Back to Wright. The Root encouraged social-media users, especially non-Black ones, to be very cautious with Wright, who once worked closely with Jay-Z. Wright’s claims, though never proven legally, landed her on some pretty widespread platforms, including Piers Morgan’s television show.
While Jay shut Wright and her unsubstantiated claims down real quick, a lot of folks still had their eye on the “99 Problems” rapper, truly wondering if when there is smoke there really is fire.
TikTok seems to be the platform of choice for fans to share their perspectives on the allegations and the shocking nature of the claims. As one user @getmebrittany pointed out, “Jay-Z is the penultimate pillar when it comes to Hip-Hop culture. And while none of us know him personally, we all have some sort of parasocial relationship with him.”
Creators like @culturework are sharing comprehensive analyses of Jay-Z’s career, breaking down not only the lawsuit but Jay-Z’s history with controversial figures like Diddy and R. Kelly in the context of these new allegations.
Calling out how Jay-Z’s “number one” collaborator was R. Kelly in the early 2000s, this creator breaks down the ways the rapper continued to work with Kelly despite all of the allegations surrounding Kelly and sexual abuse for over a decade. While the allegations against Jay in this lawsuit remain just that, allegations, some creators believe that Jay-Z has been surrounded by these figures for so long, that it was only a matter of time before accusations of his own popped up.
Other users have pointed to the age difference between Beyoncé and Jay-Z as some sort of red flag of the rapper to begin with, especially as it pertains to the lawsuit accusing him and Diddy raping a 13-year-old girl. One user called him a “weirdo” for getting with Beyoncé when she was allegedly 18 and he was in his 30s.
Of course, users are also wondering how Solange Knowles, Beyoncé’s sister who famously got into an altercation with Jay in an elevator all those years ago, feels about all of this. One user humorously said, “There’s just one thing I want to know: what is Solange saying?”
Other creators were critical of Jay’s statement he made through Roc Nation, which referred to the lawsuit as a “blackmail” attempt. “The way that it’s written it’s clear that he did not speak with his PR team, his attorney or anything else,” @getmebrittany said in her video, calling out the typos and messiness of the post. For some, Jay-Z’s speedy response only made him look worse in their eyes, as one comment with over 3,000 likes reads, “It honestly made him sound guilty to me.”
Another user shared similar sentiments, asking where Jay-Z’s crisis and PR team is, due to the sudden nature of the statement. This user asked, “How did they not have anything prepared? Especially if one of the sentences of the statement is, ‘they have been blackmailing me for months.’”
As these creators have clearly pointed out, Jay-Z is perhaps the biggest name in Hip-Hop ever and certainly one of the biggest names in music, and as the old adage says, the higher you climb, the harder you fall. Still, it bears repeating that these are all allegations, and nothing has been proven in the court of law. Either way, we’ll be keeping our eye on this lawsuit as it continues to play out in front of the world.
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