Jay-z is not socially conscious yet his biggest hit

[GoldenGlove]

 

[Rohiggidy]

Lights is blinding
Girls need blinders
So they can step out of bounds quick
The side lines is lined with casualties
Who sip the life casually, then gradually become worse
Don’t bite the apple, Eve
Caught up in the in-crowd
Now you're in-style
And in the winter gets cold en vogue with your skin out
The city of sinis a pity on a whim
Good girls gone bad, the city's filled with 'em
Mommy took a bus trip and now she got her bust out
Everybody ride her, just like a bus route
"Hail Mary" to the city, you're a virgin
And Jesus can’t save you, life starts when the church ends
Came here for school, graduated to the high life
Ball players, rap stars, addicted to the limelight
MDMA got you feeling like a champion
The city never sleeps, better slip you a Ambien

 

[Rohiggidy]

Social consciousness is consciousness shared within a society. It can also be defined as social awareness; to be aware of the problems that different societies and communities face on a day-to-day basis; to be conscious of the difficulties and hardships of society. A subject with an acquired social consciousness derives his or her viewpoint from the mainstream culture.

 

[Canada Goose]

city of sin good girls gone BAD the city fill with them.....Lights is blinding....Empire state of mind = describing NY highs and lows

cities all over America have girls like that breh.

The only line in that song that is remotely "conscious" is the "City is a pity half of y'all won't make it" which I'd imagine is referring to the high cost of living in NYC forcing to people to relocate.

The line is kinda coming from Jay, considering its a song bigging up the city yet he admits the high COL will force many people out, that line alone ruined the song for me

Pac and Luda didn't shyt on working class people in the songs bigging up their region yet this nikka Jay does

 

[jadillac]

how the fuk is hard knock life not socially conscious lol

its a hard knock life for usssssssssssssssssssssss

hard knock life for blaccccccccccccccccck people living in the run down projects. What u want him to say fukkkkk clinton its a hard knock life for us.

My point is, if those are "socially conscious" songs, then damn near 99% every rap song is conscious. Everyone talks about where they're from, how hard they had it, etc.


Also, I never noticed it til this year when Jay says in "EmpireSOM" "It's a pity half of y'all won't make it" I guess statiscally speaking that's true, but Why say that in a song?

 

[AlldayNE]

Jay has a list of bigger hits than Hard Knock Life... Saying it's his biggest is just funny

 

[Allah]

Bob marley was a social activist. Bob marley songs were about uplifting people. NOt everybody is on fukk the govt they aint shyt mentality. Hov is about saving yourself

individual initiative is not social breh

 

[Taadow]

I would say "Big Pimpin'", "Can I Get A..." and "99 Problems" are his biggest hits.

 

[Rohiggidy]

individual initiative is not social breh

smh how are those songs not social songs

 

[TELL ME YA CHEESIN FAM?]

Jay spits a few concious bars here and there..
If you're waiting for an entire song..buena suerte nikka

 

[Rohiggidy]

Wtf

 

[Pop123]

How is "Empire State of Mind" a socially conscious song?

that last verse is pretty good

 

[The_King_of_Everything]

Wow what an idiot.

 

[Harry B]

He's a socially conscious man probably the most conscious of them all as far as what he actually does, he's not a niche socially conscious rapper.

He's got elements of consciousness in his music, but he's not trying to box himself in as any type of rapper.


But as usual dumb smart rap fans think being socially conscious strictly means talking about race, politics, poor people and their misery lol.

 

[Rohiggidy]

He's a socially conscious man probably the most conscious of them all as far as what he actually does, he's not a niche socially conscious rapper.

He's got elements of consciousness in his music, but he's not trying to box himself in as any type of rapper.


But as usual dumb smart rap fans think being socially conscious strictly means talking about race, politics, poor people and their misery lol.

dudes are telling me that hard knock life is not socially conscious

[Hook]
It's the hard knock life for us
It's the hard knock life for us!
Instead of treated, we get tricked
Instead of kisses, we get kicked
It's the hard knock life!

I flow for those 'dro'ed out; all my nikkas
Locked down in the ten by four, controlling the house
We live in hard knocks, we don't take over, we borrow blocks
Burn 'em down and you can have it back daddy, I'd rather that
I flow for chicks wishin', they ain't have to strip to pay tuition
I see your vision mama
I put my money on the longshots, all my ballers that's born to clock
Know I'mma be on top whether I perform or not
I went from lukewarm to hot; sleeping on futons and cots
To King Size, dream machines, to green 5's
I've seen pies, let the thing between my eyes analyze life's ills
Then I put it down type Braille
I'm tight grill with the phony,rappers y'all might feel we homies
I'm like still, y'all don't know me, shyt!
I'm tight grill when my situation ain't improving
I'm tryna murder everything moving, feel me?!