Jay Z used a special invite-only TIDAL performance in New York on Saturday to diss Spotify and YouTube for their treatment of artists – all as part of a freestyle rap.
The hip-hop star used his B-Sides show to play rarely-heard tracks from across his career for his crowd.
His freestyle also included a defense of TIDAL, whose glitzy New York launch attracted criticism from within the music industry.
As well as referencing Spotify’s recent $8.4bn valuation, the artist appeared to slam labels that have accepted advances from YouTube while agreeing poor royalty rates for their artists (“I don’t take no cheque… I take my respect.”).
(Some observers may point out that it is slightly rich for Jay Z to say he “don’t take no cheque”, following his direct deal with Samsung a couple of years ago for an exclusive release on its handsets.)
You can watch the video of his TIDAL freestyle below, courtesy of fan footage on YouTube (sorry Jay).
The lyrics:
“So I’m the bad guy now I hear, because I don’t go with the flow
Don’t ever go with the flow, be the flow.
“And I don’t need no middle man to talk to my n****s
I understand if you don’t understand, I figure I’m Jigga
That’s where we differ.
“I take what’s mine, you accept what they they give you, I get you
I don’t take no cheques, I take my respect
“Pharrell even told me go with the safest bet
Jimmy Iovine offered the safety net
Google dangled round a crazy cheque
“I feel like YouTube is the biggest culprit
Them n****s pay you a tenth of what you supposed to get
“You know n****s die for equal pay right?!?
You know when I work I ain’t your slave right?
You know I ain’t shucking and jiving and high-fiving, and you know this ain’t back in the days right?
“Youtube… pay a tenth of what you supposed to get… I don’t take no cheque, I take my respect.”
“Well I can’t tell, how the way they killed Freddie Gray right
Shot down Mike Brown how they did Tray right?
“Let them continue choking n****s,
We gonna turn style, I ain’t your token n****
“You know I came in this game independent, right?
TIDAL, my own lane, same difference
“Oh n****s is sceptical about they own shit
You bought nine iPhones and Steve Jobs is rich
“Phil Knight worth trillions you still bought those kicks
Spotify worth nine billion and they ain’t say shit!
“Lucy you got some ‘splaining to do
The only one they hating on look the same as you…
“That’s cool, I know they trying to bamboozle you
Spending millions on media trying to confuse you
“I had to talk to myself, ‘Hov you used to it
“It’s politics as usual!’”
Music Business Worldwide
