Artists can have greater access to reality; they can see patterns and details and connections that other people, distracted by the blur of life, might miss. Just sharing that truth can be a very powerful thing.
Jay-ZRead
I think in London - and I don't wanna offend anybody in America, but this is a real statement - they still have the right approach to making music. In the U.S., people see it as a way to make money; they see it as a means to get out. It's a hustle, which is great - any way you can provide for your family that's legal is fantastic.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Jay-Z contrasts the artistic approach to music in London with the commercial perspective in the U.S.
In this quote, Jay-Z reflects on the differing attitudes towards music in London and the United States. He suggests that while London maintains a more genuine artistic approach to music, the U.S. views it primarily as a commercial venture or a means to escape poverty. He acknowledges the validity of using music as a hustle to support one's family but implies that this mindset can overshadow the pure artistry that music can represent.
Themes
MusicArtistryCommercializationHustleCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about the importance of artistic integrity in music.
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Far from a Harvard student, just had the balls to do it
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I never ask for nothin' I don't demand of myself. Honesty, loyalty, friends and then wealth
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It was a very intense and stressful situation. There was playing in the Johnny-pump (an opened fire hydrant) and the ice-cream man coming around and all of these games that we'd play, and suddenly it would turn just violent and there would be shootings at 12 in the afternoon on any given day.
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I would run into the corner store, the bodega, and just grab a paper bag or buy juice - anything just to get a paper bag. And I'd write the words on the paper bag and stuff these ideas in my pocket until I got back. Then I would transfer them into the notebook.
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