Jay Z Answers His Critics With New ‘Tidal’ Freestyle

VIA: Jay Z’s B-Sides show had more than its fair share of high points as Jiggaman went through hit after hit for the crowd. But none may have been better than when he perform new material instead of the expected older material. Exhibit J: his Tidal freestyle where he takes aim at his doubters and touches on topics ranging from Freddie Gray’s death, YouTube’s paltry payouts to artists, sends shots at Spotify and, of course, his new streaming service and why he felt the need to create his own lane.

“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 niggas
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 checks, I take my respect
Pharrell even told me go with the safest bet
Jimmy Iovine on for the safety net
Google dig around a crazy check
I feel like YouTube is the biggest culprit
Them niggas pay you a tenth of what you supposed to get
You know niggas 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?
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 niggas,
We gon’ turn style, I ain’t your token nigga
You know I came in this game independent, right?
TiDAL, my own lane, same difference
Oh niggas is skeptical 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!’”