Fri 22 Oct 2010
Jay-Z explains the origins of “Public Service Announcment” in Decoded
Posted by Mr.North under interview[8] Comments
In the video above Jay-Z speaks to MTV about how the second verse to his 2003 Black Album cut “Public Service Annoucement” came together. The Just Blaze produced classic is one of many songs that Jay will break down it’s lyrics in his first book Decoded that hits shelves on November 16th.
“The second verse of ‘PSA’ may not have that many hidden jewels in [it], but the story behind why I wrote the second verse is pretty interesting. It’s sort of that look on rap, how this writer had written this article about me wearing this Che Guevara shirt [with a] Jesus piece, and she was like, ‘The Jesus piece is hitting his head,’ and I was like, ‘You’re going a little too far. It’s a T-shirt and a chain. It’s not literally hitting his forehead,’ ” he recalled. “That [experience] inspired the entire verse. ‘I’m like Che Guevara with bling on, I’m complex.’ It’s the whole entire story of how and why I came to write that second verse on ‘PSA.’ “
Props to Meka/2Dopeboyz for the heads up.
RELATED: “Just Asking: Decoding Jay-Z” (Wall Street Journal)
October 23rd, 2010 at 1:53 am
The writer Jay’s talking about is Elizabeth Mendez Berry..
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October 23rd, 2010 at 1:07 pm
The line should have been “It’s like Che Guevara with bling on, it will never happen” or “I’m like Che Guevara with bling on, I’ll never happen” or “I’m like Che Guevara with bling on, I’m a contradiction.”
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October 24th, 2010 at 12:39 am
he obviously doesnt know much about Che if he is celebrating him
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Brietling Reply:
October 24th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Sure about that? These are a few people who have picked elements of Che’s life and had something positive to say:
Nelson Mandela, Madonna, Carlos Santana, Immortal Technique, Rhymefest, Common, Nas maybe it is u that should do a bit more reading?
Jay-Z book concept is incredible every time i see an interview i go back to the piece of work with a different view.
PSA is on point!
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October 24th, 2010 at 7:31 pm
Jay z is a deep dude someone taught this dude how to put messages in musica !
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October 25th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
im shocked No Illuminati talks surface yet
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October 27th, 2010 at 11:46 am
Che wasn’t on the same level as Jay. What I mean is Jay’s primarily a rapper who’s all about popping champagne and living the high life; he isn’t a revolutionary rapper like say, Pac, Immortal Technique or even Nas. I’m not dissing Jay but I really wonder if he has read any of Che’s diaries.
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February 15th, 2013 at 10:48 am
lol, real question here is have u really listened to Jay to qualify to make a comment.. It’s supposed to be a contridiction, that’s why he says “I’m complex”, che guevara with bling on would be a complex situation, it describes a certain mind state, a mind state of a revolutionary, a rebel, rebeling against the poverty which was brought about by racist capitalists of america who’s perfect situation is created by enslaving black people to create an “ecosystem” among themselves which is profitable for racist capitalists, brought to the light in kanye west’s lyrics when he says, “drug dealer buys Jordans, crack head buys crack, and da white man gets paid off all of that”, and rebeling against it so hard that you become wealthy, buying homes right next to the racist capitalists, driving the same cars, and basically throwing it in their face, bringing across the message “u tried to control our minds and profit off us being stupid, now watch me live next to you and expolde with anger to the fact that you can’t control us”.. Now, that’s why he says it complex, he’s not just celebrating che, and he knows exactly who he is, which is why he chose to word it the way he did..
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