That’s not dependent on anybody’s sexuality.” It’s about the bond and the guidance that you’re giving a person, and the strength that you’re giving a child. Milan takes this a step further: “It’s not about which sexualities and genders are in the house. Carter who had the burden of raising a son by herself - despite her own personal struggles with her sexuality. Milan counters the parental gay bashing with these words: “hoteps don’t want to talk about cisgender black men who are molesting children, who are violent, who don’t want to contribute anything.” He also brings up “those who walk out of families,” as evident of JAY Z’s personal story.
Instead he’s lyrically focused on dealing with other demons, like the absence of his father which he addresses on 4:44’s “Adnis.” We’ll never know if he felt a resentment or shame towards his mother for her secret - possibly causing this behavior - but it seems he’s been complacent with her sexuality. JAY-Z, Chris Rock, Van Jones & More Discuss Ego in 'Kill Jay Z' Footnotes VideoĪnd while we don’t know what attributed to this, JAY Z has acknowledged his drug dealer past as well as previous violent tendencies while growing up in the Marcy projects of Brooklyn.
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On why he sent out the tweet, Milan explains to Billboard that the moment was inspired by his guest appearance on an episode of the YouTube series The Grapevine, titled “Hoteps & ‘The Gay Agenda’.” The Grapevine features a panelist of influential black individuals who debate topics essential to the community on part one of the episode a self-described hotep claims that sometimes they can serve as the “black alt-right.” Hence why Milan calls out this portion of JAY Z’s fan base, who writ in large comprise a key demographic of hip-hop’s storied tradition and culture. Over the course of time (and thanks to Internet culture) the definition became muddled and started being used as a derogatory term for black men with misogynistic, transphobic, and homophobic beliefs. The word actually means “at peace” in Egyptian. Where are all the gay bashing woman hating hoteps now?” Milan - who identifies as a transgender man - raised a valid (and valuable) point, opening the floodgates for some homophobic rebuttals, and most importantly more than 1,000 retweets and 2,000 likes.īut let’s dissect the significance of the tweet, shall we?įirst, the term “hotep.” At first, “hotep” was used as a moniker attributed to black men who care about the well being and prosperity of his black community - his ideology rooted in ancient Egyptian principles. So much so that it inspired him to tweet “Jay-Z was raised by a single lesbian mother.
And, it’s no surprise that in the third week since the LP’s release, 4:44 spends a second consecutive week in the penthouse of the Billboard 200.Ĭarter’s newfound freedom - next to a wisecrack at the decolorization of football-hero-turned-tabloid-obsession OJ Simpson, an apology tour to a jilted mega-star wife, and subsequent battle with ego alongside financial stability and family legacy - would be one of the many focal points sparking provocative conversations across the world.įor Tiq Milan, an LGBTQ advocate and writer featured on publications such as CNN, Buzzfeed, and The Guardian, the moments in “Smile” stuck out the most. This is just one of the multiple highlights existing on 4:44 - which alongside Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN., became an immediate front runner for this year’s musical hub centered on the politics of hip-hop culture and blackness in America. Ask Billboard: JAY-Z Hits the Hot 100 With His Mom … and With a Song About Himself