In a 1999 interview with Flipside magazine’s Dan Gennoe, Jay-Z says “You know black people don’t really inherit businesses that our fathers left for us” (Jay-Z).
In the lyrics panning across the screen after the music video concludes, “generational wealth” is mentioned in the first verse. Being aware of this corruptness, Jay-Z seeks to expose these issues by setting his music video in a corrupt prison and allowing the viewer the recognize how our prisons are “morally bankrupt” (Arrigo). Since the entire industry is essentially run by private organizations, one could conclude that profit is a main priority in the industry, not prisoner rehabilitation.
Along with our country having a higher incarceration rate than any other country in the world, two privately owned companies, The Corrections Corporations of America and the GEO group, spearhead the prison industrial complex and make profit off their inmates. However, the U.S.’s population is sixty-four percent populated by whites, while African Americans only As of 2017, “The U.S justice system controls almost seven million people” and of the seven million, forty percent are black, only one percent more than whites (Wagner). Jay-Z’s inspiration for the production of Legacy’s music video derives from the fact that the U.S has the highest incarceration rate in the world. In the music video for “Legacy,” Jay-Z shows the viewer how corrupt our Prison-Industrial Complex seems, while also revealing some of his life motives through the lyrics. ĭuring a time where race relations continue to be one of the largest challenges facing our nation, Jay-Z released a political album that focused on the unfair treatment of African Americans, while also taking time to praise them for their perseverance. “Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2017.” Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2017 | Prison Policy Initiative, Prison Policy Initiative, 14 Mar. Trends in incarceration population by race. Jay-Z uses this dual format to appeal to the audience with visual, oral, and nonverbal communication approaches, as well as discussing a variety of themes he feels are relevant to our society today. The video focuses on the discussion between fictional inmates in a prison cafeteria, which represent the incarcerated African American population today, whereas his song focuses on his personal experiences as a Black American and what it means for his family. Instead of accompanying a song with visuals that reflect the words of the song, Jay-Z begins his video with a short film providing context to the song’s lyrics, which plays after the ten-minute video concludes. Legacy’s music video was released in December, months after the rest of the album and takes a unique approach to the traditional music video. The album received praise from critics due to the personal and emotional content within the album, leading to “4:44” receiving a Grammy nomination for album of the year. On June 30, 2017, Jay-Z released his song “Legacy” as a part of his highly anticipated album “4:44.” Being Jay-Z’s most political album to date, it attracted many new listeners who sought to hear Jay-Z’s take on our country’s issues. “Animated GIF Maker.” GIF Maker – Imgflip, 11 Apr.