S. Samuel
The Fugees leader Wyclef Jean is the latest hip-hop artist to put a spin on rap mogul Jay-Z's new "Open Letter," giving a nod to Young Hov and talking about his inspiration to run for office in Haiti.
In the freestyle, Clef even reveals he lost $20 million during his run to become Haiti president a few years ago.
“Real talk Jay, I was with Bill Clinton, on an Air Force One, headed to my island/I’m the one they brought in when they wanted to keep the peace/United Nations knew the gangs would listen to me/Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, brought them out to Haiti/This is before the earthquakes on your TV’s/Used to go to DC, see Nancy Pelosi, I spoke in front of Congress fighting for my country/But once I decided I’m gonna run for president/My whole life changed in a split second/Now I understand the hidden eye on a dollar/They’ll never let a n*gga have the power/In the final hour, I’m with Wolf Blitzer, on CNN, felt my constitution got twisted with Sean’s Penn/Even my bandmate, said I wasn’t fit/But I could see the future/Nostradamus/They took me out the race, said I had no residence/But I’m so powerful I made my man the president/I lost 20 mil when I decided to run, but I’m gonna make it all back on my next album.” (“Open Letter” Freestyle)
Yesterday, Chicago rap veteran Common stood up for Jigga with his “Open Letter, Part II” track.
“My man went to Cuba/Caught in a political triangle, Bermuda,” Common raps. “Can’t a n*gga rap and make movies/Y’all seen how Fox News tried to do me/They say I’m too black, like it’s light’s out/Might not get invited back to the White House/Still, with the Obamas I ride/I’ll meet the President on the South Side/Marched the streets, parade for peace/Shorties keep shooting, they need a release/Trying to eat in the belly of the beast/I call them Lebron, they carrying the Heat…” (“Open Letter, Part II”)
Over the weekend, Miami’s Pitbull rallied behind Young Hov with an “Open Letter” freestyle.
Miami rapper Pitbull released a rap response to Jay-Z’s “Open Letter” rap response to Miami’s Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Marco Rubio for criticizing his recent trip to Cuba. (Yeah, it’s confusing. Here’s the last link that has other links). Partisans in the Twittersphere seem confused. Is Pitbull taking sides? The wondering is understandable. Pitbull is a party rapper not known for subtlety (Rubio said as much on Twitter before clarifying his remarks). “Politicians love to hate you/ But then they run away when it’s time to debate you.Question of the night:/ would they have mess with Mr. Carter if he was white?/ Hmmm, rhyme with treasury/ One way another in Cuba is where they’ll bury me/ Happy 5th year anniversary, Jay and B/ don’t worry it’s on me.” (Miami Herald)
Last week, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney was forced to address “Open Letter” song and speculation of President Obama talking to Hov about his five-year anniversary Cuba vacation.
Rapper Jay-Z’s latest track is getting poor reviews from the White House. In the song, entitled “Open Letter,” Jay-Z brags that he “got White House clearance” for his recent controversial trip to Cuba with wife Beyonce. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney today denied the White House had any involvement with their trip, saying the Treasury Department handles all clearances for travel to Cuba. “I guess nothing rhymes with Treasury,” Carney joked. In the song, Jay-Z also recounts a conversation he had with President Obama about his trip. “Obama said, ‘Chill, you, gonna get me impeached… We don’t need this s-t anyway, chill with me on the beach,” he raps in the nearly three-minute song. (ABC News)
Check out Wyclef Jean’s “Open Letter” freestyle:
