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November 14, 2011
Jay-Z, the 1%, and his decision to drop that "Occupy All Streets" t-shirt
Atlantic Yards Report
Jay-Z's usually pretty good at judging the cultural moment, and floating on the goodwill of fans, but not this past week.
As the New York Post reported yesterday, Jay-Z has pulled his $22 Rocawear t-shirts, which showed “Occupy Wall Street” altered to read “Occupy All Streets” after criticism of his company's failure to share profits with protesters.
Another article on the Post web site, attributed to Newscore, slammed him harder:
Jay-Z, who has had 12 No. 1 albums, has spent much of his career promoting the massive accumulation of wealth and celebrating the people that do so.
The Jay-Z defense
On the other hand, those defending Jay-Z point out that, while he may be in the 1% of wealth, he's earned it through creativity and drive, not through the crony capitalism and unfair rules that the Occupy protesters have decried.
That's a significant point, except it breaks down when it comes to Jay-Z's promotion of Atlantic Yards and the new Brooklyn arena.
Posted by eric at November 14, 2011 11:02 AM