The Story Of O.J.

Revisiting Jay-Z’s “The Story Of O.J.” After O.J. Simpson’s Death

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Jay-Z entered a new phase of his career with 4:44 (2018). The Brooklyn icon was no longer chasing trends, as he’d been on his two previous albums, and instead embraced an older, more mature sound that broadened the possibilities of what hip-hop could represent. 4:44 is hailed as a classic today, and a lot of its appeal can be summarized in the song “The Story of O.J.” Hov uses the infamous running back as an example of the ills of American success. An example that takes on greater significance in the wake of O.J. Simpson’s death.

“The Story of O.J.” sees Jay detail a rags to riches story over a killer No I.D. instrumental. The further the song progresses, however, the more the protagonist is criticized for sacrificing his authenticity as a Black man. “The “Story of O.J.” uses O.J. Simpson’s infamous (albeit alleged) quote, “I’m not black, I’m O.J. as a microcosm of this societal and cultural divide. Jay-Z makes note of the same exact divide between him and rappers who fail to properly invest their money. “Y’all out here still takin’ advances, huh? Me and my n***as takin’ real chances,” he raps. “Y’all on the ‘Gram holdin’ money to your ear, there’s a disconnect, we don’t call that money over here.”

Read More: Pusha T Used “The Story Of O.J.” Beat Even Though No I.D. Asked Him Not To

Jay-Z Posits O.J. Simpson As A Cautionary Tale

The O.J. reference is something most fans comprehend, but the rest of the song’s title often goes unnoticed. “The Story of O.J.” is an allusion to the 1954 French novel The Story of O, which explores themes of submission and dominance. Once more, Jay-Z is using metaphor to convey the complicated relationship that America has with Black celebrity. The sample of Nina Simone’s “Four Women” is the cherry on top of this socially conscious standout. No I.D. chopped it, but he later told Genius that Jay picked it out. Both are credited as producers.

Jay also sat down with Genius to discuss the song’s impact. He articulated much of what has already been discussed here, but added a crucial addendum: hope. The rapper sees O.J. Simpson, who died from cancer at age 76, as a cautionary tale for future generations to learn from. Avoiding the mistakes O.J. made will make for better celebrities, better role models, and a better society. “We all make money, and then we all lose money, as artists especially,” Hov noted. “But how, when you have some type of success, to transform that into something bigger.”

Read More: O.J Simpson Reacts To “The Story Of O.J.” By Jay-Z

The post Revisiting Jay-Z’s “The Story Of O.J.” After O.J. Simpson’s Death appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

O.J Simpson Reacts To “The Story Of O.J.” By Jay-Z

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O.J. Simpson finally spoke out concerning Jay-Z’s now iconic track, “The Story of O.J.,” which landed on his 2017 album 4:44. Moreover, blogger Augustus Lymon asked him about the track on April 7, specifically its most explicit reference to Simpson. “O.J. like, ‘I’m not black, I’m O.J.’ …okay,” Hov rapped on the song. Furthermore, the former NFL star took some issue with how simply and out of context the rapper portrayed his infamous comments on being Black. Although it was a quick interaction and a quick choice of words, O.J. gave fans the reaction that they awaited for so long.

“Well, first of all, [Jay-Z] didn’t say it right,” O.J. Simpson stated. “When Johnny [Cochran] was talking to me about it, and all that was going on was ‘Black, Black, Black,’ I said man, f**k being Black, this is me. This is about O.J. You know? It wasn’t about Black or white. It was about, ‘These guys were after me.’ So that’s how that was expressed. It wasn’t about, you know, ‘I’m not Black.’ It was about, this ain’t about being Black, this is about me.”

O.J. Simpson Says Jay-Z Got It Wrong On “The Story of O.J.”

Regardless of Jay’s apparent misinterpretation, that track still caused a massive cultural splash and discussion upon release. Aided by a 1940s-style cartoon video, the song raised a lot of conversations on Black identity, wealth, and stereotyping. Despite that being his last album as of writing this article, the 53-year-old remains as relevant as ever. In fact, he just announced a surprise concert in Paris, France on Friday (April 14) commemorating the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol. In partnership with Louis Vuitton, this out of the blue performance will surely capture much of what makes him such a compelling MC.

Meanwhile, his previous catalog continued to show its staying power and commercial dominance even decades after its release. On one hand, his classic album The Blueprint recently received a triple-platinum certification from the RIAA. On another, his project Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life just surpassed Watch The Throne as his highest-selling work to date. Whether O.J. Simpson likes it or not, Jay provided one of the most relevant and far-reaching reflections on his case n recent years. For the latest news and updates on O.J. Simpson and Jay-Z, log back into HNHH.

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