Renowned scholar and author Michael Eric Dyson took to social media to apologize to Jay-Z after he shared details about their private conversation about the high-profile beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake.
Dyson’s apology to Jay-Z came after the scholar weighed in on the beef between Kendrick and Drake on Mohr Takes, Complex reported. Dyson, in February, registered his displeasure with Kendrick for trying to use his chart-topping Not Like Us diss song to try to “de-Black” Drake, who is biracial. The author is said to have likened Kendrick’s actions to President Trump’s sentiments against immigration.
“‘You are not like us. You are Somalian. You are Ethiopian, you are Eritrean, you are Mexican, you are whatever, fill in the blank, you are Haitian,’” Dyson said. “And so to me, that very theme — forget the song, the song is the song, whatever you think about it. But the notion itself is a man distinction, a big distinction, us versus them. And they’re trying to de-Black Drake.”
Dyson further emphasized that Drake, who is Canadian, did not need to prove he’s Black and provided reasons why.
“His daddy is Black. He went to Memphis every summer. The Memphis Horns fill his music, the first albums Drake made. His grandmama babysat Aretha Franklin, and his uncle is Larry Graham from Sly the Family Stone,” Dyson highlighted. “What Black card he got to show?”
Dyson, after some weeks, revealed that Jay-Z contacted him to share his views on what he said.
“[Jay] hit me up and his vigorously disagreed with my particular position,” Dyson revealed. “He said it with dignity. He said it with respect… I responded to him. We went back and forth for a minute.”
“What I love about Jay is that he’s not arrogant,” Dyson added. “He’s got more reason to be arrogant than anybody we’re talking to, including myself, on this darn internet and social media. And yet he choose to be gracious, vigorous, clear and transparent about his disagreement. But he did not get nasty and vicious with me.”
In a recent post on Instagram, Dyson explained why he decided to render a public apology to Jay-Z after he shared details about their private conversation, per Complex.
“I remember once when Kanye [West] posted publicly a text exchange between us,” Dyson recalled. “It was private. And I was hurt by that. I’m thinking about that because I’ve done the same thing to Jay-Z. No, I didn’t publicly post a text. But I talked about a private exchange between us that should’ve remained between us, as it has for the last 20-some-odd years. So I want to apologize to him here.”