--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't profess to be a political rapper…" description: "\"I don't profess to be a political rapper, like groups such as 'Dead Prez' or 'Public Enemy', but I think social commentary should make its way into you..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aca/jay-z-713_enemy_i-don-t-profess-to-be-a-political-rapper_3140097.png" --- # I don't profess to be a political rapper, like groups such… ![“I don't profess to be a political rapper, like groups such as 'Dead Prez' or 'Public Enemy', but I think social commentary should make its way into your music. Speaking on your neighbourhood is social commentary - what happens, what's going on.” quote by Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aca/jay-z-713_enemy_i-don-t-profess-to-be-a-political-rapper_3140097.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aca/jay-z-713_enemy_i-don-t-profess-to-be-a-political-rapper_3140097.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aca/jay-z-713_enemy_i-don-t-profess-to-be-a-political-rapper_3140097.png) > “I don't profess to be a political rapper, like groups such as 'Dead Prez' or 'Public Enemy', but I think social commentary should make its way into your music. Speaking on your neighbourhood is social commentary - what happens, what's going on.” [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He emphasizes that authentic social commentary should arise from personal experience and local observations, encouraging artists to embed community narratives in their music. **In simple terms:** Music should reflect real community issues. Key Takeaway Ground your lyrics in lived experiences. Themes social justice authenticity artistry community Mood assertive thoughtful Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - songwriting - community workshops - public speaking Key Concepts political expression storytelling cultural critique Questions to Reflect On - How can artists stay true to their roots? - What community stories need a voice? A Different Perspective Commercial pressures may dilute honesty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Commentary Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commentary-happens-5591016/) [Commentary Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commentary-make-5591015/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Political Rapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-rapper-1008253/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Rapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rapper/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social Commentary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-commentary-253493/) [Think Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-social/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [I don't think social commentary should be planned, you just have to be truthful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-damici/i-don-t-think-social-commentary-should-be-planned-you-just-have-to-be/) [Nick Damici](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-damici/) > [I don't accept the term 'political rapper' because I don't give a damn about either political party. I give a damn about the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/i-don-t-accept-the-term-political-rapper-because-i-don-t-give-a-damn/) [Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/) > [Amber London is a political rapper, a preaching rapper who speaks true facts and not just nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spaceghostpurrp/amber-london-is-a-political-rapper-a-preaching-rapper-who-speaks-true/) [SpaceGhostPurrp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spaceghostpurrp/) > [I don't accept 'political rapper' because I don't give a damn about either political party. I give a damn about the people. My rap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/i-don-t-accept-political-rapper-because-i-don-t-give-a-damn-about/) [Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/) > [I wish I were better at observational or political or social commentary, and I'm just not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-tomlinson/i-wish-i-were-better-at-observational-or-political-or-social/) [Taylor Tomlinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-tomlinson/) > [“Sexual and domestic abuse are already romanticized in mainstream media without critical social commentary, if there is any commentary at all. Horror isn’t there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-leigh-stewart/sexual-and-domestic-abuse-are-already-romanticized-in-mainstream/) [Christy Leigh Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christy-leigh-stewart/) > ['Twisted' is similar to 'Pretty Little Liars' in that it's about trying to find out who did it, but it's more about the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avan-jogia/twisted-is-similar-to-pretty-little-liars-in-that-it-s-about-trying/) [Avan Jogia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avan-jogia/) > [I don't think you want to preach to people. I don't think In A Valley Of Violence, and the same with The Sacrament, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ti-west/i-don-t-think-you-want-to-preach-to-people-i-don-t-think-in-a-valley/) [Ti West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ti-west/) > [Every comic will tell you that a lot of crowds play differently to different social commentary. Some people are really uptight about stuff like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-santino/every-comic-will-tell-you-that-a-lot-of-crowds-play-differently-to/) [Andrew Santino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-santino/) > [As a writer, it is my job to tell a story. I don't want to get involved in social commentary; I just want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-monaghan/as-a-writer-it-is-my-job-to-tell-a-story-i-don-t-want-to-get-involved/) [Nicola Monaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-monaghan/) > [The jokes were perfect! Then George Carlin started talking about the seven dirty words you can't say on television, then it evolved into social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/the-jokes-were-perfect-then-george-carlin-started-talking-about-the/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [I like singing all songs, really, but I find that writing social commentary comes naturally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-marley/i-like-singing-all-songs-really-but-i-find-that-writing-social/) [Damian Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-marley/) > [You were doing a TV show - you don't realise that you're also making social commentary at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-benson/you-were-doing-a-tv-show-you-don-t-realise-that-you-re-also-making/) [Amber Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-benson/) > [Zombies have always had a lot of built-in social commentary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/zombies-have-always-had-a-lot-of-built-in-social-commentary/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [I'm attracted to things that make a point or have a certain point of view, but it's not a conscious thing that I decide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-blum/i-m-attracted-to-things-that-make-a-point-or-have-a-certain-point-of/) [Jason Blum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-blum/) ## More by Jay-Z > [At 42 be better than 24, I carried the 4-5, mastered 48 laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/at-42-be-better-than-24-i-carried-the-4-5-mastered-48-laws/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [Wherever I go, I bring the culture with me, so that they can understand that it's attainable. I didn't do it any other way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/wherever-i-go-i-bring-the-culture-with-me-so-that-they-can-understand/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [Everyone who makes music is a good collaborator at their foundation because in order to make music, you have to connect to it in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/everyone-who-makes-music-is-a-good-collaborator-at-their-foundation/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [New York - I'm connected. This is my core. I feel like if I'm not connected to New York, then I don't even know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/new-york-i-m-connected-this-is-my-core-i-feel-like-if-i-m-not/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [It was a very intense and stressful situation. There was playing in the Johnny-pump (an opened fire hydrant) and the ice-cream man coming around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/it-was-a-very-intense-and-stressful-situation-there-was-playing-in/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [“THEY NEVER TAUGHT MARCUS GARVEY IN OUR SCHOOL CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS IS THEIR GOLDEN RULE”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/they-never-taught-marcus-garvey-in-our-school-christopher-columbus-is/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [I'm a person that works off of music. I let the music dictate the direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/i-m-a-person-that-works-off-of-music-i-let-the-music-dictate-the/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [Tears on the mauseoleum floor. Blood stains the coliseum doors. Lies on the lips of a priest. Thanksgiving disguised as a feast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/tears-on-the-mauseoleum-floor-blood-stains-the-coliseum-doors-lies-on/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [Around 20. I'd been trying to transition from the streets to the music business, but I would make demos and then quit for six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/around-20-i-d-been-trying-to-transition-from-the-streets-to-the-music/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [There's the gift, there's the spirit, and there's the work-all three have to come together. If one of those things is off, it can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/there-s-the-gift-there-s-the-spirit-and-there-s-the-work-all-three/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [All black everything, Ni\*\*a you know my fresh code. Im out here fightin for you, dont increase my stress load.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/all-black-everything-ni-a-you-know-my-fresh-code-im-out-here-fightin/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [I couldn't even think about wanting to be something else; I wouldn't let myself visualize another life. But I wrote because I couldn't stop.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/i-couldn-t-even-think-about-wanting-to-be-something-else-i-wouldn-t/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [Lord forgive me I never would've made it without sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/lord-forgive-me-i-never-would-ve-made-it-without-sin/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [In trouble waters I had to learn how to float](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/in-trouble-waters-i-had-to-learn-how-to-float/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [Their gunnin' for me, want to see me fall, you know my story, been through it all, times I felt like dyin', but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/their-gunnin-for-me-want-to-see-me-fall-you-know-my-story-been/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) [Explore all 397 Jay-Z quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) ## More Enemy quotes > [Shall there be truth between us, as two men? Not as friends, but as enemies and equals?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/shall-there-be-truth-between-us-as-two-men-not-as-friends-but-as/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [“Before you were my enemy, you were my best friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/before-you-were-my-enemy-you-were-my-best-friend/) [Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/) > [It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-the-rule-in-war-if-our-forces-are-ten-to-the-enemy-s-one-to/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [Fear is a man's worst enemy, but love is a man's most powerful weapon against anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fear-is-a-man-s-worst-enemy-but-love-is-a-man-s-most-powerful-weapon/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/) [Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/) > [“Never let your Enemies become your Advocates.” by A. K. Hasan”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-k-hasan/never-let-your-enemies-become-your-advocates-by-a-k-hasan/) [A.K. Hasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-k-hasan/) > [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) > [Pain held no terror for him. Pain was, if not friend, then family, something he had grown up with in his crèche, learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/pain-held-no-terror-for-him-pain-was-if-not-friend-then-family/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [To achieve victory we must mass our forces at the hub of all power & movement. The enemy's 'Center of Gravity'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-achieve-victory-we-must-mass-our-forces-at-the-hub-of-all-power/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't see why we and the Chinese should have to be enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-don-t-see-why-we-and-the-chinese-should-have-to-be-enemies/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [The invention of gunpowder and the constant improvement of firearms are enough in themselves to show that the advance of civilization has done nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/the-invention-of-gunpowder-and-the-constant-improvement-of-firearms/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [Perfection is the enemy of greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/perfection-is-the-enemy-of-greatness/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [In this business, you find the enemy, then go after and destroy him. Everything else is rubbish!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-rickenbacker/in-this-business-you-find-the-enemy-then-go-after-and-destroy-him/) [Eddie Rickenbacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-rickenbacker/) > [“Enemies Teach. Friends Preach.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tapan-ghosh/enemies-teach-friends-preach/) [Tapan Ghosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tapan-ghosh/) [Browse all 7,981 Enemy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't profess to be a political rapper, like groups such as 'Dead Prez' or 'Public Enemy', but I think social commentary should make its way into your music. Speaking on your neighbourhood is social commentary - what happens, what's going on.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jay-Z" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/i-don-t-profess-to-be-a-political-rapper-like-groups-such-as-dead/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Enemy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/i-don-t-profess-to-be-a-political-rapper-like-groups-such-as-dead/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aca/jay-z-713_enemy_i-don-t-profess-to-be-a-political-rapper_3140097.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aca/jay-z-713_enemy_i-don-t-profess-to-be-a-political-rapper_3140097.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aca/jay-z-713_enemy_i-don-t-profess-to-be-a-political-rapper_3140097.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't profess to be a political rapper, like groups such as 'Dead Prez' or 'Public Enemy', but I think…” — Jay-Z", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jay-Z", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't profess to be a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/i-don-t-profess-to-be-a-political-rapper-like-groups-such-as-dead/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/i-don-t-profess-to-be-a-political-rapper-like-groups-such-as-dead/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```