---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We give violent movies a pass but come…"
description: "\"“We give violent movies a pass but come down hard on a rapper like Scarface, who is ultimately a storyteller just like Brian de Palma. And neither of t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/jay-z-713_rapper_we-give-violent-movies-a-pass-but-come-d_729892.png"
---

#  We give violent movies a pass but come down hard on a…

![“We give violent movies a pass but come down hard on a rapper like Scarface, who is ultimately a storyteller just like Brian de Palma. And neither of them is responsible for the poverty and violence that really do shape people's lives--not to mention their individual choices.” quote by Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/jay-z-713_rapper_we-give-violent-movies-a-pass-but-come-d_729892.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/jay-z-713_rapper_we-give-violent-movies-a-pass-but-come-d_729892.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/jay-z-713_rapper_we-give-violent-movies-a-pass-but-come-d_729892.png)

> ““We give violent movies a pass but come down hard on a rapper like Scarface, who is ultimately a storyteller just like Brian de Palma. And neither of them is responsible for the poverty and violence that really do shape people's lives--not to mention their individual choices.””

[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 argues that blaming media for social issues oversimplifies complex causes and ignores personal responsibility.

**In simple terms:** Media isn’t the root cause of poverty and violence.

Key Takeaway

Consider broader factors beyond entertainment.

Themes

media influence social responsibility poverty violence

Mood

critical thoughtful

Type

analytical commentary

When to use this quote

- policy debates
- education
- community programs

Key Concepts

Cultural criticism personal accountability

Questions to Reflect On

- How do we balance artistic freedom with social impact?
- What role should creators play in addressing societal problems?

A Different Perspective

Media can still shape attitudes, even if not solely responsible.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Rapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rapper/) [Violent movies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violent-movies/)

## Related quotes

> [I like 'The Usual Suspects'. Great film. I also like 'Scarface', films like that. Lots of gangster films. I really like watching all kinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barkhad-abdi/i-like-the-usual-suspects-great-film-i-also-like-scarface-films-like/)

[Barkhad Abdi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barkhad-abdi/)

> [Films like 'Scarface', 'The Godfather', 'Goodfellas' and 'Casino' are something I can watch again and again and from anywhere. I love them so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoya-akhtar/films-like-scarface-the-godfather-goodfellas-and-casino-are-something/)

[Zoya Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoya-akhtar/)

> [I listen to everything - from Sarah McLachlan and Alanis Morissette all the way down to rap like Scarface, UGK and Lauryn Hill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/i-listen-to-everything-from-sarah-mclachlan-and-alanis-morissette-all/)

[Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/)

> [I loved 'Midnight Express' and how 'Chase' had this dark urge to it, like the 'Scarface' theme tune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-manuel-de-homem-christo/i-loved-midnight-express-and-how-chase-had-this-dark-urge-to-it-like/)

[Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-manuel-de-homem-christo/)

> [This is where DiNero would be if he aint turn back. F\*\*k Sosa, this Hova this is real life. This is what the ending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/this-is-where-dinero-would-be-if-he-aint-turn-back-f-k-sosa-this-hova/)

[Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/)

> [More than just romantic comedy, I like romances: drama romance, romance comedy, comedy romance. I also go to the movies to escape. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uma-thurman/more-than-just-romantic-comedy-i-like-romances-drama-romance-romance/)

[Uma Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uma-thurman/)

> [I'm not a big fan of violent movies, it's not something I like to watch. And it's not my aim or goal to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takashi-miike/i-m-not-a-big-fan-of-violent-movies-it-s-not-something-i-like-to/)

[Takashi Miike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takashi-miike/)

> [I've been involved with violent movies, and then I've also said at a certain point, 'I can't take it anymore. Please cut it.' You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-weinstein/i-ve-been-involved-with-violent-movies-and-then-i-ve-also-said-at-a/)

[Harvey Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-weinstein/)

> [I think people were a little premature in writing off violent movies. They're going to continue being made, and audiences will continue going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-lurie/i-think-people-were-a-little-premature-in-writing-off-violent-movies/)

[Rod Lurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-lurie/)

> [I really like romantic comedies and light movies and everything but I think - I don't know where it comes from - but when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-cassel/i-really-like-romantic-comedies-and-light-movies-and-everything-but-i/)

[Vincent Cassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-cassel/)

> [I like doing violent movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lexi-alexander/i-like-doing-violent-movies/)

[Lexi Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lexi-alexander/)

> [Number one, as an audience member, I tend to like violent movies and TV shows because it's not real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erika-christensen/number-one-as-an-audience-member-i-tend-to-like-violent-movies-and-tv/)

[Erika Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erika-christensen/)

> [I guess you could say I've been in my share of violent movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-craig/i-guess-you-could-say-i-ve-been-in-my-share-of-violent-movies/)

[Daniel Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-craig/)

> [I feel very protected when I see a movie. That's why I like making violent movies or radical movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaspar-noe/i-feel-very-protected-when-i-see-a-movie-that-s-why-i-like-making/)

[Gaspar Noe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaspar-noe/)

> [Sure, Kill Bill is a violent movie. But it's a Tarantino movie. You don't go to see Metallica and ask the fuckers to turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/sure-kill-bill-is-a-violent-movie-but-it-s-a-tarantino-movie-you-don/)

[Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/)

## 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 Rapper quotes

> [I've been writing songs since I was 10 years old and always had a penchant for rhyming. I started listening to hip hop through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoodie-allen/i-ve-been-writing-songs-since-i-was-10-years-old-and-always-had-a/)

[Hoodie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoodie-allen/)

> [I rap when I'm rich. I rap when I'm broke. I rap when I'm bullshit in the street. I rap about only having one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/i-rap-when-i-m-rich-i-rap-when-i-m-broke-i-rap-when-i-m-bullshit-in/)

[Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/)

> [I know that in the rap game you've got a lot of people, that come from poverty, was born in poverty and if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-connor/i-know-that-in-the-rap-game-you-ve-got-a-lot-of-people-that-come-from/)

[Jon Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-connor/)

> [It's Slim Thugga Muthafucka, got alot to sell, But snitches already got alot to tell, So for as y'all know all I do is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slim-thug/it-s-slim-thugga-muthafucka-got-alot-to-sell-but-snitches-already-got/)

[Slim Thug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slim-thug/)

> [Ja Rule is not Tupac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/ja-rule-is-not-tupac/)

[Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/)

> [I prefer rappers who have something intelligent to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/i-prefer-rappers-who-have-something-intelligent-to-say/)

[Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/)

> [Everything affects hip-hop. The question is, how does it affect the money that corporations are going to invest to put out different kinds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/everything-affects-hip-hop-the-question-is-how-does-it-affect-the/)

[will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/)

> [Learning how to rap actually improved my English, because it forced me to talk fast, and I used to suck at that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-brian/learning-how-to-rap-actually-improved-my-english-because-it-forced-me/)

[Rich Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-brian/)

> [By the time you get into other kinds of music - R&amp;B, country, or whatever - it becomes something that's romantic. It becomes something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-kweli/by-the-time-you-get-into-other-kinds-of-music-r-b-country-or-whatever/)

[Talib Kweli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talib-kweli/)

> [God is never late, we're just impatient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lecrae/god-is-never-late-we-re-just-impatient/)

[LeCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lecrae/)

> [2 pac not dead mon..he in africa mon...i was chilling with him last week modasucka...he a cool dude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-blackson/2-pac-not-dead-mon-he-in-africa-mon-i-was-chilling-with-him-last-week/)

[Michael Blackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-blackson/)

> [A rapper is about being completely true to yourself. Being an actor is about changing who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/a-rapper-is-about-being-completely-true-to-yourself-being-an-actor-is/)

[Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/)

> [You've got a lot of Tupac clones, but I don't think I'm one of them. I just think I give people a little piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-gibbs/you-ve-got-a-lot-of-tupac-clones-but-i-don-t-think-i-m-one-of-them-i/)

[Freddie Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-gibbs/)

> [Couples Therapy' is pretty big for me because it's opening the door to a new audience - a hip-hop following, which I feel is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-carrera/couples-therapy-is-pretty-big-for-me-because-it-s-opening-the-door-to/)

[Carmen Carrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-carrera/)

> [I had love for Breakout; I had love for Bambaataa. I had love for Kool Herc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grandmaster-flash/i-had-love-for-breakout-i-had-love-for-bambaataa-i-had-love-for-kool/)

[Grandmaster Flash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grandmaster-flash/)

[Browse all 5,368 Rapper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rapper/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“We give violent movies a pass but come down hard on a rapper like Scarface, who is ultimately a storyteller just like Brian de Palma. And neither of them is responsible for the poverty and violence that really do shape people's lives--not to mention their individual choices.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jay-Z"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/we-give-violent-movies-a-pass-but-come-down-hard-on-a-rapper-like/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Rapper"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/we-give-violent-movies-a-pass-but-come-down-hard-on-a-rapper-like/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/jay-z-713_rapper_we-give-violent-movies-a-pass-but-come-d_729892.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/jay-z-713_rapper_we-give-violent-movies-a-pass-but-come-d_729892.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/jay-z-713_rapper_we-give-violent-movies-a-pass-but-come-d_729892.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We give violent movies a pass but come down hard on a rapper like Scarface, who is ultimately a storyteller…” — 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": "“We give violent movies a pass...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/we-give-violent-movies-a-pass-but-come-down-hard-on-a-rapper-like/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/we-give-violent-movies-a-pass-but-come-down-hard-on-a-rapper-like/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
