Jay-Z's "Free Mason" verse draws different opinions throughout Christian rap community

The Jay-Z is a Satanist/member of the Illuminati stories just won’t go away.

He’s tried ignoring them. Then playing into them. And when Rick Ross’ Teflon Don album dropped this Tuesday, the artist officially took the issue head on with a guest verse on a song titled “Free Mason.”

“I said I was amazing / Not that I’m a Mason / It’s amazing that I made it though the maze that I was in / Lord forgive me I never would’ve made it without sin” – Jay-Z on “Free Mason”

Still, many MCs who claim the cross take issue with Jay-Z’s recent imagery and hints at a dark side. In January, Houston rapper Bizzle made waves when he released a track called “Explaining to Do (Jay-Z Expose’)” that was directed at the man who calls himself “Jay-hova.”

The accompanying YouTube video (now at over 53,000 views) is filled with visual examples of possible connections to the occult and was featured on mainstream rap sites like Allhiphop.com and Worldstarhiphop.com. Overnight, the previously unknown Bizzle found himself in the middle of a firestorm.

“I’m really trying not to get stuck on the Jay-Z stuff and just want to focus on telling people about the Lord and his Good News,” Bizzle said.

But obviously, the kid known for calling out Jay has an opinion about his “Free Mason” verse.

“I think he only cleared up things for ‘blind’ people who want to remain ‘blind.’ They didn’t want to hear a real explanation, they just want to hear him say it’s not true,” Bizzle said.

“And no, I don’t think it was a response to my song. If that’s the case he would have addressed the specific points I raised. To me, the logic should be that if I brought up 20 signs that point to him being a Mason and having Satanic ties then he should have to bring up 21 things that say the opposite.”

Other Christian rappers aren’t so convinced. Dre’ Murray (a Houston native) has shared songs with Bizzle but thinks that Jay-Z’s verse adequately addressed the issue.

“Make no mistake, Jay’z imagery in the past, especially in the ‘On to the Next One’ video, was blatant. But I think he was just trying to push people’s buttons,” Murray said. “I think there was some clarity in ‘Free Mason’ where he owned up to some stuff and denied other parts.

“Could he be lying? Sure, but for me to devote all my time trying to figure out what he is or isn’t really defeats my purpose as a Christian MC. Good should be out fighting evil, not sitting around talking about it.”

Still, there’s no clear consensus about Jay-Z’s lyrics and actions in the holy hip hop community. Here’s what outspoken New York rapper Lavoisier told me when he was in town for The Houston Project last week.



What are your thoughts? Have you heard Jay-Z’s “Free Mason” or Bizzle’s “Explaining to Do?” Does the evidence add up to you or did Jay adequately address these concerns?

Houston Project Uses Hip Hop To Love Neighbors

When most people think about church missions they envision short term trips to Mexico or Africa. For the members of First Baptist Church it means, for this week at least, directing their attention to residents of their own city.

Known as The Houston Project, over 1,400 volunteers are challenged to share the love of Christ in 13 different locations via vacation bible schools, youth events, adult ministry, food distribution, sports ministry, evangelism, and prayer. Aside from the next-door neighbor focus, many will also find uniqueness in the large role that Christian hip hop is playing in this movement.

Malcolm “Excelsius” Marshall was tasked with coordinating those efforts and pulled from his vast network of personal relationships within the Christian rap community to incorporate urban music ministers from H-town and beyond.

This year’s roster includes:

• Knine (Florence, South Carolina)
• Mahogany Jones (Detroit, Michigan)
• Lavoisier (New York, New York)
• Lil Raskull (Houston, TX)
• Gifted da Flamethrowa (Houston, TX)
• Educator (Houston, TX)
• DJ 1 God (Houston, TX)
• IBC (Houston, TX)
• Lita Rodi (Houston, TX)

While some might assume this approach is radical for a theologically conservative congregation like First Baptist, Marshall said it wasn’t really that hard to get his team on board with the idea of using hip hop as a predominate ministry method for The Houston Project.

“I think it’s been cool to see them embrace something that maybe is a little bit uncomfortable at first,” Marshall said. “But once they see God is in it they really can’t deny it.”

Some of The Houston Project's rap staff. From left to right: Mahogany Jones, the author, Excelsius, Lavoisier, Knine, DJ 1 God, and Lita Rodi.

Lee Epston volunteered his time at the Farrington Mission site on Monday night and got to witness Lavoisier’s music ministry first hand.

Lavoisier ministers at the Farrington Mission location for The Houston Project.

“He was great,” Epston said. “I think our pastor hit the nail on the head when he said that while the vehicle to share the gospel may change, the message itself doesn’t.

“These kids may not relate to country or old school 80’s music like I used to listen to. But if you can get somebody up here who is a good rapper that can speak the truth and share Christ with them, then if one kid’s life is changed then it was worth the whole week.”

The 2010 Houston Project’s events started on Sunday, July 11 and run until Thursday, July 14. For site locations and information, visit houstonsfirst.org/houstonproject.

The Rap Terrorist's response to "Legal Money"

Lavoiser, aka The Rap Terrorist, is an MC/radio host/hip hop critic I greatly respect. His new Grow the Heck Up site is one you definitely want to add to your blog roll and check frequently.

The question I recently posed about whether or not Von Won's "Legal Money" track would get the same embrace and support that Sho Baraka's "We Can Be More" did from the Christian hip hop community seemed like one Vois himself would ask.

So I hit him up via e-mail and got this knowledge dropped on my Inbox last night. With his permission, I'll share it with you here.

From Lavoiser:

I often wonder if people who criticize and dismiss music and songs like this do so because of how disassociated they are with the criminal element and those who struggle with crime.

Many in the church don't often understand how prevalent of a stronghold "crime" is in some communities. Particularly the low-income black community. And for Von Won to be a dude with a college degree??? (Or at least on his way-not sure), what a witness!! They don't know what it means for certain people to see and hear that kind of living epistle.

Much like a successful Wall Street executive, might site his financial accomplishments when sharing his testimony because he's aware that money is what the world esteems. We're biased. We don't know how to judge justly. The testimony of the song is that there are people (and an enemy) who would like to see me getting money the wrong way, but I'm not. I'm going to do it the right way. How could one look at the reading, job, pregnancy, abortion, crime and income statistics of Black America and ever have a problem with that message?? It's bugged to me sometimes.

Jesus' principles and "way" of life is the blueprint, not his life itself. To say "You didn't see Jesus trying to cross over to the mainstream", not only is it untrue, but its a bad comparison. I didn't see Jesus trying to get married and have kids either. So his "every move" can't be the basis (in that way) for how we live our lives.

But to publicly speak with a woman of ill-repute, of another nationally for whom it was not customary to speak with, tell her everything about herself, KNOWING she was the one to talk to that would blab it all to the whole town, I ABSOLUTELY see Jesus as intentionally trying to reach the masses and make everyone aware of who God is.

I think that dudes truly believe they're right when they criticize these things, but have a bad understanding of how to contextualize the bible for today. They don't realize that working for Pharaoh, king of Egypt as Joseph did could be the equivalent of working for an MTV or a BET. Or how serving an organization who's totally against your belief system could be the equivalent of Daniel serving the king in Babylon.

Now that's not to say I "understand" it all, but there are some things in the Word of God and in our written code that are not as easily explained away as people make them. They are not versed in scripture. On Wade-O's show, if my memory serves me correctly, Sho Baraka actually spoke about being intentional about reaching across that wall to reach the un-churched. So you know...those are my thoughts : )

Thank you Vois.

BTW, here's a sample of Lavoiser's own take on the cash flow topic from his "Rap Terrorist" mixtape (which you can download for free) where he flips 50 Cent's "I Get Money" track on its head.