Listen to Jay Z call out hypocritical consumers in a Tidal-defending freestyle

Listen to Jay Z call out hypocritical consumers in a Tidal-defending freestyle
(Image credit: YouTube.com/TheColi)

Despite launching to much fanfare back in March, Jay Z's Tidal streaming service has struggled to gain ground in the crowded music-streaming industry. And while points about Tidal's lack of a free, lower-tier option or the limited appeal of its promised "exclusive content" can be made, the hip-hop mogul behind it all isn't afraid to call out hypocritical consumers for Tidal's struggles, as he did Saturday night in a show exclusively for the service's subscribers:

Yes, you heard that right: Jay Z called out fellow entrepreneurs in the music business for prioritizing money and name-checked three high-profile black victims of violence before calling black consumers hypocritical for not supporting him, as a black musician. Not sure that's a sustainable marketing pitch — but hey, maybe if Tidal can bring some more freestyles from Jigga, it'll gain ground.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Kimberly Alters

Kimberly Alters is the news editor at TheWeek.com. She is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.