(AllHipHop News) Harry Belafonte would like to meet with Jay Z and wife Beyonce.
Presently, Belafonte is now in Florida attempting to sway legislation
to repeal the “Stand Your Ground” laws and protest the acquittal of
George Zimmerman.
Jay and Belafonte have had exchanges with culminated on Jay Z’s album
Magna Carta Holy Grail, where he tested the legendary Belafonte’s
criticism that he and wife Beyonce lacked political tact.
In an interview with MSNBC, Belafonte was asked if Jay Z should
continue to play a concert with Justin Timberlake in August, but he
expounded greatly.
“I would be hard pressed to tell Mr. Jay Z what to do with this time
and his fortune. All I can be critical is of what he is not doing,” the
entertainment and Civil Rights icon said. “This conflict that is
emerging was not from me as a direct attack on Jay Z or Beyonce. I was
at a press conference in Switzerland. Questions were raised by the
international press. They asked about the artists and the social
engagement of the past based on a film we were watching…and how artists
responded earlier in my life and how they responded today.”
“And I made the observation that the highly powerful voice that our
community has – Black America has – there is so much celebrity power
that it was sad to see that the collective of the celebrity power had
not been applied to bring consciousness to the inequities that we face,”
Belafonte said. “Artist that heard that responded in a very strong way.
You’ll find that Jamie Foxx, you’ll find Chuck D [of Public Enemy]…you
find that any number of highly profiled people have taken that critique
and called for [a meeting]. We’ve sat. We’ve talked. And I will tell you
now that these people that I’ve just mentioned are officially behind
Dream Defenders. They are prepared to come down. They are prepared to
perform. I would hope that Jay Z would not take personally what was said
because it was not said about him personally.”
He finished by extending an invitation to the rapper and singer to sit down privately.
“Having said that, I would like to say to Jay Z, to Beyonce: My heart
is wide open and filled with nothing but hope and the promise that we
can sit and have a one-on-one. And lets understand each other rather
than try to answer these questions and these nuances in a public place.
Jay Z expressed his grievances recently in an interview with his own Life + Times website.
“I’m offended by that because first of all, and this is going to
sound arrogant, but my presence is charity. Just who I am. I felt
Belafonte he just went about it wrong. Like the way he did it in the
media, and then he big’d up Bruce Springsteen or somebody. And it was
like, ‘whoa,’ you just sent the wrong message all the way around,” Jay Z
said.
For now, Belafonte remains camped out in Florida with the Dream
Defenders, who have stayed committed to fighting laws like Stand Your
Ground.
Jay Z has not had an opportunity to respond to the video at press time.Source all hip hop.com.
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