https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laiCmpu6RX4
J. Cole was born in 1985, and almost immediately endured many hardships. He grew up without a stable home or family situation. With many things going wrong around him, he worked hard enough to attend John Hopkins University, graduating in 2007, the same year as the release of his first album. J. Cole is now a rapper and producer who has achieved phenomenal success over the last few years. Since signing to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, he has toured worldwide, sold huge amounts of records, produced for many other successful musicians. He has become known as one of the most socially aware rappers that loves to stand for his values and tends to speak his mind.
BRACKETS is no exception. In this song, he tackles government taxes. He admits that he is making lots of money so the taxes aren’t exactly unexpected, but the crazy high percentage was unforeseen and isn’t even the worst part. He speaks of his frustrations of having no idea or say in where his taxes are actually going in the American government. His suggestion is to let individual citizens either know or be able to choose exactly what their taxes are going toward. He uses the education system’s marginalization of the African American community as an evidence of miss apportionment of tax dollars. He questions how their schools are struggling to educate their kids, but people like J. Cole pay some much in taxes that are supposedly going toward helping these realities. While the listener might not completely agree with his makeshift solution, it does force the listener to at least consider the fact that the taxpayer truly does have no power. He is very successful in at least addressing and publicizing the issue he is confronting.
Written By Ryan Binford
Politics Through Rhythm 