June/July 2001 Jay-Z aliperform katika summer jam ambapo alitoa hii verse:
The takeover, the break's over nigga
God MC, me, Jay-Hova
Hey lil' soldier you ain't ready for war
R.O.C. too strong for y'all
It's like bringin a knife to a gunfight, pen to a test
Your chest in the line of fire witcha thin-ass vest
You bringin them Boyz II Men, HOW them boys gon' win?
This is grown man B.I., get you rolled into triage
Beatch - your reach ain't long enough, dunny
Your peeps ain't strong enough, fucka
Roc-A-Fella is the army, better yet the navy
Niggaz'll kidnap your babies, spit at your lady
We bring - knife to fistfight, kill your drama
Uh, we kill you motherfuckin ants with a sledgehammer
Don't let me do it to you dunny cause I overdo it
So you won't confuse it with just rap music
Unajua Malcom X aliwahi kusema, toka wakati wa utumwa, black artists (mostly conscious, na labda siyo sell-outs), siku zote wanaweka message fulani ya uhuru (freedom) ndani ya nyimbo zao, na ni wachache wanaojua hasa kinachozungumzwa. South Africa walitumia mbinu hiyo wakati wa apartheid, wasanii walitunga na kuimba nyimbo ambazo ziliappear hata kwa wazungu, lakini ndani yake kulikuwa na message ya freedom ambayo wazungu, na nadhani hata baadhi ya weusi hawakuwa wanatambua. Hiyo imenifanya niwe najiuliza maswali ninaposikiliza muziki, hasa wa hip hop, na mara nyingine hata kuangalia connection kati ya matukio mbalimbali.
Ndiyo maana niliposikia mwimbo wa Alicia Keys wa 'No One' niliuchukulia zaidi ya kama mwimbo wa mapenzi, especially ukizingatia wakati ambapo mwimbo ulipokuwa released, na alipofanya remixes na kama wanamuziki wa reggae, ndiyo zaidi nikaona nilichokuwa nafikiria kina make sense......AU, mtu kama Royce da 5'9 alipojifananisha na Malcolm X, na kujiuliza kama kuna connection kati ya jina lake na kwenda kwa Malcolm X Africa mwaka 1959....AU, Video director anayekwenda kwa jina la Little X, kama kuna maana yoyote katika jina lake kwa sababu Malcolm X alikuwa anaitwa Malcolm Little kabla hajabadili jina la mwisho.....AU, kama umeona movie ya 'Hustle and Flow', karibu na mwisho wa movie, wakati character wa Terrence Howard anatoka jela, security guards wanaspit some lines kujaribu kumuimpress Terrence baada ya kujua yeye ni rapper, then anakuja mtu kama Rick Ross (nitairudia hii movie baadaye)........vitu vidogo kama hivyo. Tupo pamoja?