“consumerism, spending habits, good or bad, do not determine collective wealth or an economic strength. no community becomes rich, nor can one become poor, as a result of their spending."

"black people are not poor for having missed out on previous opportunities, or by choosing today, out of some form of cultural deformity, or intractable financial illiteracy, to, as jay-z suggests, foolishly give away potential communal wealth by shopping."

"jay-z, like most commercial artists and art, reflects a racial and class politics often masked by talent and performance. the art becomes an extension of the commercial, political, and ideological market(ing) forces who own the media product (often not the artists themselves).."

"...along w/its means of production & distribution. it stands to reason than that, much of the popular commercial media and art has become literal marketing for products and contains many of the same advertising industry mechanisms for selling wares..."

"as well as, ideas (myths) regarding the national economic arrangement. if hip-hop can be used to sell cars, clothes, and jewelry, it certainly can be used to sell equally fantastical notions of achieving “financial freedom….”

“the suggestion that black people lack ‘financial literacy’ and, therefore, ignorantly refuse existing opportunities to advance economically obliterates the realities of capitalism as an economic and social system or conditions that system creates.”

—jared a. ball