When Jay Z launched Tidal — his new music streaming site — in March, he promised to give exclusive content to subscribers, who pay between $9.99 and 19.99 per month.
This weekend, the rapper delivered on the promise by performing the first of two special "B Side" shows in New York City, which was streamed live for subscribers.
During the concert, Jay Z took the opportunity to respond to critics of Tidal. Skeptics have even included fellow famous musicians like Mumford & Sons, Lily Allen, and Death Cab for Cutie singer Ben Gibbard, who told The Daily Beast that Tidal "is going to fail miserably" because of it's approach of making rich musicians richer.
"So I’m the bad guy now, I hear, because I don’t go with the flow," Jay Z said to 3,000 fans at Terminal 5 on Saturday, according to PageSix. "I’m never gonna go with the flow, I’m never gonna let nobody take over our music . . . This Tidal thing is all about the music. We gonna preserve the music, we ain’t gonna let nobody take our music. We ain’t gonna let nobody offer our music up and do what the f--- they wanna do."
Jay Z proceeded to do a freestyle rap that slammed YouTube, Spotify, and Apple, among others.
Check out some of Jay Z's lyrics below:
“I understand if you don’t understand, I figure I’m Jigga
That’s where we differ
I take what’s mine, you accept what they they give you, I get you
I don’t take no checks, I take my respect
Pharrell even told me go with the safest bet
Jimmy Iovine on for the safety net
Google dig around a crazy check
I feel like YouTube is the biggest culprit
Them n—-s pay you a tenth of what you supposed to get
You know n—-s die for equal pay right?
You know when I work I ain’t your slave right?
You know I ain’t shucking and jiving and high-fiving, and you know this ain’t back in the days right?
Well I can’t tell, how the way they killed Freddie Gray right?
Shot down Mike Brown, how they did Tray right?
Let them continue choking n—-s,
We gon’ turn style, I ain’t your token n—-.”
The rapper continued:
“You know I came in this game independent right?
Tidal, my own label, same difference
Oh, n—as is skeptical when it’s their own sh-t
You bought nine iPhones and Steve Jobs is rich
Phil Knight is worth millions, you still bought them kicks
Spotify is nine million, they ain’t say sh-t
Lucy you got some splainin’ to do
The only one they hatin’ on looks the same as you
That’s cool, I know they tryin’ to bamboozle you
Spendin’ millions on me to tryin’ to confuse you
I had to talk to myself, Hov you should be used to it
It’s politics as usual.”
Watch the video of Jay Z's performance below:
SEE ALSO: MAJOR MUSICIANS BLAST TIDAL: 'This thing is going to fail miserably'