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The Jay-Z allegation once again reveals a culture of impunity in hip-hop | Tayo Bero

Jay-Z’s condescending response to the accusation that he and Diddy raped a 13-year-old girl is troubling and telling

For years, speculation about the timelines and natures of his relationships with Foxy Brown, Aaliyah and eventually Beyoncé(all of whom are significantly younger than Jay-Z and were teenagers when they met him) have put him in the category of, at the very least, “Questionable Man”. That’s why it was even more appalling to watch the typically measured, always calculated rap mogul release a statement that was condescending, un-self-aware and smacked of the smug overconfidence of someone who has operated with god-like status for so long that they don’t know what the rules even are, let alone that they have to follow them. This demand that she out herself isn’t some attempt to level the playing field in the court of public opinion like he’s suggesting – it’s a way to force her into opening herself up to scrutiny, a move that is especially diabolical considering how the world treats women who stand up to abusers.

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