Jay-Z fans on Twitter are debating one of the rapper’s biggest hits a tweet from The Source‘s account asserted that Jay “regrets” making “Big Pimpin’,” the third single from his 1999 album Vol. 3… Life And Times Of S. Carter. The Source‘s tweet linked to an article on the magazine’s website which interpreted a quote from a 2010 Wall Street Journal interview to mean that Jay took a negative view of his old song. However, upon realizing the quote in question was over a decade old, fans quickly decried the article and the tweet as “clickbait.”
https://twitter.com/JAY_Z_Daily/status/1389218442037927944
However, that didn’t stop the tweet from generating conversation, as Jay’s fans chimed in on his imagined reaction to his own lyrics, as well on The Source‘s out-of-context reporting. Some compared Jay’s older lyrics to his new ones, stating they preferred when Jay was “Big Pimpin'” alongside Bun B and Pimp C of UGK to the Jay-Z who makes deals with the NFL and raps about his big business moves like selling Tidal to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.
https://twitter.com/meowmanifesto/status/1389227167054237696
Others agreed with the sentiment that Jay’s view must have changed over time. As one pointed out, since 2000, Jay has gotten married, had three kids, and changed his outlook on everything from fashion to his role in politics. Some thought “cancel culture” had finally come for him.
Jay-Z is 51 year old married father of 3 kids, it makes sense for him to regret Big Pimpin. It’s still my favorite hit single from him though.
— Dedee 🤎 (@thoughtfulbae) May 3, 2021
And while the quote in question is still difficult to put into context — after all, it’s just a written quote, and Jay’s notoriously sarcastic in interviews, besides his rapper’s penchant for using metaphorical language to describe a point of view that can get lost in translation in a different format — it’s still proof positive that Jay is still one of the most foremost figures in hip-hop. See more of the polarized responses to Jay’s old quote below, and read the full interview here.
Thug em, fuck em, love em, leave em cuz I dont fuckin need em is poetry ok https://t.co/5Ec6JLIZIK
— 𝐆 👩🏽💻 (@Geerelis) May 3, 2021
Relax. Big Pimpin will be played at my wedding. https://t.co/ccPHfkOGC7
— Taylor. (@Tater_Tottt) May 3, 2021
niggas said he gonna leave condoms in your baby seat but he ashamed of big pimpin. https://t.co/Po7yh6gta8
— blair nesmith (@theblairshow) May 3, 2021
Jay-Z while performing "Big Pimpin'" on his next arena tour: "I can't believe I'm saying this, again. Make some noise for misogyny, y'all." https://t.co/7UrmwyhS6t
— Al Shipley (@alshipley) May 3, 2021
To put things in perspective, my kids were toddlers when Big Pimpin came out, and Jay-Z probably hadn't even met Becky With the Good Hair yet.
— (C)attorney At Law (@thepaulasuzanne) May 1, 2021
https://twitter.com/SLYson_Beckford/status/1389588217779867651
I’m curious about when he had this revelation. I know he was performing it on the 4:44 Tour https://t.co/E92V45mMq6
— Stan N. Onbiz (@Carnegro) May 4, 2021
The song he should regret making is "Anything" (2006) https://t.co/dJRMgQSu93
— … (@AintNoJigga) May 3, 2021
Exactly. The Source worst than the shaderoom now. Wild https://t.co/c4ZOOKijhZ
— I am not uncertain. (@SkeeAlii) May 3, 2021