January 19, 2025 01:20 AM

Jay-Z Open Letter: New Track Addresses Cuba Trip and Brooklyn Nets (LISTEN)

When Beyoncé and Jay-Z address rumors, they go all out. Their trip to Cuba is no exception, as Jay-Z has released "Open Letter," a track that addresses politicians critiques of the couple's recent trip.

Jay-Z released the track on Thursday. It mocks the stories about his new sports management company and aims at politicians that called for an investigation into the couple's recent Cuban vacation to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary.

"Wanna give me jail time and a fine/First let me commit a real crime," Jay-Z raps. "I still own the building, I'm still keeping my seat/Y'all buy that bullsh-t, you'd better keep your receipt."

That track was produced by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland and also features Trey Songz. In a call to a morning show on New York Radio station Hot 97, Swizz Beatz said the song started in Jay-Z's office.

"I had the portable drum machine with me, then we went down to the 40/40 [club] to watch the game," he said. "Then [Timbaland] came by and was like, 'That beat is crazy.'"

"Next morning, Jay called me with verses," Swizz Beatz said.

Hot 97 played the record repeatedly for the next few hours. Ebro Darden, the station's programming director, makes an appearance on the song, ad-libbing "you got scanners, we got scanners."

Jay-Z is in the process of selling his share in the Brooklyn Nets basketball team to work in sports management.

The couple also recently endured rumors about their trip to Havana, including some Republican politicians from districts in Florida with heavy Cuban-immigrant populations requesting an official investigation into their travel visa.

Open Letter Lyrics:

[Verse 1]

I done turned Havana to Atlanta

Guayabera shirts to Atlanta

Every time you think they got me I switch the planna

Bulletproof this, radio scanners

Ballin' 'til they ban us

You getting' too much bread, they tryna' jam you

Boy from the hood but got White House clearance

Sorry y'all, I don't agree with y'all appearance

Politicians never did sh-t for me

Except lie to me, distort history

Wanna give me jail time and a fine

First, let me commit a real crime

I might buy a kilo for Chief Keef

Out of spite, I just might flood these streets

Hear the freedom in ym speech

Got an onion from Universal, read it and weep

Would've brought h Nets to Brooklyn for free

Except I made millions off it, you f-kin' dweeb

I still own the building, I'm still keeping my seat

Y'all buy that bullsh-t, you'd better keep your receipt

Obama said chill, you gonna get me impeached

But you don't need this sh-t anyway

Chill with me on the beach

[Hook - Swizz Beatz]

Y'all gon' learn today

[Verse 2]

Ya'll almost want to start a revolution

You know whever I'm threatened, I start shooting, bark

Catch a body, head to Houston

I'm in Cuba, I love Cubans

This communist talk is so confusing

When it's from China, the very mic that I'm using

Idiot wind, the Bob Dylan of rap music

You're an idiot baby, you should become a student

Oh, you gonna learn today

Where the f-k have you been

The world's under new management

The new role model, f-k this Zoolander sh-t

Join the Discussion
Real Time Analytics