*Activist Tamika Mallory says Jay-Z’s massive cultural reach is the reason social justice warriors cannot ignore his criticism of the Target boycott.
During an episode of her “TMI” podcast, Mallory addressed the rapper’s decision to release the anniversary edition of “Reasonable Doubt” through Target. The release drew criticism from boycott supporters who have avoided the retailer since it scaled back several diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, TheGrio reports.
Jay-Z responded to the backlash during a freestyle at Yankee Stadium. He challenged critics who still use services owned by Amazon, Meta and Google while questioning his Target partnership.
“They say I sold out,” Jay-Z rapped before quickly flipping the criticism into a boast. “Yeah, I did sell out. Three nights. I sold Yankee Stadium the hell out…You shop at Amazon, or you boycott? You post on Instagram, that’s Meta boy stop it. You know Google owns YouTube. You pickin and choosing the politicking as usual.”
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Mallory said she interpreted his argument as a broader charge of inconsistency.
“This is not exactly what he said, but I assumed that this is what he meant, that you’re upset with me or challenging me, because my albums are being sold in Target, and yet, you’re using Meta, you’re using Amazon, like, are you also boycotting those people?” she said. “Because if not, it’s, it’s like, it’s hypocrisy to some extent.”
The Until Freedom co-founder acknowledged that Jay-Z’s involvement carries more weight than partnerships involving lesser-known figures. Mallory said boycott supporters repeatedly argued that his position at “the top of the food chain” made his decision more consequential.
“What makes it need to be addressed in this moment is that his platform is so big that when he says it, it goes so far, it has the ability to influence people’s thinking, and therefore, you have to educate,” she said.
Mallory also pointed to reported declines in Target’s store traffic as signs that the campaign has made an impact. Listen to her remarks about Jay-Z in the video below.
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