WHAT'S BEEF: Jay Electronica’s Album ‘A Written Testimony’ Has Joe Budden & Peter Rosenburg Feeling A Certain Type Of Way

Jay Electronica finally released his debut album, A Written Testimony, and it has ruffled some feathers. More inside…

Jay Electronica made a splash on the Hip Hop scene over a decade ago and he’s just now releasing his debut album…finally.

In 2007, he captured the ears of Hip Hop fans with Act I: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge), which featured him rapping over the score for the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. An album was promised but it was never delivered…until now. And he’s causing a scene with a few Hip Hop heads.

After signing to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation in 2010, the New Orleans native released his debut album, A Written Testimony – with a guest feature from Jay-Z who raps on almost every track - last week. Rapper-turned-content creator Joe Budden’s recent podcast episode was dedicated to criticizing Electronica’s first studio album. You can listen below:

The podcast hosts kept reiterating that the album wasn’t a Jay Electronica album since Hov spits on almost every track. They also didn't like that Hov was the first person you heard on Electronica's debut album.

A fan tweeted Joe had no room to criticize Electronica’s album based off the success of his own rap career:

 

Joe Budden hasn’t dropped a classic in his life and he’s critiquing Jay Electronica and Hov? pic.twitter.com/8whpkW3c4u

— 4EverShook (@4Evashook) March 14, 2020

 

Electronica - who shares a daughter with Erykah Badu - got wind of their critique and responded to Joe’s co-host Rory and then Joe popped back:

"I never got absolutely mopped around on my own project either ... @ me, not Rory," Joe tweeted. 

"I never heard your albums bro. May Allah bless your career as a journalist," Electronica responded.

"I took you off yours & it's a Hov mixtape now... Peace be unto you as well King," Joe responded.

Electronica kept with the trolling, posting: 

 

make sure yall give me my credit for lighting up that next podcast episode too. #DrakeIsMySpiritAnimal

— J A Y E L E C T R O N I C A (@JayElectronica) March 17, 2020

 

"Make sure yall give me my credit for lighting up that next podcast episode too. #DrakeIsMySpiritAnimal," he tweeted.

Electronica's album also ruffled the feathers of HOT 97 radio host Peter Rosenberg. A Written Testimony makes a lot of references about race and religion and one lyric caused Rosenberg - who is Jewish - to respond because he feels like the lyric is anti-Semitic. Electronica - who is a devout Muslim - raps:

“And I bet you a Rothschild I get a bang for my dollar/the synagogue of Satan want me to hang by my collar"

 

"My feet might fail me, my heart might ail me
The synagogues of Satan might accuse or jail me"

Not feeling this bar from Jay Electronica and I know I'm not the only person who felt a way about it .

— Peter Rosenberg (@Rosenbergradio) March 14, 2020

 

 

As a Jew it puts me in a bad position. I can ignore the fact that I instantly felt a pang of discomfort and offense and basically sell out my culture or I can be accused of being the "Jewish media" hating on this man. But it's how I felt. The line offended me.

— Peter Rosenberg (@Rosenbergradio) March 14, 2020

 

 

It has been so long since hip hop has done that to me. It used to be commonplace for songs to have lines that were iffy and made me feel like "damn does this artist hate Jews?" Not in a minute. So thanks for throwing it back Jay.

— Peter Rosenberg (@Rosenbergradio) March 14, 2020

 

Peter then realized he was reacting to lyrics from a different song:

 

Apologies I quoted the wrong song ... when I googled "Synagogue of Satan" -- I mistakenly assumed Jay only said it once... this is the second time ... the line this time is "The synagogue of Satan want me to hang by my collar" . lol my bad..songs dope besides that cringe though

— Peter Rosenberg (@Rosenbergradio) March 14, 2020

 

"Apologies I quoted the wrong song ... when I googled 'Synagogue of Satan' -- I mistakenly assumed Jay only said it once... this is the second time ... the line this time is 'The synagogue of Satan want me to hang by my collar' . lol my bad..songs dope besides that cringe though," he tweeted.

Electronica responded with a subliminal jab:

 

clout chasing us at an all time high.

— J A Y E L E C T R O N I C A (@JayElectronica) March 15, 2020

 

Then, he addressed Rosenberg directly:

 

and btw, @Rosenbergradio if you REALLY wanna get into it, we are willing to hold a discussion in a PUBLIC FORUM on The Synagogue of Satan and it’s meaning with any Scholars of Theology you would like to bring. until then. STFU

— J A Y E L E C T R O N I C A (@JayElectronica) March 15, 2020

 

"and btw, @Rosenbergradio if you REALLY wanna get into it, we are willing to hold a discussion in a PUBLIC FORUM on The Synagogue of Satan and it’s meaning with any Scholars of Theology you would like to bring. until then. STFU," Electronica tweeted.

The HOT 97 radio host said he's eager to talk it out on a public forum:

 

I have a public forum everyday if you ever want to talk -- feel free ...

I am not the only good, supportive, hip hop loving person who was taken aback by some of these bars...happy to discuss it any time ..

— Peter Rosenberg (@Rosenbergradio) March 15, 2020

 

"I have a public forum everyday if you ever want to talk -- feel free ... I am not the only good, supportive, hip hop loving person who was taken aback by some of these bars...happy to discuss it any time ..," he responded.

When the radio host went on the air on Monday, he addressed his Twitter exchange with Electronica:

This exchange didn't sit well with Rosenberg. He decided to take time away from Monday's installment of Ebro in the Morning to address Electronica's "aggressive response."

"It's no person's job from another group to tell another group when they should be offended," Rosenberg said around the clip's three-minute mark. "In the climate that we're in now, I found it dangerous and hurtful just as a Jewish hip-hop head. People wanted to come for me and villainize me for having feelings about my own group. ... This is just my opinion about words that offended me."

He continued "You can only have your group associated with Satan so many times before you're like 'What's going on?'" Rosenberg continued. "And I think I have that right."

Check it:

Complex delves deeper in the meaning behind the lyric and more:

Electronica purposely makes his lyrics difficult to decipher. Yet, when the Synagogues of Satan are mentioned in biblical texts, it refers to a group of Jewish people who use their religion as a front. These people hide behind Judaism to help them persecute other chosen people.

In 2012, Jewish bank heiress, Kate Rothschild, left her husband to pursue a relationship with Jay Electronica. Electronica was ripped by the British tabloids for his connection with Rothschild. This sensationalized media attack heightened after their relationship ended, with claims that Electronica was violent toward Rothschild.

On A Written Testimony's "Ghost of Soulja Slim," Electronica reference to the Synagogue of Satan is paired with wordplay aimed at his ex-girlfriend.

"I came to bang with the scholars," he raps. "And I bet you a Rothschild I get a bang for my dollar/The synagogue of Satan want me to hang by my collar/But all praise due to Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala."

This creates the allusion that Electronica was not attacking the Jewish religion or even multiple Jews. Instead, he was finding a clever way to vent about a personal vendetta he had against a woman who he feels aided in helping the media assassinate his character. Still, Rosenberg feels like this attack created a careless ricochet that hurt other Jewish people.

 

Do you think Rosenberg has a legitmate reason to feel a way or do you think he took a lyric personal that wasn't meant for him? Let us know your thoughts!

Photo: Getty

source: theybf