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Lebron James is still ecstatic about JAY-Z's verse on DJ Khaled's GOD DID album. The Los Angeles Lakers star recently praised the verse after MSNBC's Ari Melber aired an elaborate break-down of the verse's roots, which caused Hov himself to respond.
On Wednesday, August 31, JAY-Z made a rare move by using his Twitter account to react to Lebron James' tweet about his latest verse. Lebron's post featured an impressive segment Melber recently aired in which he sifts through the layers of Hov's lengthy verse. The Roc Nation founder noticed the kind words and felt compelled to address the comments himself.
“Listen! Then listen again to make sure you got the point," James tweeted. "HOV DID!!!!!! And so did the reporter! [GOAT] TALK.”
“My only goal is to make the real ‘ones’ feel seen, forgive me that’s my passion talking … haa," JAY-Z replied.
The segment in question focuses on the end of JAY-Z's verse when he brings up Minister Louis Farrakhan and CBS' Mike Wallace's exchange during a 1996 interview on 60 Minutes. During the conversation, Wallace said that Nigeria was the most corrupt nation in the world at the time. The comments inspired Farrakhan to focus on America's own corruption, which Melber highlights in his segment.
“You’re not in any moral position to tell anybody how corrupt they are,” Farrakhan said to Wallace. “You should be quiet when you have spilled the blood of human beings. Has Nigeria dropped an atomic bomb and killed people in Hiroshima or Nagasaki? Have they killed off millions of Native Americans? How dare you put yourself in that position as a moral judge! I think you should keep quiet.”
Wallace asked, “Can you think of one more corrupt?” Farrakhan replied, “Yeah, I’m living in one. I’m living in one... I didn’t mean to be so fired up. That’s my passion.”
That part of the interview went on to influence Hov's closing bars on "God Did," which was done in one take according to producer Young Guru.
“Next time we have a discussion who the G.O.A.T., you donkeys know this/Forgive me, that’s my passion talkin’ (Haha)" JAY-Z raps. "Sometimes I feel like Farrakhan (Haha) talkin’ to Mike Wallace (Haha)/I think y’all should keep quiet.”
As far as Lebron goes, Hov also references him at the beginning of his verse. He includes 'Bron in his round-up of billionaires who "come from Hov crib" along with Kanye West and Rihanna.