With the nation going on a week of protests against police brutality, Jay-Z has been using his status as one of the biggest rap stars in the world to advance his reform agenda and call for justice in a variety of ways. A day ago, Jay paid for full-page ads in a number of national newspapers to honor George Floyd, while today, he shared his “Songs For Survival 2” playlist to provide a soundtrack to the ongoing protests and highlight the history of Black artists speaking out against injustice over the decades.
The playlist is a follow-up to his previous “Songs For Survival” list from 2016 and features songs Eddie Kendricks, Jay Electronica, Marvin Gaye, Nina Simone, Public Enemy, Syl Johnson, Tracy Chapman, Tupac, and of course, Jay-Z himself. It is, naturally, a Tidal exclusive.
Jay previously issued a statement about the death of George Floyd, writing, “Earlier today, Governor Walz mentioned having a human conversation with me — a dad and a Black man in pain. Yes, I am human, a father and a black man in pain and I am not the only one. Now I, along with an entire country in pain, call upon AG Ellison to do the right thing and prosecute all those responsible for the murder of George Floyd to the fullest extent of the law.”
Listen to Jay-Z’s Songs For Survival 2 playlist on Tidal above or click here.