Pharrell And Jay-Z Will Release A New Song, ‘Entrepreneur,’ To Accompany Pharrell’s ‘Time’ Cover

Pharrell Williams is set to curate a package of Time magazine cover stories called “The New American Revolution” and will release a new track with Jay-Z in conjunction with it. The cover stories feature a conversation between young athletes Mikey Williams and Naomi Osaka, Kenya Barris in conversation with Tyler The Creator, a 21 Savage essay on financial literacy, and a whole fleet of Black luminaries (including Angela Davis, Barbara Lee, and more) speaking to the issues that most concern America’s future. Time provided a teaser of the song, which releases Friday at midnight.

Pharrell says of the new track, “The intention for a song was all about how tough it is to be an entrepreneur in our country to begin with — especially as someone of color. There’s a lot of systemic disadvantages and purposeful blockages. How can you get a fire started, or even the hope of an ember to start a fire, when you’re starting at disadvantages with regards to health care, education, and representation?”

He also criticizes how those differences have kept Black Americans hamstrung in their pursuit of the same goals as the white majority. “They keep saying the American Dream is about the house and picket fence, the wife and two kids. Come on—let’s be honest. It’s always boiled down to money and an opportunity.”

Time also shared a quote from Jay’s verse, in which he again advocates for supporting Black businesses and critiques the exploitation of Black people’s creativity by mainstream establishments. “Black Twitter, what’s that? When Jack gets paid, do you? / For every one Gucci, support two FUBU’s.”

Listen to a preview of the new track above and stream it in full 8/21 at midnight.