As Hip Hop heads gathered around and divulged in Jay Electronica’s long-delayed debut album, A Written Testimony, at least one member of the media is taking exception with some of the religious rhetoric contained in the mind of the Roc Nation rapper.
On the 2014 song “Better In Tune With The Infinite,” Jay laments “My feet might fail me, my heart might ail me/The synagogues of Satan might accuse or jail me” — causing the ire of Hot 97’s Peter Rosenberg, a devout Jewish member of the Hip Hop community.
“Not feeling this bar from Jay Electronica and I know I’m not the only person who felt a way about it,” Rosenberg wrote on Twitter before expounding on his point of view.
"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
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“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.
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.”
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
When his Hot 97 compatriot Ebro Darden pointed out the Bible verse Revelation 3:9 of the King James Version which reads: “Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee,” Rosenberg replied with “Umm that’s New Testament …”
Umm that's New Testament … https://t.co/TPVY9MStjg
— Peter Rosenberg (@Rosenbergradio) March 14, 2020
Rosenberg later caught his flub meaning he meant to reference A Written Testimony track “The Ghost Of Soulja Slim” writing, “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.”
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
Electronica and Rosenberg have a fragile relationship, to say the least. In 2014, the elusive rapper broke his Twitter silence to demand an apology from Rosenberg for referring to Public Enemy great Chuck D as an “online troll.”