Possibly encouraging African Americans – and black communities beyond – to look within themselves and question the negative impacts of oppression and social constructions on the consciousness, to break down the influence of the oppressor on self-image and to look for strength and solution. Another possible interpretation, Hov could be referring to the development of the inner realm (the self) as a precursor for the progression of the outer realm (society). One can take from the verse, that Jay intends to remind the African-American listener of how great Roman and Egyptian empires fell and thus, to have faith in his intentions to change a system from the inside out. “here’s some jury” alludes to the judgement he’s received for working with the NFL, whilst offering a better judgement of the importance of this relationship. Hov doesn’t ease up, “Here’s some jury, no civilization is conquered from the outside until it destroys itself from within,” a politically astute lyric in itself but one contextualised by its delivery.

Soulja Slim, an accomplished rapper from the same New Orleans projects as Electronica, was assassinated in 2003, and Hov accredits this painful loss to an “era of police stretcher, no cameras catch it.” The double entendre highlights an epoch of police brutality that was not publicised and subsequently left African-American murders unsolved, whilst setting contrast from the current generation of social media, in which these crimes aren’t so easy to cover up. On “Ghost Of Soulja Slim,” the project’s first record, Electronica and Jay leave no time to waste in voicing their opinions on past and contemporary racial divides in the U.S., rightfully so, we would argue. This blast to the recent past will hone in on the social and political themes that run rife throughout this elliptical yet succinct composition. The album speaks for itself with silky, chimerical instrumentals and rhythmic flow from both Jays. In a typically arcane fashion, Electronica isn’t heard on the album until two minutes into “Ghost Of Soulja Slim,” allowing his partner throughout (JAY-Z) this entire Islamic-themed depository, to begin the lyrical mastery with the commanding line, “Next time they bring up the gods, you gon’ respect us.” Tidal mysteriously released the album on Friday the 13th with Electronica claiming it took “40 days and 40 nights,” furthering the notion of a messianic-like status that Electronica has developed for himself within the industry.Ī Written Testimony begins with narration from minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam, a black nationalist and Islamic movement with an intensely controversial legacy, setting the tone of his own Islamic faith as the cardinal theme of this laconic-yet markedly overdue-freshman album. Two years ago, Jay Electronica reprised his cryptic-yet notoriously elusive-dictation with a rare gift to the hip-hop world.

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