Every once in a while Jay-Z will pick up a pen to not write a rhyme, but to address people in a public forum. In the past, he brought his words to the New York Times, this time he writes for the Philadelphia Inquirer and addresses what he refers to as an eviction from the heart of Philadelphia for the Made in America festival by the mayor.
In the article, Hov details how the location of the festival, the Parkway, was “integral to the pules of the festival” and was a memorable place for the hundreds of artists that come to share their talents with the City of Brotherly Love and visiting fans. Shifting to the issue, Jay expresses his disappointment that the festival is being forced out without any notice or discussion.
“We are disappointed that the mayor of the city of Philadelphia would evict us from the heart of the city, through a media outlet, without a sit-down meeting, notice, dialogue, or proper communication,” Hov wrote. “It signifies zero appreciation for what Made In America has built alongside the phenomenal citizens of this city. In fact, this administration immediately greeted us with a legal letter trying to stop the 2018 event.”
The Made in America festival was launched in 2012 and has returned to the area every Labor Day. Jay shared in his article the positivity of the festival economically to the area and charitable donations of the event, even speaking to a rise in tourism. Sharply, Jay closed his article with “How do you think that tourism grew, Mayor Kenney?”
View Jay-Z’s entire Philadelphia Inquirer article here.
