Legacy
Jay-Z feat. Blue Ivy Carter Lyrics

Daddy, what's a will?
A will is a legal document that outlines how one's assets and possessions will be divided among their family after they pass away.

Take those moneys and spread 'cross families
Divide the money among the extended family members, including nieces, nephews, and cousins.

My sisters, Hattie and Lou, the nephews, cousins and TT
Distribute the money among family members, including sisters, nieces, nephews, cousins, and close friends such as TT.

Eric, the rest to B for whatever she wants to do
Give the remaining money to his wife, Beyonce, to do with as she pleases.

She might start an institute
Beyonce could use the money to start her own educational institution.

She might put poor kids through school
Beyonce could also use the money to sponsor the education of underprivileged children.

My stake in Roc Nation should go to you
Jay-Z wants his share in Roc Nation to go to his children.

Leave a piece for your siblings to give to their children too
Jay-Z advises his children to leave some of their inheritance for their cousins and nieces and nephews.

TIDAL, the champagne, D'USSÉ, I'd like to see
Jay-Z wants ideas for investing in his business ventures, including TIDAL, his champagne line, and his whiskey brand, D'USSE.

A nice peace-fund ideas from people who look like we
Jay-Z wants to get investment ideas from successful people of color like himself and his wife.

We gon' start a society within society
Jay-Z and his wife want to create a network of wealthy people of color to invest in each other's business ventures.

That's major, just like the Negro League
Jay-Z compares the impact of their society within society to the historical significance of the Negro League in baseball.

There was a time America wouldn't let us ball
Jay-Z points out the history of systemic racism which didn't allow people of color equal opportunities in many areas as white people.

Those times are now back, just now called Afro-tech
Now the new era with more investment can be described as Afro-tech where successful technology startups are being created by people of color.

Generational wealth, that's the key
Jay-Z emphasizes the importance of creating generational wealth to ensure financial stability for future generations of their families.

My parents ain't have shit, so that ship started with me
Jay-Z acknowledges that he didn't come from wealth but was determined to create it for himself and his family.

My mom took her money, she bought me bonds
Jay-Z explains how his mother helped him invest in his future by buying him bonds when he was a child.

That was the sweetest thing of all time, uh
Jay-Z is grateful for his mother's wise investment as a gesture of love and support.

I've been listening to Wu-Tang and niggas like
Jay-Z reflects on the influence music has had on his values and financial aspirations.

"Your seed, married his seed, married my seed"
Jay-Z invokes a traditional African concept of intergenerational wealth, where families create networks of wealth through marriage and inheritance.

That's how we keep Carter money all in the family
Jay-Z describes how the family keeps their wealth within the family through marriage and inheritance.

You see, my father, son of a preacher man
Jay-Z reflects on his father's upbringing as the son of a preacher.

Whose daughter couldn't escape the reach of the preacher's hand
Jay-Z acknowledges the sexual abuse his sister endured at the hands of a preacher.

That charge of energy set all the Carters back
Jay-Z reflects on how the trauma of his sister's sexual abuse impacted his family's financial and emotional wellbeing.

It took all these years to get to zero in fact
Jay-Z acknowledges how many years it took for his family to recover financially from the impact of his sister's abuse.

I hated religion 'cause here was this Christian
Jay-Z reflects on his resentment toward religion due to the hypocrisy he observed in some religious figures, including the preacher who abused his sister.

He was preaching on Sundays, versus how he was living Monday
Jay-Z contrasts the preacher's preaching on Sundays with his immoral actions on the other days of the week.

Someday I forgive him 'cause strangely our division led to multiple religions I studied
Jay-Z has come to a place of forgiveness toward the preacher who abused his sister because it led him to study different religions and find his own path to faith.

Muslim, Buddhist, and Christians, and
Jay-Z lists the multiple religions he has studied and explored in his quest for faith.

I was running from Him, He was giving me wisdom
Jay-Z reflects on how he was avoiding God while God was trying to give him wisdom and guidance.

See how the universe works?
Jay-Z marvels at the way that the universe can take even our most painful experiences and use them to help us grow and find ourselves.

It takes my hurt and help me find more of myself
Jay-Z sees how his past traumas have led him to a deeper understanding of himself and his place in the world.

It's a gift and a curse
Jay-Z acknowledges the dual nature of his life experiences: painful traumas that have led to growth and self-discovery, but also wounds that will never fully heal.

That's called the red queens race
Jay-Z invokes the metaphor of the red queen's race from Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, where one must run as fast as possible just to stay in the same place, to describe the complex and never-ending struggle for success and financial security.

You run this hard just to stay in place
Jay-Z emphasizes the effort it takes to attain wealth and financial security, but also laments the fact that it feels like a never-ending race.

Keep up the pace, baby
Jay-Z encourages his children and future generations to keep striving and working hard for financial stability.

Day, someday, someday, we all
Jay-Z reflects on the hope for a future where there is true freedom and equality for all people.

Someday, we'll all be free, yeah
Jay-Z expresses his belief in a future where systemic racism and oppression no longer exist, and people of all races and backgrounds can live in true freedom and equality.

Legacy, legacy, legacy, legacy
Jay-Z emphasizes the importance of leaving a legacy of wealth and financial stability for future generations of his family.

Black excellence baby, you gon' let 'em see
Jay-Z encourages his children and future generations to continue the legacy of black excellence and success, and to make sure the world sees it.

Black excellency, baby, let 'em see
Jay-Z reiterates the importance of showcasing and celebrating black excellence and success, and encourages future generations to continue to make a mark in the world.