So it's common to find such references in rap.īut Jay-Z's connection to the occult may extend a bit further. Though not a Five Percenter himself, Jay-Z was born and bred in New York, the birthplace of the movement. Of course, Five Percent Nation teachings have had a deep impact on hip-hop for many years. 'A phrase like 'Peace God' does not find its way into someone's vernacular by accident,' Horowitz says. 'Peace God' is a typical Five Percenter greeting.
Also known as the Nation of Gods and Earths, they teach that the original black man is God - and that all men are potentially God. In an interview with Guy Raz, Horowitz pointed to Jay-Z's use of the phrase 'Peace God' as an allusion to the Five Percenters.
Mitch Horowitz, author of Occult America, says that Jay-Z has a keen grasp of certain esoterica, especially in the music video for his new single, 'Run This Town.' Fresh off the release of his new album The Blueprint 3, Jay-Z performed in London.Īt this point, the only pop-cultural event that could possibly upstage Jay-Z's new album, The Blueprint III, is Dan Brown's new book, The Lost Symbol.īut if Brown thinks he has the market cornered on Freemasonry and the occult, he had better watch his back.
