Cornel West Says Jay-Z Isn’t Motivated

Before Dr. Cornel West’s speech at The Center for the Arts in Buffalo Friday night, he spoke with The Spectrum on random topics including his view of Hip Hop and Pop music on the radio.

Now I’m an old school hip-hop guy, and I know you’re big on that stuff and have even been mentioned in Lupe Fiasco songs. I’m kind of skeptical of modern hip-hop, pop kind of stuff. What’s your view of all of the stuff on the radio?

CW: Guys like Talib Kweli and Lupe Fiasco rap messages and have something to say. Now Jay-Z is on the radio and he’s talented, but he’s just not at the level he use to be at on Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint. The genius is still there, but there’s no more motivation.