Jay Z Calls War on Drugs an "Epic Fail"

While not known for being political, Jay Z has been especially outspoken in the past few weeks, notably in his music like when he released “spiritual.” Today, he looks to further his message of equality and justice in this new short film from The New York Times that finds that rap mogul taking on the War on Drugs. Produced by dream hampton and featuring illustrations by Molly Crabapple, the four-minute visual is narrated entirely by Jay Z, who recaps the history of the war on drugs — from the impact of Reagonomics in the ’80s to the soaring incarceration rates in the ’90s and onto the disproportionate targeting of Black and Latino drug addicts and dealers. “Rates of drug use are as high as they were when Nixon declared this so-called war in 1971. 45 years later, it’s time to rethink our policies and laws,” Hov says, further adding. “The War on Drugs is an epic fail.”