Crime Really Does Pay - Just Ask Jay-Z

I took the bus one day and as it traveled its route, I saw a billboard for Rocawear. The advertisement featured Jay-Z in the great continent of Africa with several children behind him, who he has been recently helping by bringing awareness to the water crisis they are facing with the aid of the United Nations. The thing that hit me hard and made me think was the fact that the billboard was located across the street from my high school. As the bus pulled around the corner, I thought about what kind of message is that sending to the students who walked the halls I used to walk a few years ago.

We all know that modern-day advertisements are all about portraying various images at once but what was this one really saying to the people who glance up at it? I mean here is Jay-Z, a known drug dealer turned rapper, using his image to primarily sell his own clothing line but at the same time, he is bringing awareness to the situation in the continent of Africa by having the children featured in the picture as well.

I mean I believe in people redeeming themselves and turning their negative things into good. A prime example of someone who made great achievements once turning a life of crime is Malcolm X. People change their ways and actions from negative to positive all the time and when that happens, I think it's a beautiful thing. At the same time, it bothers me to see someone who sold a drug as deadly and addictive as crack-cocaine and being heralded as this noble leader.

It just makes me wonder what would it take for all the other millions of activists around the world who have been doing the same thing for years to get the same amount of publicity as Jay-Z does?

Murder someone?

Become a repeated sex offender?

I know those examples are very extreme but selling drugs and then making music about it, which promotes more than denounces, is just as extreme.

I believe that we have a problem in our society with being so quick to let the "bad guy" get the spotlight whenever they do decide to do some good in the world yet those who have done good all along, get nothing. I'm not saying that we should deny any one the chance to make the world a better place because of their history; I believe we should give just as much acclamation and praise, if not more, to those who fight just as hard for a worthy cause who haven't and don't promote negative stereotypes.

"I'm livin' proof that crime do pay..."

- "Allure", Jay-Z