Critical Perspectives on Jay-Z and Kanye West’s ‘Otis’ From Seven Guys Named Otis

I’m really feeling this. These dudes is balling. “Luxury rap, the Hermes of verses.” That’s just how I’m living. They speaking my language. I mean, this is how I’m gonna be living. I guess this very moment I’m the-Hermes-of-sitting-on-my-ass-in-my-mother’s-basement. I’m on furlough right now and this morning I thought I was gonna get a paycheck, but all I got was an IOU.  How am I supposed to pay my bills with that? Am I supposed to tell the grocery store that I’ll take the food now and pay them in two weeks when I get the money that I’m rightfully owed? A little frustrating. I pissed away 80 hours in that damn factory and until I see some bread, they essentially stole that time from me. Only goddamned resource I can’t get back. But as soon as I get some money, I’ma get a Maybach like the one they describe in the song. How much one of them cost? Oh. Really. Well, it might take a few paychecks, but watch I’ma be popping bottles with supermodels, like Jay-Z said. I really wish they’d pay me.

—Otis Parker, Bowie, MD

Man, did he say he had a Hublot watch? Them joints is like half my yearly income. I mean, back when I had a job. Now I don’t have a yearly income. And two big face Rolexes? That sounds like several months rent and groceries. I ain’t worked in weeks. Somebody need to forcibly redistribute some of that wealth. Where you say they live at again?

—Otis Washington, Binghamton, NY

The ostentation of the presentation is beneath my compensation. Can you dig what I’m saying? I ain’t spending no money on that. In ‘Otis,’ my dear brothers Jay-Z and Kanye West play the part of overzealous and capricious conspicuous consumers in a time when our dear misguided brother Barack Obama is not returning my phone calls and, just as bad, there is double digit unemployment in the black community. They’ve lost touch with the common people. Now perhaps my dear brother from the Marcy Projects and my dear brother from the south side of Chicago would like to join my brother Tavis Smiley and me on our poverty tour to reconnect with the people in the hood. And if our dear brother Jay and our dear brother Kanye would like to contribute some funds to pay for the tour, including hotels, meals, souvenirs, bitches and other incidentals, I’m sure brother Tavis and I could work out something.

—Cornel “Otis” West, Princeton, NJ

That’s a damn good sample, Otis Redding, “Try a Little Tenderness.” Seems like in the lyrics they decided to try a little dullness. Oh hahaha.

—Otis Statler, Waldorf, MD

This fool said, “I made Jesus Walks I’m never going to Hell.” Ha! Wanna bet?

—Jesus “Otis” Christ, Right Hand of His Father, Heaven

You know something, those boys ain’t shit. That boy Kanye is my nephew. Him and that funny looking guy—Jay…Jay-something—came over to visit me a few months ago. I fried some chicken for them. This was before I got laid off. Right after he eat, Kanye grip his stomach and say he need to use the bathroom, but I ain’t get a chance to clean it–I had the same chicken the day before so, believe me, I know what it can do to a stomach, taste good though—so I’m like, ‘Man, watch the throne, you need to wipe it off before you sit your ass down.’ Next thing I know, he and Jay name the album Watch the Throne and they got a song name after me. And you think I seen a cent off that? I tell you them boys ain’t shit. I would show you the toilet, but my house got foreclosed on. Lost everything after I got laid off. I called up Kanye–this was before the album came out–and was like, break me off some bread so I won’t lose the house and he accuse me of wanting to be adopted, said he already adopted enough people, Philip Drummon’ed em. I said, ‘Son, I ain’t no damn Willis and I damn sure ain’t no damn Arnold. You steady watching the throne, should be watching your mouth when you talk to me.’ Then he want to talk to me about his Benz and his other other Benz. Shortly after that, I got foreclosed on. I approach my nephew like, ‘Give your uncle a place to stay.’ He like, ‘Can’t you see the private jets flying over you.’ I think he rude. I’m left with no dignity and he want to make me look even less dignified. We start to arguing and he end the conversation saying, ‘May all your pain be champagne.’ Now the boy know I can’t even afford Ripple. I told you my nephew ain’t shit.

—Otis West, Chicago, Ill.

Jay-Z and Kanye West got a song together or something? Oh, a whole album. Damn, I ain’t been keeping up. Busy looking for a job. It’s hard when you ain’t already got one. Not like I can afford to buy the album anyway. You know if it’s any good?

—Otis Hampden, Brooklyn, NY

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Rion Amilcar Scott writes fiction all over the damn place, tweets @reeamilcarscott and blogs at datsun flambe.