Foremost Black civil rights group recognizes rapper Jay-Z for his immense contributions to society

Besides his immense contributions in the rap and music industry as a whole, Jay-Z’s social justice endeavours and mission towards highlighting issues in the black community can never be overestimated.

It is in light of this that the premier Civil Rights Organization in the United States, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is set to award the multi-platinum selling and award-winning rapper the prestigious President’s Award at the 50th NAACP Image Awards on Saturday, March 30.

“The President’s Award is an honor we carefully bestow upon an individual, maintaining its significance and commitment to recognizing excellence in service that directly affects our community,” said Derrick Johnson, President of the NAACP. “Shawn Carter has been committed to shedding light on the issues that plague the black community including systematic racism and unjust treatment under the law, utilizing his global platform to create everlasting change. There is no better time than now, as we celebrate our 50th year, to honor him with this award.”

The statement also highlighted the Blueprint rapper’s commendable impact outside music and how he uses his influence and platform for social good.

“Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter continues to use his platform for social good, intertwining his art and activism, through the work of his Shawn Carter Foundation and serving as Co-Founder of The REFORM Alliance.

He was instrumental in bringing to life Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story, which shed deeper light on the impact of the verdict felt round the world, a mini-series on the tragic effect of solitary confinement as seen through TIME: The Kalief Browder Story, and also the animated documentary short, The War on Drugs is an Epic Fail, highlighting the unjust treatment of people of color, specifically blacks and latinos, as it relates to drug related crimes,” it read.

Jay-Z joins a very distinguished group of recipients of the President’s Award which includes Jesse Jackson, Lauryn Hill, Muhammad Ali, just to mention a few.

Created in 1967, the NAACP Image Awards celebrates “the outstanding achievements and performances of people of color in the arts, as well as those individuals or groups who promote social justice through their creative endeavors.”

This adds to a long list of awards and recognitions conferred on the Brooklyn rapper. Just last week, the Library of Congress inducted his double-platinum selling and critically acclaimed Blueprint album into the National Recording Registry.

Being the most contemporary recording among the 25 titles that were inducted for the year 2018, the Library said the album solidified Hov’s “reputation as one of the greatest rappers in music.”

“‘The Blueprint’ demonstrates Jay-Z’s range, from battle raps throwing shade on his lyrical adversaries such as Nas and Prodigy of Mob Deep, to triumphant anthems about life at the top, to heartfelt examinations of his personal history,” their statement read.