Music industry heavyweights pharrell Williams and Jay-Z made headlines and racked up more than 150,000 views in 10 hours when they released a new single and video, "Entrepreneur," on August 21. The five-minute video features more than a dozen Black entrepreneurs, among them Tyler, The Creator, Issa Rae and Broadway performer Robert Hartwell. The video cycles through the entrepreneurs as title cards explain who they are and what theirbusinesseshave meant to their communities while Williams' and Jay-Z's track plays in the background.
“The intention for a song was all about how tough it is to be an entrepreneur in our country to begin with,” Williams saidin an interview with Variety.“Especially as someone of color, there’s a lot of systemic disadvantages and purposeful blockages. How can you get a fire started, or even the hope of an ember to start a fire, when you’re starting at disadvantages with regards to health care, education, and representation?”
See the full video below.
In addition to releasing the video, Williams teamed up withTIMEmagazine on a special cover project titled "The New American Revolution," a compilation ofessays and interviews by and with prominent Black leaders. 58003 "I wanted to convey a vision of a future filled with the artists, creators and entrepreneurs who can fulfill the promise of this country’s principles."