Jay-Z addresses Cuba trip 'mudslingers' in 'Open Letter' track

Jay-Z addresses Cuba trip ‘mudslingers’ in ‘Open Letter’ track

By Nardine Saad

April 11, 2013 12 AM PT

Jay-Z is none too pleased with lawmakers questioning the validity of his and Beyonce’s recent trip to Cuba, and he’s rapping all about it in a new track called “Open Letter,” released Thursday.

Travel to Cuba for the sake of tourism is prohibited under U.S. law and naysayers openly questioned the power couple’s April 4 visit for their fifth wedding anniversary.

On Monday, the U.S. Treasury addressed Florida lawmakers who questioned the validity of the trip and confirmed that the Office of Foreign Assets Control had approved the excursion with “people-to-people” licenses for educational exchange.

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But Hova still felt the need to speak out on the matter. The explicit song, which features Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, addresses those “mudslingers.”

“I done turned Havana into Atlanta ... ,” he raps. “Boy from the hood, but got White House clearance...

“Sorry, y’all I don’t agree with your parents, politicians never did ... for me except lie to me then start history. Wanna give me jail time and a fine, fine, let me commit a real crime.”

He later goes into his new deal with Universal Music Group and brings it back to President Obama, whom he and wife Beyonce have avidly supported for years.

“Hear the freedom in my speech ... Obama said, ‘Chill, you gonna get me impeached. You don’t need this ... anyway, chill with me on the beach,’” he adds, tucking in at the end, “I’m in Cuba, I love Cubans. This communist talk is so confusing.”

But the White House was adamant about not having signed off on the trip, despite Mr. Beyonce’s lyrics.

“I guess nothing rhymes with Treasury,” press secretary Jay Carney jokingly said during his daily briefing Thursday. “Because Treasury offers and gives licenses for travel and the White House has nothing to do with it.”

Reports and “Open Letter” had made it seem that Jay’s close relationship with the president allowed for the passage, but Carney shut that down.

“I am absolutely saying that the White House and the president on down had nothing to do with anybody’s travel to Cuba,” he said. “That is something the Treasury handles. OFAC, Treasury these are tough words to rhyme. It’s a song; the president did not communicate with Jay-Z for this trip.”

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