It’s a Hard Knock Life

The summer of 1999 was an incredible time to take the subway. That summer, I overheard so many young, Black men listening to — what I thought was — the soundtrack to the musical “Annie.” You could hear the distinctive “Hard Knock” beat through their foam headphones. I remember thinking: “Isn’t New York amazing? So much diversity! You can’t stereotype what anyone would be listening to!” It wasn’t until much later in life that I realized everyone was listening to Jay-Z. 🤷‍♀️