JAY-Z - Moonlight 

The meaning: The song Moonlight has an overall theme that while we dream about fitting into a world that doesn't belong to us once we take it over they find a way to diminish it. Moonlight refers to a movie which was in the running for best picture against La La Land. The winner of Best Picture usually receives more money due to the prestige of winning and usually elevates the careers of cast. This particular year even though Moonlight won they announced LaLa Land won mistakingly overshadowing the accolades of Moonlight. The video refers to black people being interchangeable with what white people deem as quality and it becomes better because of black involvement. Notice how people in the comment section say this would be a dope show even though it's a parody of Friends. Jerrod consults his conscious,Hannibal, who tells him the show is wack. Jerrod realizes he's stuck in a weird place because he now knows this was never meant for him no matter how good he plays the role he just isn't "Friends". Issa tells him to be quiet to not mess it up for the ones who don't know and sends him to a place where he can breathe and reflect on why they are there. The backstage area is the truth behind the truth. That we are stuck in La La Land and once we make something ours they find a way to down play it. Moonlight

This is just genius on so many levels. The song, the Refugees sample, and the Lauryn Hill reference, even the key of Lauryn's "Ooh La La La" being lower, the message, the "subversion" of the icon #1 White comedy of "our" generation, the candid criticism asking "what are you doing," the fact that the Black woman (Issa with her hit comedy) pointed out the way to go and didn't go with him, the fact that Jarrod did in fact walk out on the industry that tried to play him, the La La Land "win" over Moonlight at the end, the best picture being Moonlight for real, but as in real life, moonlight only getting a few seconds of what was supposed to be their big moment, the big moment being lost and clouded by the controversy, the other work being seen while ours is barely a reference.... THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON. Genius. Brilliant. Applause worthy. So much commentary in a short "music video." Also not lost is that Jay-Z is only heard and never seen in his own video. What's that saying?

Why do I feel like RU-vid hid this video? It’s weird how it’s my first time seeing this. Extremely weird, eerie...

I’m watching this during quarantine. FOR. THE. FIRST. TIME.

Who else jus now seeing this for the first time in 2020

This not only shines light on how Friends overshadowed Living Single just as Moonlight was overshadowed by La La Land.

Why did this just randomly pop up on my time line... and WHY IS THIS THE FIRST TIME IM SEEING THIS 😭😭😭😭

I felt this short film. Literally all of the decisions they made are clearly intentional. This was powerful. Down to the casting, props, and imagery. Crazy dope

Jay Z has been putting out the most artistic and creative videos of the year. Why don't these get more recognition?

Saw too many comments of people who have an issue with this video or don't get it, and I'm like....did you guys watch the video all the way through? Like where the one guy (Hannibal Buress) is literally telling him that the show and his acting is wack because it's just like a white demographically aimed show except with all black actors? So the dude starts to realize how unrealistic the show he's playing in is, question what he's even doing on this set that's got an all black cast as if it's supposed to be groundbreaking for African American culture, supposed to be some sort of win and representation of black people, but nothing about the show resembles that culture besides their black faces. So what's the point. Same candy just in a brown wrapper, being marketed as something that it's not. Some comment was bothered that this was a white vs black thing and was ranting about it. How black people are doing the woe-is-me thing and how we're just complaining about not being acknowledged, etc. ...pretty annoying. There's complaints because the identity of African Americans in media has often been an issue (both in music and film). That's kinda why a ton of shows were made and are still being made that more accurately depict African American lives realistically (even at the cost of popularity and viewer consumption which at times seems to not want to support or market that kind of media much). So beyond being a white vs black issue, I took from the video the message of not losing your identity to get ahead and appeal to people that don't even want to accept you unless you act different. Identity is the issue for me. Honestly, I still haven't watched Moonlight and when Friends was popular back in the day, I didn't really care to watch it unless my fam was watching it. But even on my first watch-through of this video, I get at least some basic points. Media issues, shows being ripped off of each other and just packaged with a different color, misrepresentation, the La La Land - Moonlight issue where it seems like even with an incredible movie like Moonlight, the system still doesn't want to allow it to win. Some dude in the comments was saying how Jay-Z made that whole mix-up issue to be too deep and that there was nothing really to it in reality. But really, regardless of it just being a mistake, it had impact, and to Jay Z, it meant somethin. Anything's as deep as you wanna make it, and the social commentary that he made from that issue onto this song and this video shows it was deep for him (and a ton of others in the comments). But ya know, seeing as I didn't watch much of either media talked about in this video, feel free to discredit everything I say. I just wanted to add something since alot of people were lost and/or hating on people that gave explanation. Walks off the set, through all the blinding lights, out the back door, out into reality, lets the moonlight shine some light onto his situation. Because that Moonlight issue pretty much summarizes it. "Even when we win, we gon' lose."

youtube didn’t hide this y’all just don’t listen to jay z

Fun Fact: Lakeith Stanfield had never heard of friends before this.

Everyone that’s saying “Omg I need there to be a black Friends now!! This is amazing!” has completely missed the point of this film.

Wow the set looks so much like the original one awesomee

kinda mad that i haven’t seen this until TWO years later

I get chills every time I watch this . It just a slap of reality...

How am I only seeing this now?? These guys are a whole generation of black actors in one place.

All star cast, i could watch a whole season of this meta

Can’t believe I missed this and just now seeing it in 2021 🤦🏽‍♀️

It is June 2020 and I am just seeing this. Hmm wonder why😡. This video was so well done I wasn’t ready but I’m so glad I’m seeing it now

i can’t believe this has been out for the past 2 years and i didn’t notice. it’s weird how it only has near 7 mil views for the past 2 years. feel like that says something. mind blowing.

I know there's this whole like "what's the message" and controversy going on, but can we just acknowledge how cool it is that they recreated the set for Friends.

Look at RU-vid recommending this after BLM protests. Y'all needed to do this before protests, Equality. Also it's time black creators get recommended and put on the trending page. We, black people are very creative but are forced to fight double for recognition just like Moonlight was overshadowed by Lala land.

I am in the "Why I m seing this for the first time" team too. Yeah, weird.

People really dont undertand the message. Making Friends with an all black cast is corny and uninteresting, ok you're right. Hannibal Buress pointed that out, even though the main character thought he was advancing the culture. He realizes that he's doing nothing for black culture but riding the waves of a white show and he leaves to go seek the truth under the moonlight. "Even when we win we gone lose" -Jay Z

...The One Where They're Not Ready??

I got chills when I heard the Oscar presenters cause I remembered what happened and then understood why the song is called moonlight. Genius

A lot of people STILL think LaLa Land won Best Picture. I had to correct someone 2 weeks ago.

Sometimes you have to leave LaLa Land to simply enjoy the Moonlight.

This video becomes even more sad when you realize FRIENDS was inspired from a show 'Living Single' w all black cast living in New York City and as we know now, got more recognition than the original show ever did

If Living Single was given the budget and marketing. I shall leave this here.

The one where no one is ready This is one one of my fav episode.

I feel like I just saw a black mirrors episode

Tiffany Haddish as Phoebe makes me sooo happy.

This was a powerful image of having an all black cast enact part of a Friends episode and only recently became aware of how Living Single was copied. Brought tears to my eyes. So much talent out there that gets overshadowed.

I’m watching this for the FIRST TIME in July 2021. 4 YEARS after it came out. What in the world 🌎

Who else just now seeing this in 2019

Tessa Thompson as Monica Geller is something I never knew i needed

the fact that I discovered this just now in 2020, and the ongoing BLM Movement- the relevance is striking

THIS IS MASTERFUL ART THAT IS RELEVANT TODAY RIGHT NOW

Gave me Black Mirror vibes damn

Fuckin masterpiece. Subversive as Fuck. Shout out to Moonlight for winning that Oscar

I haven’t heard this song in a while, love it

This feels like a video RU-vid didn’t want me to see or something, like as if it was secret. why is this the fist time I see this is my question

Now I feel sad because I want to see all of these people starring on a sitcom together.

This is just genius on so many levels

Why TF am I just seeing this now? What an incredible video with such an important message for all within White society, and society as a whole

This might be one of the best and meaningful videos I hv ever seen...why did it just pop up in my recommendation now.🤔

The point of the video is that if you "win" within the limits of a structure that serves and protects white culture, is it really a win?

Damn, this is deep. It's clearly going over a lot of people's heads though.

444 album definitely in jayzs top 5 albums. Everything from the songs, content and the music videos 🔥

Too damn good!!! About my 20th time watching these videos from 4:44 album

Even when we win, we're going to loose.

I honestly was not feeling this song like that... until I saw this video...🤤when I revisited the album and played this song I almost teared up because now I get it🙄

"We stuck in La La Land Even when we win, we gon' lose " Lyrical mastery

Why has this never shown on my recommendations before!!!!? I am so overwhelmed by this! Daaaaamn! Already seen it thrice on loop!

I love the concept! When Jerrod walked off the "Friends" set, I thought he was going to walk onto the "Living Single" set. How dope would that have been? Jerrod walks through the "Living Single" set and goes on the roof (like how the casts did in the show). He sits on a chair and looks up at the moonlight.

This line "Even when we win, we gone lose"👏 2017 Oscars Moonlight win best picture but lala land stole there spotlight .

Powerful message.

I just love this SO MUCH! This should be an actual show

God I love Tessa Thompson

Jay-z spitting so much truth yet reading these comments more than half of you still missing the point. All these people claiming to be woke yet you still sleep.

Can’t Believe I’ve never Seen This Masterpiece 😩

No Grammy for this album! A joke! This album was deep on so many levels!

Almost thought there was no song

Still watching and studying this...

I can't believe I'm just hearing about this now. This is an incredible video!

“Even when we win we gon’ lose”

He starts his journey to lala land at 4:44. Subliminal.

This is amazing man JayZ showing y’all the way

It's funny how Chandler didn't really sit on Joey like in the original episode.😂😂😂

This is about not giving black people their credit. Or giving them time to shine. Friends was a copy and paste of living single and moonlight won the award however the night was totally messed up with LaLa land being announced as the winner. And instead of the main story being about their win, it was about the mix up and how they two films should share the award. Rather than a black movie and its stars being able to get the recognition they deserved in the 50+ years the award ceremony has been about.

Even when we win we gone lose

Here in 2024. During Eclipse Season 👁️♾️🖖🏾

This is genius. Even though I'm just now seeing this, I'm just fashionably late.

I would love to see a video for "Marcy Me", that was one of my favorite songs of the album. The beat fits perfectly to JAY's flow and style. I would love to see him in the video.

The social commentary in this is just amazzzzzzzzzzzziiiinnngggg, like I could write a thesis on this

Jay always makin' deep shit with profound messages, love it!

This music video moved me when I first saw it. Its amazing.

"4:44" just made Jay-Z's overwhelming favorable case for the GOAT that much stronger

Lakeith Stanfield is everything though! I'm so happy that he was apart of this creative masterpiece.

found out about this from jerrod carmichaels wikipedia. i didnt even know this existed. incredible video, even better commentary 15/10 ty jay z (sidenote- WHY AND HOW DOES THIS ONLY HAVE 8.1M VIEWS AND UNDER 200K LIKES???!?!?! currently the story of OJ video [beautifully animated, poignant, and genius as well] has over 146M views and 1.7M likes despite only being released a month before wtf)

2021 just now seeing it

That moment when u cant pretend to be happy anymore

I watched Friends on WB11 every night as a kid in the projects. I think it’s super ill that Jay is playing Richard. Which was Tom Selleck or basically “the old dude who legendary and still killing”. Creatively that was a perfect placement

Wow this shit was deep asf. The ending. I didn’t notice before but now I know. Stay woke.

I would watch this....we need this so much yes.

I always thought Friends was the white acceptable version of Living Single. Mainly because Living Single was on before friends

"Black friends" guess yall never heard of the ORIGINAL Friends called Living Singles.

Knowing what we know now and seeing Jerrod Carmichael at the end before the title Moonlight comes on the screen….🖤

Oh I love this

Let's not forget what the show Friends was based on, Living Single. Even Queen Latifah has been interviewed pointing that fact out. Minor network vs Major network, all black cast vs all white cast. Living Single was way more funny and 2 years ahead of Friends.

Omg, me just realizing this BEEN CAME OUT!

Such a masterpiece

I watch the video after Dhruv Rathee's video where he told about "Why Friends is still famous among the people".. And there he mentioned about this show and I love this🖤

it's a critique of the academy awards giving recognition to very white films and ignoring black art.

Hannibal Buress, Issa Rae, Darius from Atlanta, and Jerrod, Bobby, and Nakeisha from The Carmichael Show in 1 video??? Damn

Just now seeing this 2021! Great video

from time to time I watch this to warm my heart

anyone notice the song starts at 4:44