Suggesting that an “apology” that ends by taking a weird veer into jokes about the NRA and Bar Mitvahs—and gets immediately followed up with an attempt to sue the people who brought the apologizer’s alleged bad deeds to light—might not be the most sincere or authentic thing ever written, rap fans have noticed that Harvey Weinstein apparently made up the JAY-Z line he “quoted” in a recent answer to accusations of decades of sexual harassment.
In the statement, released earlier today, Weinstein wrote, “JAY-Z wrote in 4:44 ‘I’m not the man I thought I was and I better be that man for my children.’ The same is true for me.” Except, of course, that JAY-Z did not, in fact write that; the closest equivalent lyrics on either “4:44" the song or 4:44 the album read, “And if my children knew I don’t even know what I would do. If they ain’t look at me the same. I would prob’ly die with all the shame.” (Spin confirms that the line Weinstein quotes doesn’t show up on the album’s liner notes, either.)
Admittedly, it’s a relatively minor discrepancy, but if we were in business with JAY-Z—and also being accused of a systemic abuse of power that includes accusations of indecent and predatory behaviors from multiple women—we’d like to think we’d spare the time for a cursory Google search.