Jay-Z causes controversy by wearing gaudy medallion of 'Five Percent Nation' group who believe whites are 'wicked and weak'

Jay-Z raised eyebrows at the Barclay's Center last week when he wore a medallion symbolizing the Five Percent Nation.
The Brooklyn-born rapper was sitting court-side at a Nets game on Tuesday with wife Beyonce when he was snapped wearing the controversial symbol.
One of the core tenants of the Five Percent Nation - an off-shoot of the Nation of Islam - is that white people are 'wicked and inferior' to black men.


When asked by a reporter whether the medallion is meaningful to him, Jay-Z shrugged and said 'A little bit'.

This isn't the first time that the rapper has been connected to the Five-Percenters.

He was photographed wearing another similar medallion while giving radio interviews for his album Magna Carta Holy Grail last summer.
And in 'Heaven' a track on that album, Jay-Z references the Five-Percenters acronym for Allah by rapping 'Arm leg leg arm head'.
The Five Percent Nation was founded in 1963 by Clarence Smith, a former student of Malcolm X.
But Smith decided to split off from the Nation of Islam after disagreeing over the idea of God.



Smith didn't believe that God was a supernatural being, but rather something found in every black man (black women do not have God in them and are considered subordinates, but still hold a higher standing than white people).
Which means he disagreed with the Nation of Islam's belief that founder Wallace Fard Muhammad was God since Muhammad was bi-racial and not 'purely black'.

 'The rationale is that the black man is God and created the universe, and is physically stronger and intellectually stronger and more righteous naturally,' author Michael Muhammad Knight told the New York Post.
'Whiteness is weak and wicked and inferior — basically just an errant child who needs to be corrected.'
While Five-Percenters don't refer to themselves as Muslims, they borrow their name from the Nation of Islam's idea that five per cent of humanity are 'poor righteous teachers' who are trying to teach the world the truth of existence.
Another 10 per cent know the truth of existence but keep the 85 per cent majority in ignorance by preaching belief in a 'mystery god'.
Jay-Z isn't the only rapper that has taken up the Five Percent cause.
Busta Rhymes, Wu Tang Clan and Lord Jabar of Brand Nubian are all noted followers.
But a representative for the group's upstate region told the Post that they are not happy with Jay-Z flaunting their symbol.
'Jay Z is not an active member — no one has vouched for him” said Saladin Allah. 'It was always understood that you don’t wear the ­regalia if you don’t totally subscribe to the life.'