Chocolate Chiq.com

For the last few months, I've heard people speculating about whether or not Jay Z is a Mason. (Actually, people have been theorizing that along with Hova, President Obama is a member of the Illuminati). Thanks to Jay Smooth, I was alerted to the release of Mr. Carter's new video, On to the Next One, which unapologetically embraces all things Masonic and adds fuel to the conspiracy fire.

First, I must say that the video is absolutely stunning. A visual marvel. With a sense of foreboding, reminiscent of Lady Gaga's Bad Romance, it is as remarkably creative as T-Pain's Can't Believe It. If this was a full length movie, Sam Brown would definitely be in the running for the Best Director statute.

There is no question that the video contains various symbols of Freemasonry. Well, it's obvious if you are familiar with elements of their rituals. So for those of us who knew very little about the Mason mystique but understood that some considered them secretive and anti-Christian, here is an overview:

According to Wiki, Freemason (or Mason) is a fraternal organization started around the late 16th century and is described "a system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols." Their main objectives are participation in charity work, being morally upstanding, and "the development and maintenance of fraternal friendship." Some requirements to become a Mason include being a male, referral from a Mason(s), and having good morals.

Freemasonry also requires a belief in a Supreme Being but does not dictate how the member interprets Supreme Being, therefore Christians, Jews, Muslims, and other followers of some other religions can join. Masons also must agree to keep some of their rituals, gestures, and other aspects secret; however, those rituals and gestures are dependent on the jurisdiction. This secrecy and allowing beliefs in other Supreme Beings besides the Christian God are the main reasons cited as opposition and criticism of the Masons and the belief that it is an occult.

Freemasonry is often linked to the Illuminati which is defined as "a name that refers to several groups, both historical and modern, and both real and fictitious. Historically, it refers specifically to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on May 1, 1776. In modern times it is also used to refer to a purported conspiratorial organization which acts as a shadowy "power behind the throne", allegedly controlling world affairs through present day governments and corporations, usually as a modern incarnation or continuation of the Bavarian Illuminati." Eventually leading to the creation of the new world order, NWO.

Illuminati founder, Adam Weishaupt, patterned much of his organization after the Freemasons.

Which leads back to Jay Z and the "is he or isn't he" frenzy. Seeds of the conspiracy were planted long before the release of the new video. The "Roc" sign bears a resemblance to the Mason's Square and Compass (as shown in above pic). This year's Run This Town has also been said to contain Masonic lyrics. But the blatant inclusion of Masonic symbols in "On To the Next One" leaves no question that Jay Z is aware of the theories and submerged himself into the controversy.

The symbolism is detailed by Real Talk NY commenter, "For real tho...":
:29..there’s a face in the fingerprint
:36..there’s a man in the middle wearing a crown
:38..the flash, if you can catch it..3 bullets pointing up, 3 balls in the middle, 3 bullets pointing up
1:24..the beast in each flame, the figure rising out of them at the top
2:10.. jigga wit the light around his head
2:13..always knew it’d be like this
3:04..face in the fossil’s head
3:19-3:20..the flash, if you can catch it..five balls, hands picking at the top left and bottom right ones. Of the remaining 3 balls, there’s a figure above the one in the middle
3:31..monsters in the flames
3:39..Jesus in between two bullets
3:51..horns

There is also a video which slows the speed and highlights some the Masonic symbols:

Although, there is no doubt that Jay Z and his team were banking on this controversy, it is still interesting to hear the director mention the "3 iconic stripes" on the side of the Jaguar in the following clip (hiphopstan.com):

The official video for Jay Z's "On to the Next One":

*note to self: Must donate to Wikipedia*
Picture source 1, 2.