The 2010 calendar year got off to an interesting start as Jay-Z premiered his Swizz Beatz-assisted video, “On To The Next One” at the stroke of midnight on January 1. Soon after the premiere, people took to various message boards and social networking sites to question if images from the video were in reference to the occult or other secret societies. One of the images in question was a Crucifix placed between two bullets (see below). The response was so overwhelming that artists not even remotely connected to the song spoke up in Jay-Z’s defense. In a recent interview with Ed Lover, Jay-Z spoke on the mild uproar.

“I got a lot of money,” Jay-Z offered. “You know when people get a lot of money, they start getting those rumors like Tom Cruise and Will Smith. That’s ridiculous; that’s crazy to me.”

After again denying any kind of occult affiliation, Jay-Z added, “I think I need to remind people I’m from Marcy Projects. You can’t get into those prestigious clubs. I can’t even get into the golf club in Palm Springs.”