If you’re going to invoke Jay Z, you must get the lyrics correct.

Jay Z once rapped about feeling like a “Black Republican,” but who knew that Florida’s Republican Speaker of the House, Dean Cannon, was a rap genius?

VH1′s The Tanning of America premiered a clip last night in which Jay Z’s lyrics were deliberated upon during a House legislative session, back in March 2012.

The House was discussing the an amendment to a bill related to what type of evidence can be considered in a criminal case.

Democratic Rep. Alan B. Williams decided to bring Jay Z into the battle, quoting lines from Jay Z’s classic, “99 Problems,” before being corrected by Speaker Dean Cannon.

REP. ALAN B. WILLIAMS: To go even further, you think about a wise businessman. He even said he knows his rights. And Jay-Z…I think Jay-Z said it best and I’m going to quote for you. “I know my rights and you’re going to need a warrant for that.” And he even went further, “Aren’t you sharp as a tack, are you a lawyer or something?” Members, when you look at it, support this. If you support Jay-Z, support this amendment. Thank you.

SPEAKER DEAN CANNON: I must respectfully disagree with a correction, Rep. Williams. In the song, it was the officer who said, “Aren’t you sharp as a tack?” or something. “You should try for lawyer or something,” so I got you on that. It’s an unspoken rule, if you’re going to invoke Jay-Z, you must get the lyrics correct. I’m not sure Jay-Z would support this amendment.

Neither one of them was right on the money.

While Williams got the exact lyrics correct, Cannon was right in citing the “Aren’t you sharp as a tack…” line to the police officer, not Jay Z.

Check it out below.

 

April Dawn (@scarlettsinatra)