Jay-Z Caught Using Secret Handshake

On May 16th, Jay-Z came through to the Barclay's Center showroom opening in Brooklyn, New York to support his big homey Bruce Ratner. The music mogul and Ratner have been in business together ever since the rap star bought a piece of the entrepreneur's New Jersey Nets. The pair's currently working on a deal to transport the basketball team from Newark to Brooklyn's Atlantic Yards near Jay's old stomping grounds.

They had some laughs and popped some bottles, but it was their oddly-gripped handshake (seen here) that sparked yet another round of Jay-related conspiracy theory.

Hova has long been rumored to be a member of the Freemasons, the fraternal organization known for their deep political ties and use of signs (gestures) and grips (handshakes). Past members allegedly include thirteen signors of the Constitution, fourteen U.S. Presidents and many of the nation's most powerful families such as the Rockefellers (ROC, mane) and Rothschilds.

soKe.flace('music-boombox.jayz.searchable', '476', '650'); var uid = new Date().getTime(); var flashProxy = new FlashProxy(uid, 'http://www.aolcdn.com/_media/modtools/kit_swfpublisher_javascriptflashgateway.swf'); var flashvars = {}; try { flashvars.lcId = uid; } catch (Exc) { }; try { flashvars.outlet_w = '476'; } catch (Exc) { }; try { flashvars.outlet_h = '650'; } catch (Exc) { }; try { flashvars.targetDivId = 'music-boombox.jayz.searchable'; } catch (Exc) { }; try { flashvars.targetAds = 'music-boombox.jayz.searchable'; } catch (Exc) { }; try { flashvars.omniture_tracker = '0'; } catch (Exc) { }; try { flashvars.adrefresh_wrapper = '1'; } catch (Exc) { }; try { flashvars.appswfURL = soKe.fv('http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=250404&pid=250403&uts=1211226575'); } catch (Exc) { }; if (typeof(screen_name) != 'undefined') try { flashvars.userName = screen_name; } catch (Exc) { }; var params = {}; try { params.wmode = 'opaque'; } catch (Exc) { }; try { params.menu = 'true'; } catch (Exc) { }; try { params.quality = 'high'; } catch (Exc) { }; try { params.allowscriptaccess = 'always'; } catch (Exc) { }; var attributes = {}; try { attributes.id = 'outlet'; } catch (Exc) { }; swfobject.embedSWF('http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf', 'music-boombox.jayz.searchable-swf', '476', '650', '8.0.0', 'http://www.aolcdn.com/ke/swfobject/expressinstall.swf', flashvars, params, attributes); top.exd_space.refresher.ads2Refresh(new Array( 'music-boombox.jayz.searchable', new Array('93220959', '300', '250', '0') )); top.exd_space.refresher.mmx('music-boombox.jayz.searchable', 'http://www.aolcdn.com/_media/channels/ke_blank.html', '');

The Freemason rumor gained popularity after Hov was photographed in a similar handhold with Nas when they squashed beef onstage in October, 2005.

Jay has been throwing up the Rocafella diamond for over a decade, which internet theorists believed to be connected to the Masonic "All seeing eye" pyramid symbol and Square and Compasses. He also referenced the illuminati and secret society back in 1996 on the hook of "D'evils."

Kanye West, another artist who has achieved great success since throwing up the Roc (Bleek where you at?), produced the song "Lucifer" for his big brother Jay, using Max Romeo's vocal sample "Lucifer son of the morning" which appears to be a direct reference to a Masonic text: "Lucifer, the Son of the Morning! Is it he who bears the Light, and with its splendors intolerable, blinds feeble, sensual, or selfish souls? Doubt it not!" [Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, p. 321, 19th Degree of Grand Pontiff].

Whether or not Jay is a skull and bones member, he has been known to frequently discuss his dark side, with lines like "Lord Forgive him, he got the dark forces in him." Conspiracy nuts saw the Nas and Jay beef as something far more sinister between Jayhova (god) and Nas (God's Son), after which Nas switched to the dark side, trading his Crucifix for an Egyptian amulet.

But don't take our word for it, check this ridiculous video for irrefutable proof.