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WATCH: Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye “Run This Town”

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“Run This Town,” a bangin’ song off Jay-Z’s September 11 release Blueprint 3, may be a late contender for 2009’s defining summer jam, but Hova has more on his mind that just another notch on his diamond-studded belt. With help from Rihanna and Kanye West, the multi-platinum rapper leads a torch-wielding mob in his new video for the track, sporting a chain of bullets around his neck as he incites a revolution.

There’s political commentary at work here — witness the brief shot of Communist leader Mao Zedong two minutes in. But while the mob’s exact mission is unclear, one thing is certain: the bandana-clad vigilantes exude a Molotov cocktail-toting cool.

Jigga shot the video — which leaked this morning ahead of its scheduled premiere — at a civil war fortress near New York,giving it a gritty realism that surpasses most car- and-money-lovin’ rap videos. With Kanye and an Auto-Tuned Rihanna (hey, we thought Jay hated that overused hip-hop fad!) at his side, Hova is well prepared to run this town indeed.

WATCH:Jay-Z “Run This Town,” feat. Kanye West and Rihanna