It sounds like it should be a hoax, but a panel of typically white and conservative FOX News anchors has actually had a go at Kendrick Lamar and other hip hop artists, accusing them of doing more damage to African Americans than racism has.
As Consequence Of Sound reports, the FOX News team discussed hip hop — and more specifically Kendrick Lamar — earlier this week, after the To Pimp A Butterfly artist opened the 2015 Black Entertainment Television Awards by performing his song Alright on top of a cop car which was stylised to look like it had been vandalised.
FOX decided to make a point of the lyrics to Alright, which include the lines, “We hate po po / Wanna kill us dead in the street fo sho,” and, “My knees gettin’ week / And my gun might blow.”
The FOX anchors said that Lamar’s lyrics and performance, similar to those other artists, “sends the wrong message”.
Here’s how FOX News‘ Geraldo Rivera wrapped up the situation:
“[Kendrick Lamar was] not helpful at all. This is why I say that hip hop has done more damage to young African Americans than racism in recent years. This is exactly the wrong message.
“To conflate what happened in the church in Charleston, South Carolina, with these tragic incidents involving excessive use of force by cops, is to equate that racist killer with these cops. It is so wrong, it is so counterproductive. It gives exactly the wrong message.”
Rivera didn’t elaborate on exactly why the “right message” isn’t making a profound and honest statement about the struggles of many in the African American community as they face institutionalised racism and police brutality. But, you know.
It’s also worth noting that in the same segment Rivera’s co-host commented that Lamar’s, performance “doesn’t excite me, it doesn’t turn me on, it doesn’t interest me, I’m not feeling it.”
It’s not yet known if Rivera has seen Lamar’s impressive new music video for Alright (below), or even if he’s experienced the heartwarming footage of the rapper performing with kids at a US high school, but it is clear that his views are terribly misguided, especially considered this is the same network that last week said Prince and Beyoncé’s music is “as dangerous” a symbol as the Confederate flag.
#logic?
Watch: FOX News Discuss Kendrick Lamar, Hip Hop And Racism
Watch: Kendrick Lamar – Alright
