By: Amanda Anderson-Niles
While a lot of Hip Hop artists have spoken out in frustration about Australian rapper Iggy Azalea’s success, she’s managed to have a select few defend her. T.I. has done most of the defending since he’s the one who brought her on board via Hustle Gang, but now it appears Hip Hop favorite Kendrick Lamar is speaking up for Iggy as well.
Kendrick covers the latest issue of Billboard and he opened up about Iggy Azalea and Eric Garner. When asked about the backlash Iggy has been receiving:
“She’s doing her thing. Let her. People have to go through trials and tribulations to get where they at. Do your thing, continue to rock it, because obviously God wants you here.”
Kendrick also discussed Eric Garner and Mike Brown, as well as the protests surrounding their murders. He says:
“I wish somebody would look in our neighborhood knowing that it’s already a situation, mentally, where it’s f–ked up. What happened to [Michael Brown] should’ve never happened. Never. But when we don’t have respect for ourselves, how do we expect them to respect us? It starts from within. Don’t start with just a rally, don’t start from looting — it starts from within.”
I was giving him a pass because I know Iggy is his cousin’s girlfriend, but what he said about Mike Brown is why he lost me. We can be perfect and get our ish together as a people and they will still treat us the same. Look up Black Wallstreet and you’ll get it.
He should have just said no comment to both questions if he was going to sound so ignorant about both subjects. I don’t think God has anything to do with someone excelling from white privilege. Kendrick should be ashamed of himself.
The white establishment doesn’t want us to get it together. They are the ones who killed Black Wall Street.
He’ll be the next one to wife up one of those Kardashians.
LOL. Exactly.
yep
Billboard baited him and he fell right into the trap. How unfortunate and disappointing.
they knew the scared and grateful negger would c–n…
Well I surely won’t feel bad for him when a white artist gets a Grammy over him again.
right
I keep hoping these guys won’t disappoint me, but it never fails to happen.
No bueno I love me some K.dot he entitled to his opinion but he shouldn’t be taking up for Iggy. He lost some cool points with this article. I never thought I would say it but I respect what Macklemore said more than Kendrick.
There’s really nothing any black rapper can say to surprise me anymore. I only get surprised now when they really are intelligent and can understand systematic racism. That is why I’m such a big fan of J Cole. He really gets it.
How the f-ck did Macklemore manage to talk more intelligently about Iggy and Mike Brown than Kendrick? Now I went out my way to buy his album but I won’t ever do that again.
yay
And another one bites the dust. Well let me add him to my new black list. I can’t be giving up my coins to these idiots.
I can overlook what he said about Iggy because damn I don’t think she deserves so much attention either. But what he said about Mike Brown and the protests…really? FOH.
He’s a product of white supremacy. He sounds just like the people who watch Fox news religiously. He’s just black.
When you have such a huge platform like Kendrick Lamar, you have to be mindful of what you say because the white media will use these quotes to silence all the protests about police brutality. He should have kept his mouth shut.
*cries and pours out liquor for Kendrick*
lmao
It’s getting real blatant now. You can see what the media is doing and sadly a lot of these black artists are too afraid to stand up for the race. But I never thought Kendrick would willingly become a tool in it all. That’s just…wow.
yup lol
Well Kendrick is a Gemini, just like Kanye. So yeah…when they get beaten down they begin to sulk and become destructive. You could see on Kendrick’s face that his spirit was broken when he didn’t get that Grammy and Macklemore got it instead. This is just the beginning of what’s to come. Kendrick will continue to disappoint us even more from here on out.
Not Kendrick too. Sigh.
J Cole >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This is so ironic because people actually went in on Macklemore and the Grammys for him not getting best rap album. It’s messed up people stood up for him and he’s saying these things.
Has he lost his mind? This has to be his worst interview to date. Somewhere Iggy is smiling and thinking she won. Damn. The things some of these new blacks will do to get a pat on the back from white people.
When I first read what he said about Garner/Brown I was like What? Read it again, now I have a different understanding.
I don’t think black people should be blamed for why we have so many issues with police. This is like people trying to say it’s our fault police treat us like animals because of black on black crime, when white on white crime is 80% and they still get treated like human beings even after the shoot up a movie theater. But I know a lot of people will forgive this because he’s Kendrick Lamar. That’s what annoys me. Had someone like Jay Z said this, people would be writing petitions and calling for his head. People like Nas and Kendrick keep getting passes for being ignorant and hurtful to the black community because too many people are naive enough to think they are conscious rappers. No, they’re not.
Very well said!
Thank you!!!! They always give the fake conscience rappers a pass for everything. When Nas defended Gwy P using the N word, all his fans were like it’s not a big deal anyway!!!! When he titled his album the N Word and wore the shirt, they were like it has a deeper meaning!!!! Now I can see people doing it now for Kendrick. He can do no wrong and it annoys me that others get dragged for lesser issues.
I meant to say conscious. I’m pregnant and my brain is scattered.
Omg you’re pregnant?!!!!! Congrats!!!!!!!
I’m not surprised he said all this. And that’s all I have to say.
His comment about Mike Brown is weird. In one breath he says it should have never happened, but then he appears to put the blame on black people. And it’s that not bad enough, he doesn’t seem to respect the protests. He’s really naive.
You can tell who doesn’t know our history. Where the hell has he been? White people have never respected us. There’s nothing we can do to change that. Even college educated black men and women get harassed by police. Shut up Kendrick.
This is why I would rather rappers not try to be deep in interviews.
lmao black boy lost
lolol
Stuff like this makes me want to get into Journalism sooooooo bad.In my opinion (as well as giving him the benefit of doubt) he was not putting blame on black people for having issues with police.
This little snippet just gave us a part of an interview that would attract attention and create chaos.
Sometimes people say things the wrong way, at the wrong in the wrong sentences.
I would like to read the full interview and see exactly what question was asked to generate this response.
*blank stare*
Now let Jay Z have said this…ugh!!!!!!!! “Conscience” rappers always get a damn pass!!!!!!!
Jay Z wouldn’t say anything like this. Plus he’s a quick thinker and he would make sure that he is understood the first time.
Jay is very smart, but people were dragging him a few days ago for just saying that he felt Hip Hop brings everyone together and that he feels it may be harder to teach young people to be racist if they look up to Hip Hop artists. Now I don’t agree with what he said, but he was dragged for it even though he said it years before Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner and Mike Brown. People are always trying to drag that man and his wife because they are so jealous of their success. They never in a million years thought Bey and Jay would be where they are today and they are mad as hell!!!
I meant to say conscious…blame it on my pregnancy seeing as my mind is everywhere these days.
I respect Kendrick as an artist, but I won’t make any excuses for this here. In any context, what he said was very ignorant and he’s very misinformed. But I’m not surprised people aren’t really outraged because he literally is like the Hip Hop Jesus right now. Meanwhile Oprah said something similar about Ferguson protests and she was dragged everywhere. Typical I tell you.
There was a discussion on here regarding him saying black people don’t buy music…one chick tried to rip my heart out when I said he was wrong. Kendrick is an agent and he knows what’s up. He’s in an industry where the stupidity of black folks is celebrated. Why would he say something supremely intelligent when that’s not what it’s about. He wants money. Several artists know they are not here to give us knowledge power or respect.
I’m disappointed but not surprised. I think it’s possible to be lyrical without being conscious, and when I think about his music, he’s not a conscious rapper. Compared to an artist like J. Cole, their content (on AND off a track) is like night and day. Unfortunately, so many black people think this way and I think it’s largely associated with ignorance; not knowing. You’ve got to think for yourself these days instead of formulating an opinion based on what the news tells you. It’s saddening. Black on black crime happens just like white on white crime does. It’s about proximity. The issue isn’t respecting ourselves so that others will respect us. When a black person kills another black person, SOMEBODY goes to jail for it. Justice happens somehow. However, in these cases where blacks are WRONGFULLY killed, not only is a life lost unrightfully, but NO ONE is RARELY EVER held accountable for it. I need people to start addressing that fact instead of focusing on something that isn’t even the issue. if blacks stopped killing blacks but are still killed by a cop without justice being served, THEN WHAT?! So many are sleep walking. It’s time to wake up.
Tuh why are some of y’all on here surprised? This man’s girlfriend ain’t even black. Most of his side chicks are black though. Lmao.
whaaaaaaaaaat
What? Um I do respect myself. Smdh.
if black men stood for black women the way they stand for non-black women, racism against us wouldnt exist. our men are so weak. that’s why they always gettin punked by and kissing the azses of non-black males.
So you can defend white people and put your own people down? Damn K Lamar, I expected more from you. Smh.