Kendrick Lamar’s thoughts on Ferguson have sparked their own outrage. In a Billboard cover story the rapper touched on the hot topic of police brutality and how we, as a nation, can ignite some much-needed change. And that’s where the trouble started.
He prefaced his statement by saying that Michael Brown should never have been killed, but he went on to say “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.”
Cue the angry Twitterverse.
Many felt that his comments gave the predominately White publication the wrong impression, suggesting to readers that there is a lack of self-respect in the Black community, and that that is the first thing to address in this fight for justice.
The outspoken Azealia Banks went on a Twitter rant, calling Lamar’s comments the “dumbest s–t I’ve ever heard a Black man say.”
Others shared her sentiments:
Re: Kendrick. Sometimes your favorite artist’s genius can be hyper focused into one particular avenue and be a fool in another.
— B.J. Steiner (@DocZeus) January 9, 2015
Give Kendrick an oscar, made everybody think he’s a future pro black leader but he’s really the black misinformed version of ned flanders
— Ahmed/Red Cafe Fan (@big_business_) January 9, 2015
@kendricklamar Why do Black people in America think they can speak for all black people everywhere ? I for one find it annoying.
— Izzy Osas (@GabrielOsas21) January 12, 2015
how are black people not respecting themselves ? @kendricklamar how can you be a lil black boy from the hood saying that ?
— Black Cell (@HKDSPK) January 12, 2015
What do you think? Did Kendrick’s comments send the wrong impression?
