Lil Yachty is a known jokester, but he might have gone too far with his latest comments. The Atlanta-based rapper ignited controversy after he deemed Black Lives Matter "a scam" during a recent appearance on Quentin Blackwell's hit YouTube series, Feeding Starving Celebrities.
Who's talking about his charitable efforts? Yachty didn't pull any punches. "BLM is a scam," he said bluntly before doubling down: "BLM was a scam. His remarks were a nod to widespread claims made shortly afterward that Patrisse Cullors, a BLM co-founder, had used donations to buy a $6 million mansion in Los Angeles, claims that added to palpable mistrust about the organization's financial dealings.
His words went viral almost immediately on social media, sparking a firestorm of debate among fans, critics, and activists.
The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation wasted little time in firing back, giving Yachty's comments a direct affront in a statement to Fox News.
"I see Lil Yachty has been sipping on that white supremacist ideology Kool-Aid. His comments are wrong. They are uninformed, uncreative, and made to satisfy the same audience profiting off of Black pain," the group said.
In defense of its record, BLM cited its advocacy efforts, saying, "The real scam isn't Black Lives Matter. It is seeing Black artists with huge platforms recycle familiar, tired attacks on Black movements, to erase the actual systems that are killing us."
They also noted their ongoing efforts to support families impacted by police violence, to fund mutual aid programs, and to advocate for systemic change in the legal and political arenas.
Yachty's comments may have shocked the Hip-Hop community. However, he's not the first rapper to speak out against the organization "Black Lives Matter was a scam," people because of Kanye West's very famous inflammatory post he made in October 2022 with an Instagram Story, which received lots of attention following his report, that will breathe talk.
For some, Yachty's comments underscore increasing skepticism about the movement's leadership and financial decisions. For others, they are a distraction from the broader struggle for racial justice and police accountability.
Yachty controversy aside, Black Lives Matter faces a steep uphill battle on several fronts. In Washington, D.C., city officials have started dismantling the iconic Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House.
The enormous yellow mural, which was first painted in June 2020 after the killing of George Floyd, was a powerful symbol of protest and resilience. But now it is being eliminated amid political battles over the city's budget. The space will reportedly be filled with murals honoring America's 250th birthday.
Lil Yachty hasn't provided further clarity on his comments, but the discussion around the credibility and impact of Black Lives Matter will only continue. While hip-hop may remain a battlefield for politics and societal issues, artists who speak up in favor of or opposing statements will always draw their rage. The question is whether those discussions will spark meaningful change or further divide.
0 Comments