Stephen Jackson Slams Lil Yachty Over George Floyd Lyrics
Lil Yachty is going through mounting backlash after performing a controversial lyric referencing George Floyd throughout Plaqueboymax’s livestream on Thursday, August 14.
In the viral clip, the Atlanta rapper raps, “Put my knee up on her neck, I went George Floyd,” a line critics say trivializes Floyd’s killing in 2020. The lyric rapidly drew sharp condemnation throughout social media for its perceived insensitivity.
Among probably the most vocal detractors was former NBA participant and podcast host Stephen Jackson, a childhood buddy of Floyd. Jackson accused Yachty of exploiting Floyd’s identify for consideration and dismissed his music as “wack.” He condemned the lyric as tasteless, arguing no rapper ought to degrade the reminiscence of somebody whose dying galvanized a worldwide motion towards police brutality.
Jackson linked Yachty’s lyric to what he views as a broader cultural shift in rap—an period the place shock worth typically comes from disrespecting the lifeless. He burdened that many artists invoking Floyd’s identify by no means knew him personally and as an alternative use his legacy as a instrument for clout. His message was direct: go away Floyd’s identify out of songs fully.
In a pointed rebuke, Jackson urged Yachty to think about the outrage if somebody mocked the dying of his personal member of the family. He challenged the rapper to contemplate the ache brought about to these nonetheless grieving Floyd’s loss, warning that such remarks cut back a human tragedy to a punchline.
Online response mirrored Jackson’s criticism. Fans and public figures alike branded Yachty “corny” and “lame” for crossing an ethical boundary. Many famous that Floyd’s dying—brought about when former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for greater than 9 minutes—turned a defining second within the trendy battle for racial justice.
Floyd’s ultimate phrases, “I can’t breathe,” echoed via protests worldwide, symbolizing the pressing demand for systemic reform. For many, Yachty’s lyric wasn’t merely offensive—it undermined the gravity of a second that sparked one of many largest civil rights uprisings in many years.
The controversy now locations Yachty on the heart of a heated debate over respect, creative freedom, and the ethics of referencing real-life tragedies in music.
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