Nipsey Hussle is catching well-deserved heat for a homophobic caption he posted on Instagram.
“Demonstration speaks louder than Conversation,” he wrote under a photo of a group of young Black men. “They gone feed us every image of our men and boys but this one. No hyper violent…No homo sexual…No abandoners….JUS STRONG BLAC MEN AND YOUNG Men. RESPECT TO MY BIG HOMIE @bigu1 for Leading with love and intelligence. GOD IS WITH US WHO CAN GO AGAINST US”
Nipsey’s homophobic comment sparked outrage from many, including activist DeRay Mckesson.
DeRay took Nipsey to task for his comments, despite the rapper sticking to his harmful opinion.
“I’m speaking on this today because I remember being a kid and being surrounded by people who tried to convince us that homophobia was really just love repackaged — that they were just trying to prepare us for the real world, where we’d need to be strong,” DeRay wrote. “Homophobia kills, too.”
You can see their exchange below.
.@NipseyHussle’s homophobia is more common than one would hope. In his comments are the idea that to be a gay black man means that one cannot be strong — that strength is elusive to gay black men.
How does who I love change my ability to wield and/or challenge power? pic.twitter.com/QyiUtZzK7N
— deray (@deray) January 8, 2018
To many, gay black men are tools, not peers. It’s how homophobia folks can still buy the clothes of gay designers, etc. They are tools, objects to be used for a purpose. But they are not peers, people equally worthy of respect.
— deray (@deray) January 8, 2018
I’m speaking on this today because I remember being a kid and being surrounded by people who tried to convince us that homophobia was really just love repackaged — that they were just trying to prepare us for the real world, where we’d need to be strong. Homophobia kills, too.
— deray (@deray) January 8, 2018
I’ve stood in the streets fighting for people who don’t see me as a whole person. And I know that I continue to fight for people with whom I disagree. But I also know that we will never build a community of justice that’s rooted in ideas that kill people.
— deray (@deray) January 8, 2018
So, let us think about masculinity of men as more than the pathway(s) of the penis. And let us unpack and overcome the homophobia that continues to quietly harm so many.
Check your friends and family as they say and do homophobic things. And check-in on your friends.
— deray (@deray) January 8, 2018
@deray I used my “platform” to publicize an example of the less represented image of our Men and Boys and “The mainstream media” in the form of anti homophobia gets offended? You know that reinforces my original point bro.?
— THA GREAT (@NipseyHussle) January 8, 2018
1. You listed three qualities as equally negative — violent, gay, & abandoner — and as the opposite of strong.
2. What made you assume everyone in the picture was straight?
3. Are you saying that to be against homophobia is to succumb to “the mainstream media”? https://t.co/IQjXuuoyZB
— deray (@deray) January 8, 2018
1. I listed 3 quality’s OVER represented in the mainstream media’s narrative of what a Blac man is…point out the 1st lie?
— THA GREAT (@NipseyHussle) January 8, 2018
I’ve never thought that gay black men were *overrepresented* in the media. But the original point is that gay is not a bad thing, not synonymous with violent/abandoner and not the opposite of strong. https://t.co/kYNB3pxAXc
— deray (@deray) January 9, 2018
Terrence Henderson (bka Punch), the president of Top Dawg Entertainment — label home to Kendrick Lamar, SZA, and others — took to Twitter to defend Nipsey’s homophobia.
https://twitter.com/iamstillpunch/status/950539145033564161
https://twitter.com/iamstillpunch/status/950541887173148672
The one part? It’s like saying “Black people are great singers, athletes, dancers and slaves.” See how you can’t just ignore that one part?
His defense definitely isn’t a good look for himself or his TDE artists.
could of swore we learned about parallelism in elementary school.
so either Nipsey is slightly homophobic or dumber than a 5th grader.
my money is on both.
— “expensive” (@BLOWthisJAE_) January 9, 2018
Nipsey wrong for that. Why be homophobic? It’s not cool to be a homo sexual black man but it’s cool for black girls to be lesbians? Cuz he does rap about it. Spread love, not hate
— Rj (@ryan_synth) January 9, 2018
https://twitter.com/FilmManBran/status/950571876954361858
Nipsey has lost his fucking mind. Gay, black men are representing your bare minimum, heterosexual ass on the front lines EVERY GODDAMN DAY. It's fucking 2k18, we not taking any homophobic shit this year.
— Thick & Thumping Cuntresse (@Wicked_Womanist) January 9, 2018
Can’t even name a nipsey hustle song. Wouldn’t even recognize him if he stood next to me.
But he like a lot of other so called “woke” and “enlightened” men is out here spewing homophobic bullshit like it’s truth.
Girl, bye.
— Erin (@ErinMPeyton) January 9, 2018
Nipsey’s words definitely looked like he was homophobic (which he’s not). He’s talking about the larger scheme of things, which is society’s agenda to emasculate black men
— Petey Biscuits (@PeterPerfect09) January 9, 2018
all these guys and girls agreeing with nipsey hussle mad ignorant. and the funny part is the same ones will be up in arms when someone points out how homophobic and non-accepting the black community can be…
— Sonic Doom (@JoeyDoomsday) January 9, 2018
https://twitter.com/KarraUnloaded/status/950542915079757824
https://twitter.com/StWill__/status/950540018971480064
It’s one thing for an artist to misspeak, get educated, and re-evaluate their position. Nipsey seems to be doubling down on his homophobia and refuses to learn, therefore he’s cancelled as far as we’re concerned.
