Just two months after telling fans he felt “defeated,” Lil Wayne appears to have a more positive outlook on not just his life, but the state of race relations in the U.S. At least, that’s the sense we get from a recent Nightline interview with the New Orleans rapper, who seemed to both dismiss and be confounded by the Black Lives Matter movement.
That clip was from a segment that was three years in the making, which saw ABC’s Lindsay Davis sit down with the artist to discuss everything from misogynistic lyrical content to protests against police brutality. With artists like Killer Mike, Jay Z, and Swizz Beats speaking out against police violence, Davis thought to ask Lil Wayne if he supports Black Lives Matter. Though he recently described himself as defenseless (against his label, presumably), the New Orleans rapper scoffed at the idea that such a movement was necessary. He also seemed confused, asking “what is that,” before suggesting that his otherwise successful music career is proof that a black man can make it in America.
I am a young, black, rich motherfucker. If that don’t let you know that America understand black motherfuckers matter these days, I don’t know what it is. Don’t come at me with that dumb shit, ma’am. My life matter, especially to my bitches.
Lil Wayne went on to tell Davis that BLM doesn’t have a “damn thing to do with [him].” The artist stormed out of the interview shortly after saying he’s “no fucking politician.” If you’ll recall, Lil Wayne previously said he doesn’t think racism exists, despite ample evidence to the contrary. So, at least he’s consistent.
UPDATE: Lil Wayne has issued an apology to those who were offended by his statements about Black Lives Matter. The artist told TMZ (via Consequence Of Sound) that his dismissive remarks about the social-justice movement were unwittingly prompted by the ABC journalist’s questions about his daughter. Lil Wayne claims that “when the reporter began asking me questions about my daughter being labeled a bitch and a hoe, I got agitated. From there, there was no thought put into her questions and my responses.”