Over the last couple days, A$AP Rocky caught flack for an interview with TimeOut New York from last year that had comments from Rocky on the police killings in America and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Per usual, the mass media takes a snippet of an interview and blow it out of context, creating for reactionary commentary from the social world — and so is the case with Rocky’s situation.
In the interview, he was asked if he felt he was being forced to address the issue of violence in America. (This came after some leading and aggressive questioning from the journalist, including asking him if he condones violence after getting in a confrontation — not a fight — in London.)
They’re not forcing me to do shit. I’m just gonna stay black and die. Why, because I’m black? So every time something happens because I’m black I gotta stand up? What the fuck am I, Al Sharpton now? I’m A$AP Rocky. I did not sign up to be no political activist. I wanna talk about my motherfuckin’ lean, my best friend dying, the girls that come in and out of my life, the jiggy fashion that I wear, my new inspirations in drugs! I don’t wanna talk about no fucking Ferguson and shit because I don’t live over there! I live in fucking Soho and Beverly Hills. I can’t relate. I’m in the studio; I’m in these fashion studios; I’m in these bitches’ drawers. I’m not doing anything outside of that. That’s my life.
So in order to clear up some misinterpretation, Rocky joined The Breakfast Club to make sure people understand he doesn’t not support the Black Lives Matter movement. He said, simply, “why put me on the pedestal [for political commentary], especially when I’m not asking for that?”
Rocky admits there’s times to speak up, though, and he said the reaction is partially his fault. (He mentioned it’s mix between him misspeaking out of passion and the public misinterpreting that.)
Watch the full interview, where they also talk about, his preference in women, being on an updated version of Black Eyed Peas’ “Where Is The Love” and more, below.
