Kendrick Lamar has provoked a a furious back-and-forth on Twitter between fellow rappers after talking about the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson in an interview with Billboard.
“I wish somebody would look in our neighborhood knowing that it’s already a situation, mentally, where it’s fucked up,” Lamar told the magazine. “What happened to [Michael Brown] should’ve never happened. Never. But when we don’t have respect for ourselves, how do we expect them to respect us? It starts from within. Don’t start with just a rally, don’t start from looting – it starts from within.”
Within hours of publication, that prompted Azealia Banks to respond furiously.
"When we don't respect ourselves how can we expect them to respect us" dumbest shit I've ever heard a black man say.
— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) January 9, 2015
She followed that initial tweet with a series of follow-ups. “Lol do you know about the generational effects of poverty, racism and discrimination?” she wrote. “There are things in society that benefit a select few of us. fine.... But don’t put down the rest by saying they don’t respect themselves.” And then: “HOW DARE YOU open ur face to a white publication and tell them that we don’t respect ourselves.... Speak for your fucking self.”
Some time later she made another Tweet that appeared to make reference to Lamar’s remarks.
The black community will NEVER be able to "fix" itself so long as we're living within white means and by white devices.
— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) January 9, 2015
She was joined in her disapproval on Saturday by Kid Cudi, who tweeted: “Dear black artists, dont talk down on the black community like you are Gods gift to niggaz everywhere.” He added: “If you wanna help, inspire, uplift, don’t point the blame and talk down.”
That prompted Lupe Fiasco to leap to Lamar’s defence.
How about you stop shitting on the people who really cared about your well being when this biz was ripping you apart. Fake ass @KidCudi
— Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco) January 10, 2015
“I just find it absurd that a hypocritical backstabbing ass nigga like him is tryin 2 tell otha artists how 2 carry themselves,” Lupe Fiasco added.
His replies, inevitably, spurred Banks back into action.
What's a lupe fiasco? A spicy taco?
— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) January 11, 2015
