Kendrick Lamar speaks in response to Fox News’ claims on racism and hip-hop • News • DIY Magazine

Kendrick Lamar has spoken out about his performance at last weekend’s BET Awards, and hit back at the criticism that the performance drew from Fox News presenter Geraldo Rivera.

The rapper performed his track ‘Alright’ at the awards, while standing on top of a vandalised police vehicle. Rivera saw the performance as problematic, saying that it gave “exactly the wrong message”. He then made the incendiary claim that “hip-hop has done more damage to young African Americans than racism in recent years.”

Speaking to TMZ Live, Kendrick has voiced his response to the Fox News anchor saying, “how can you take a song that’s about hope and turn it into hatred? The problem is not hip-hop, the problem is our reality.”

Interviewers asked Lamar whether the symbolism of him stood on a police car supported Rivera’s earlier claims. He responded, “the problem isn’t me standing on the cop car. I think it’s really an attempt… It’s deluding the real problem which is the senseless act of killing these young boys out here.”

Kendrick went on to say, “This is us expressing ourselves… I want to express myself in a positive light, the same way other artists are doing. Not going out in the streets, go in the booth and talking about the situation and hoping these kids can find some type of influence on it in a positive manner. Coming from these streets and coming from these neighbourhoods, we’re taking our talents and putting them inside the studio.”

Watch the interview below.

Tags: News, Kendrick Lamar