Chance the Rapper and director Spike Lee are still at odds over Lee’s last film Chi-Raq, which the rapper claims represents Chicago in a negative light.
Lee and Chance the Rapper have been in a tussle since the release of the movie, which tackles gun violence and race in the city. The film has faced controversy over its portrayal of women, gangs and Chicago culture.
According to Vulture, “Lee has questioned Chance’s family ties to the local government (Chance’s father works in the mayor’s office), and continued to do so during a contentious screening of the film at Northwestern University last week, where he reportedly called Chance a ‘straight-up fraud.’ ”
Chance decided to voice his dislike of the director via Twitter in a few glorious tweets:
Come on now This guy promoting this offensive unsuccessful flop of a movie … about the Southside…in fucking Evanston…
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) March 8, 2016
And then get mad when students at the screening challenge him on his sexist, and RACIST movie and he wanna point the finger at me
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) March 8, 2016
Boy. You are a lame. But more importantly a liar.
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) March 8, 2016
Now stop tweeking for I get to releasing audio of you begging me to be in that trash ass movie
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) March 8, 2016
Lee’s film received decent reviews, but the film was not a monetary success. Chi-Raq had a budget of $15 million and only made an estimated $1.5 million on 305 screens.
Amazon produced the film as one of its first attempts at getting into the movie business. The film is also streaming on Amazon, but there is very little data on how well the film is doing there.
The beef comes while Lee is promoting a new project that will focus on the #ConcernedStudent1950 movement out of the University of Missouri.
The Huffington Post reports that 2 Fists Up — a short film — will be part of Lee’s Spike Lee’s Lil’ Joints series. Last year, the director was at the university recording protests and interviewing students.
“It will include how Mizzou’s football team stood in solidarity with the campus organization Concerned Student 1950 to combat racial tensions on campus, which ultimately led to the university’s system president’s resignation,” according to the Huffington Post.
Mizzou student activist Kendrick Washington told The Maneater: “I think I can speak on the behalf of Concerned Student, but we are extremely appreciative of Spike’s presence — him wanting to hear our narrative is a great feeling and it’s an accomplishment.”
2 Fists Up explore racial tensions and micro-aggressions on a college campus and liberal space. The film will be available digitally May 31.
