We chat to @IceCube about his upcoming @SydOperaHouse debut, the power of ‘Bye, Felicia’, rappers inviting fans onstage, the NFL’s new national anthem policy and why he uses his platform to speak out. #TheProjectTV pic.twitter.com/JLkpc4Mycg
— The Project (@theprojecttv) May 24, 2018
After several hip-hop stars gave their opinions on white fans using the n-word, Ice Cube is sharing his thoughts and they’re pretty blunt.
Controversy erupted when Kendrick Lamar invited a white fan named Delany on stage during his set at Hangout Music Fest Sunday, May 20. The eager fan blatantly dropped the n-word several times while rapping “M.A.A.D. City,” prompting boos from the crowd. Although Lamar stopped her, the damage had already been done.
“It is like, don’t invite people on your stage in you don’t want them singing your songs,” Cube tells Australia’s “The Project” Thursday, May 24 at the 3:02 mark. “I think it could have been avoided if the fans stay in their seat, the artists — you stay on the stage and do your job. We didn’t pay to see nobody else sing anyway.”
Cube’s statements stand in contrast to what T.I. and Vince Staples said about the usage.
Tip said on Instagram that he was torn about the word’s use, saying it’s “a tough spot for both parties.” Meanwhile, Staples seemed completely indifferent. Talib Kweli, on the other hand, tweeted that his “white fans ain’t dumb enough to say n—- around me.”
Cube has taken a stand over white people using the n-word before — even outside of hip hop. Last June, Cube vowed to confront comedian and talk show host Bill Maher over his use of the N-word in a joke.
“A word is a weapon or a tool, and that word has been used as a weapon by white people,” Cube said. “That’s our word now and you can’t have it back.”
