Talib Kweli called out the black metal band Taake again, as well as the Norway venue Rockefeller Music Hall that booked them. The Brooklyn rapper was scheduled to play at the concert hall on Monday, Nov. 19, but canceled once he learned Taake was booked for a future show.
For years now, Taake has been accused of being a Nazi band, and earlier this year Kweli had one of their Kansas City shows canceled after he learned they were playing there. Other U.S. venues then followed suit, and the band canceled all of their American tour dates afterwards.
“Seems like [Rockefeller] values Nazi bands over me, so yeah, it’s looking like it’s cancelled,” tweeted Kweli. “What you can do is ask the people at Rockerfeller Oslo why they would rather invite Nazis than Black artists into their venue. It’s a bad look for the city.”
Afterward, there were some fans that supported Kweli’s decision to cancel the show, but others came down on him and said he should’ve stuck it out.
“Taake is a bad look indeed, but so is canceling,” one fan wrote. “I mean its not Rockefeller that takes a fall here, it’s your Norwegian fans that are getting punished for something they have nothing to do with.”
But Kwa shot back and doubled down on his position that Taake is a Nazi band, even though lead member Hoest denied it — both in the past and in a recent statement. Eleven years ago, Hoest wore a Swastika on his chest while he performed, and the band has also been accused of spewing anti-Muslim lyrics.
“Rockerfeller is inviting Nazis in their home,” wrote the rapper after some fans started to complain. “If you invite Nazis in your home you support Nazis. I don’t go to places that support Nazis and f— you for demanding I do.”
Then another person said it was arrogant for Kweli to come to Norway and criticize Taake and the local black metal scene, which the rapper responded to.
“Seriously, you can’t come to our country and act like a d–k towards our music culture,” someone wrote. “If you read about the music history in Norway you’d know that black metal is a really big part of our culture.”
“Taake is a Nazi band,” Kweli wrote back. “So you’re saying Nazi bands represent your musical culture? Word? Well, then f— your musical culture.”
At this time, Rockerfeller Oslo hasn’t released a statement.
