A video of a talented young Black performer busking on Bourbon Street in New Orleans is going viral, but not for the reasons you might think.
Recorded on a recent afternoon by Malik Zambezi, a Chicago-based firefighter and professional photographer, the brief clip showed the pint-sized drummer “standing on business” and checking a white tourist who called him a “b—h” in a shocking exchange.
Though Tony is just 6, he didn’t skip a beat when the stranger hurled the outrageous insult. The aspiring musician dismissed the man like a boss, pointing his drumsticks in the opposite direction and telling him to “Go! Move!”
The young drummer has officially charmed the internet.
The video has generated more than 100,000 views in 24 hours, and alongside the praise heaped on the boy, viewers are united in their fury. The anger is palpable in the comments on Instagram. As one put it, “Talking to a baby like that. Scum of the earth.” Another said, “That is a grown ass man that SHOULD know better.”
“I am appalled,” wrote a third, “Next question is, where is the adult responsible for this little boy?” followed by, “Next question SHOULD be where is the adult responsible for the GROWN ASS MAN….”
Though the child appeared alone, he was with his family of entertainers who had spread out on Bourbon Street, several feet apart, according to Zambezi, who provided more context in the comments. “The guy was mad because he paid the kid $5 (x2) to play the drums, but the kid didn’t play long enough to his liking,” he explained, “so that’s when he said (the b word, I’m disappointed).”
The terrible encounter with the stranger turned into an unforgettable moment for young Tony when Zambezi showed him how to use his professional camera and let him take a few snaps. “This brought tears to my eyes,” quipped a commenter.
According to Zambezi, he didn’t realize what the tourist had said until he went back to edit the film, and he regretted not stepping in at the time to defend Tony. But as one viewer said of the boy, “That smile he gave [the rude man] as he walked off😇💪🏾 ….nothing breaking his spirit.”
