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‘Do You Know Who I Am?: White New York Man Harasses Black Street Performer and Gets Instant Karma, Viral Video Shows

By | Published on April 25, 2026 | Updated on April 25, 2026 11:19 AM EDT
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The internet is applauding the New York City Police Department after officers arrested a man harassing a young street performer.

The video, originally posted by King Kyle Lee, shows an interaction between a short man in black and the teenage street performer playing the bucket drums.

Man gets instant karma after harassing young street performer
Man gets instant karma after harassing young street performer (Photo: @kingkylelee/Instagram)

It’s unclear if Lee was the one filming.

At one point, the shorter man throws his coat over a hat on the ground, which contains cash.

“Why are you f—king with his money?” the person recording the video asks the man in black.

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“Why, ’cause I’m white?” the man replied.

“That don’t got nothin to do with that.”

The video then cuts to several police officers surrounding the man and the street performer. At one point, the street performer becomes upset by something the man said.

“Do you know who I am? Me and you?”

The street performer motioned to the officer that he was not going to escalate the situation, but he stood up, causing the other man to cower and fall backward. It turned out the performer was at least a foot taller than him.

In the video, officers walk over and take the man into custody as he briefly tries to resist arrest.

“That’s God helping me,” the teenager proclaimed as officers put handcuffs on the other man.

The internet applauded how the street performer and police handled the interaction.

“I love how he trips after realizing how tall the homie is,” commented @ganjahsoul420 on Lee’s post. “If you can’t handle street performers then don’t go to NYC,” @themuddyheathen added.

“Not him acting like that at 4’9”,” @camelliagagepoultry said, commenting on the man’s height.

“Cops saved a life…for once,” @lumpy_23wa wrote.

The Atlanta Black Star reached out to the NYPD for a statement. We have not heard back.

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