A word to the wise: Never try to tell Lil Wayne that his black life might not matter. In an interview with ABC’s Nightline that aired Tuesday night, Wayne was asked a series of invasive questions about his drug use, his “vulgar†lyrics, and if he’s okay with his daughter being called a “bitch†— none of which appeared to bother him, until Nightline’s Linsey Davis asked him for his thoughts on Black Lives Matter. He starts by playing dumb, asking Davis to explain what BLM is before declaring that he doesn’t feel connected to the movement because, duh, his black life already matters. “I am a young black rich motherfucker. If that don’t let you know that America understand black motherfuckers matter these days, I don’t know what it is,†he tells her. “Don’t come at me with that dumb shit, ma’am. My life matter, especially to my bitches,†he then winks at the camera.
It’s similar to the sentiment Wayne professed on Fox Sports in September, arguing that his white fandom exemplifies that racism might be over, though he admitted then that it obviously isn’t. Still, Davis presses on, asking if Wayne feels connected to BLM, to which Wayne said he only feels connected to himself and the Bloods, pulling out a red gang-affiliated bandana. He then ends the interview abruptly, saying, “I ain’t no fuckin’ politician.†Watch the full interview above and a clip of the contentious moment below.
Update: Lil Wayne has apologized for his comments in a statement to TMZ, explaining that he reacted out of frustration over Davis’s questions about his daughter. “When the reporter began asking me questions about my daughter being labeled a bitch and a hoe, I got agitated. From there, there was no thought put into her questions and my responses,†he says. “Apologies to anyone who was offended.â€