On the day Nas’ untitled Def Jam album hit No. 1 on The Billboard 200, the rapper joined political groups Color of Change and Move On, along with fans and protesters, outside of the Fox News building in New York to protest the network’s portrayal of African-Americans.
Color of Change and Move On delivered several boxes containing a petition signed by more than 620,000 people to support their cause, although Fox News refused to accept them.
Nas briefly spoke to the crowd of nearly 100 people and urged them to “stop the racist smears on the Obamas and black Americans.” In his speech, he cited examples of remarks made by Fox reporters that he and supporters found to be racist, including a reference to Michelle Obama as Barack Obama’s “baby mama,” and a fist bump between the couple as a “terrorist fist jab.”
Color of Change director Andre Banks said the campaign began about a month ago as an e-mail to the group’s members. After hearing Nas’ Fox-themed song “Sly Fox” a couple of weeks ago, he wanted to contact the rapper in hopes to get his support. “(We said), ‘Let’s call up his people and see if we can make it happen,'” Banks said.
Some protesters’ signs read “Fox News: Your Source for Racist Smears” or “Fair and Balanced? Fairly Racist,” while others’ echoed lyrics from “Sly Fox,” like “Fox keeps feeding us toxins.”
Even though Nas said he supports Obama and his vision, he hasn’t officially endorse the candidate and claims no political party has approached him for further support.
“Fox News believes in all protesters exercising their right to free speech, including Nas, who has an album to promote,” a Fox News spokesperson said.
The rapper, and the boxes of signed petitions, will appear tonight on “The Colbert Report,” which airs at 11:30 p.m. ET on Comedy Central.
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