Nipsey Hussle is facing backlash for writing “no homo sexual” in his recent Instagram caption.
The California rapper posted a photo of a large group of formally dressed boys with the caption: “Demonstration speaks louder than Conversation. They gone feed us every image of our men and boys but this one. No hyper violent…No homo sexual…No abandoners….JUS STRONG BLAC MEN AND YOUNG Men. RESPECT TO MY BIG HOMIE @bigu1 for Leading with love and intelligence. GOD IS WITH US WHO CAN GO AGAINST US” on Monday (Jan. 8), and the controversy ensued almost immediately.
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?Nipsey later defended himself on Twitter, and explained he intended for his caption to list three “qualities” that are “over-represented” in the “mainstream media’s narrative of what a black man is.” He also responded to claims calling him homophobic, tweeting “I have no opinion about what a person’s sexual preference is that’s they GOD GIVEN right and I’m not God” and “I don’t look down on gay people I love all Gods children foreal” in separate messages.
However, many continued to speak about the problematic caption, including political activist and educator, Deray McKesson, who debated directly with Nipsey on Twitter about the matter. McKesson addressed how listing “hyper violent,” “homo sexual” and “abandoners” in the caption implies a negative connotation for all three.
1. You listed three qualities as equally negative — violent, gay, & abandoner — and as the opposite of strong.
2. What made you assume everyone in the picture was straight?
3. Are you saying that to be against homophobia is to succumb to “the mainstream media”? https://t.co/IQjXuuoyZB
— deray (@deray) January 8, 2018
Regardless of Nipsey’s intent behind the caption, the words truly upset some fans and figures in the hip-hop community.