Lupe Fiasco has made it a point to discern a difference between Michael Jackson's alleged pedophilia and supporting his music. He broke it down in an Instagram diatribe that aired 18 hours ago, making use of an MJ headline highlighting the push to pull the singer's music from radio stations.
In Lupe's opinion, "every hero has a flaw," bolstered by allusions to the continued support of rapist filmmakers in the dominant culture, or the unrelenting support of drug dealers with a foothold in their communities. Lupe Fiasco does openly admit that Michael was (and is) a personal idol of worship, for him and many others like him.
"Championing Michael’s good doesn’t mean you also are championing Michael’s bad," Lupe Fiasco writes, at the crux of his rant. "Listening to his songs doesn’t mean you are supporting pedophilia or rape. But let’s call him to task, listen to the alleged victims, here all sides and learn the lessons that need to be learned."
Lupe followed that up with a lesson plan in conscious cultural consumption, but not before warning dysfunctional parents to get a better handle on their children. "STOP GIVING YOUR FUCKING KIDS TO WEIRDOS IN HOPES THAT THEY WILL BECOME STARS BY ASSOCIATION," he highlighted in all caps, so as to ensure active reading.
As of this writing, MJ's music is being pulled from radio rotation at an alarming rate. Stations in Canada and France were amongst the first to "cancel" the artist from their feeds, with networks in the United States, a little more reticent in their reproach. Hit us with your thoughts on the matter, does Lupe make a salient point?