Lil Baby Talks Being Victim Of Police Brutality, Says Black People Can Be Racist

BY Erika Marie 4.8K Views
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Lil Baby, Racism, Rolling Stone
Lil Baby landed the cover of "Rolling Stone" magazine's August 2020 issue and discussed police brutality,

He wants to use the experiences he went through pre-rap life to help raise awareness, and that's exactly what Lil Baby has been doing, especially through this season of protests. The Atlanta rapper once spent two years behind bars in connection to a drug charge, and while fame and fortune have removed him from his life on the streets, Lil Baby is using his platform to raise awareness and he's using his experiences with racism and police brutality as a launching pad.

In a recent cover story interview with Rolling Stone for their August issue, Lil Baby discussed his run-ins with police. "I’ve been a victim of police brutality. I’ve been in prison where white officers control you," the rapper said. "I’ve been in a court system where White judges give you a different time than they would give someone White. There have been times I had a physical altercation with an officer, and he then grabbed me and took me to a room where there’s no camera. We have a physical altercation and left me in a room for about an hour. I’m in there yelling and screaming. I’m so accustomed to it, we don’t even make it no big deal.”

Lil Baby recently shared his single "The Bigger Picture" inspired by the recent protests sparked by the death of George Floyd. “I just rap about my life — all my songs are basically about me. It was at a point where I felt I needed to say something. Now, this sh*t counts. You gon’ hear me," he added. "Where we come from, we’ve got so accustomed to something going wrong. Right? Ain’t nothing we gon’ be able to do about it. I’m from Atlanta, where they had a unit of police that got dismantled for police brutality. The Red Dogs got dismantled for using way too much force. . . . That sh*t an everyday thing where I’m from.”

A controversial subject in the wake of conversations about racism is whether or not Black people can be racist. According to Lil Baby, the answer is yes. "Black people are racist too," said the rapper. "To me, a racist is someone who treats a different race than theirs a different way than they would treat theirs. I feel like if you’re a Black person and you treat all Black people one way and all White people one way, you’re racist. I’m not a racist, so I give a White person a chance to talk and actually we get into it before I can say I don’t like you or not. And I feel the same way about a Black person. You ain’t gon’ be my buddy just ’cause you’re Black. Just straight up.”

Do you agree with Lil Baby?

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About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.