Maino says that Ja Morant's interest in hip-hop and appreciation for NBA YoungBoy has "nothing to do" with his recent controversial behavior. The NBA recently suspended the Memphis Grizzlies star for flashing a gun on Instagram Live for the second time in recent months. In the viral clip, an NBA YoungBoy song plays in the background as Morant sits in a car with friends.
“It don’t have nothing to do with NBA YoungBoy, it don’t have nothing to do with rap music,” Maino told TMZ. “All of us — as men, as adults — we have responsibilities and decisions to make. That’s like when keeping it real goes all the way wrong. How real do you need to keep it?"
Ja Morant At An Atlanta Nightclub
He continued: “We know you like the music, you come from a culture. But homie, truth be told, you got way more opportunity than the average person. Don’t throw the opportunity away trying to keep up with what’s going on.”
From there, he added that Morant might have to learn to change his behavior "the hard way." “It’s sad but sometimes we gotta learn the hard way,” he said. “What else can you say? You already was in this situation. I’m the last person to try to condemn somebody for making mistakes because I’ve made many, but c’mon, it’s not even about being a role model…you have the opportunity to change lives.” He also advised Morant to get more people who care about his wellbeing in his circle.
Maino On Ja Morant
Maino isn't the only rapper to recently speak on Ja Morant. Lil Wayne also explained his behavior during an interview on the All The Smoke podcast. "He comes from a town of like 3,000 people," Wayne said. "What y'all expect? Y'all gave him $200 million. I just said a town with 3,000 people. You expect him to be responsible? Nah, we're tripping then."
[Via]