Adam22 is no stranger to controversy, especially when it comes to his coverage of – and general relationship with – hip-hop culture. His latest tweet definitely stirred that pot again, as he posted a video of him in an expensive car with a pregnant woman right in front of him, caressing her as she dances lightly on him. It seems to be promotion for a new song and music video. "I’m a real rapper now, I got a pregnant side chick and everything," the podcaster captioned the tweet, and his reply to himself sums up one part of the backlash he received: "Why are people calling this racist." A lot of folks weren't happy with this display.
Of course, a big chunk of negative replies were just making fun of the antics, whether for Adam22's age or for how ridiculous or desperate it looks. Others issued a more serious critique of what they perceive as cultural exploitation and stereotyping, playing off of the perception of rap artists today. This is especially true of media such as Adam's No Jumper, which talks just as much about extracurricular antics as the music.
Adam22's "Real Rapper" Video
However, Adam22 recently gave his take on Kendrick Lamar and SZA's new interview, commenting on how he perceived it as a piece of content. "Supporting Black media outlets, hip-hop media outlets.... Supporting real journalism, you let your label mate, basically, interview you," he said with a touch of sarcasm. "That interview had so little substance to it. So many words and so little thought-provoking sentiments... It's a softball interview." People ended up clowning the media personality for this take too, but it's not an uncommon one in the discourse these days. Check out reactions to this "real rapper" video down below.
Reactions
Meanwhile, Adam22 also claimed to have the inside scoop on Kanye West, alleging that the rapper quit nitrous in order to focus on his next album Bully. So Adam doesn't just talk about hip-hop as a media circus: he also engages with the art and its creators when he so desires. But it's not hard to see why some folks took this harshly, whether for legitimate criticisms or just annoyed disengagement. Let us know what you think down in the comments section below.