UK Rap stars Akala and Professor Green have locked horns on Twitter due to Akala's views on Professor Green using the term "Hungry Apes" and using imagery portraying Black on Black violence in the Music video to the remix of Professor Greens track Jungle.
Here's what they had to say to one another on Twitter.
What do you think? Was Akala over reacting to Professor Green or was Professor Green being ignorant?
I'm a black man and yes this was an extreme over reaction. Akala seems like the kind of paranoid guy that looks for racism everywhere and tbh honest he kinda seems like he hates white people.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Akala hates white people. I just think he's chosen racial controversy as a way to promote himself. He appears to think that he is allowed to be racist cos of his color, & cos he can quote a few things from books, that obviously means his arguements are sound, not.
DeleteAkala, stop wasting your time with all this race rubbish. You might find it funny to imply people are racist cos of their skin color, & get them to say what a smart fella you are at the same time. But on a serious note, you are stirring up trouble, cos some wallies actually buy it to your racist garbage. I don't yet believe that you want to cause physical harm to people, but you need to realize that your thinly disguised racism could incite some serious racial tension. Do you really want blood on your hands?
his mother is white so I doubt he hates white people.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I respect Akala as an artist and as a person, he is over reaching.
still the smartest, most articulate (music and interviews) artist.
I don't think it's an over reaction it's true it's racist but people are so racist they find it normal
ReplyDeleteMaybe you've got a point about people thinking racism is normal. Akala is quite obviously racist, but he hardly ever gets pulled on it. You ain't pulled him on it, so you must be so racist that you think his racism is normal & ok. Change your racist ways please.
DeleteProf green makes a video about violence an there's only black faces in the video. If the theme was different that would not be the case, the jungle video glorifies a stereotype perpetuated by the media.
ReplyDeletethe stereotype's there for a reason, kid. what is with this huge chip in the shoulder of working class black people. you aren't american and you don't live in the projects
DeleteHave you actually watched the video?
DeleteIf Akala had made it, would the video bother you then?
professor green is a twat, using black peoples suffering to humour his audience
ReplyDeletejewish communist leon trotsky coined the term racist from racialism. The original meaning was that their are biological differences between races . The term " racist " has been been used as an attack on those who oppose multicultural policies that change the genetic make up of their nation . This history lesson may seem irrelevant but its important to understand the root of these NATURAL conflicts between BIOLOGICALLY DIFFERENT RACES
ReplyDeleteim half black(jamaican) and half arab(algreian) and i certainly think that akala is absaloutely correct becuase you people might find it something normal for pro green to call black people 'hungry apes' but actually the term has many explainations so definelty akala is actually reading between the lines and pro green you should stick to making tunes with white people only you over-rated crap artist!
ReplyDeleteYour a fucking idiot. You've missed the point entirely.
DeleteWhy tell us that your half this & half that? Do you, like Akala, believe that you can be as racist as you like because of the colour of your skin? That might work with some people, misguided souls. But with others, they see you both for what you are, hate stirring racists.
Deletecourse its racist!
ReplyDeletehe may have meant it metaphorically or without intent to discriminate
but its a "free" world you can say what you want!
how u interpret it is up to u!
I recommend they meet, discuss, the outcome should be a track
the feedback maybe the solution?
La Laert
Akala is right and those that do not find it offensive are just normalised into the racism idea. That is my opinion !
ReplyDeleteEminem is white and apart from his black girl track he has been respectful to the culture, so it is good that Akala is calling Professor Green on this, that will make him look more into how he portrays the image next time consciously or unconsciously.
Akala is spot on. Professor Green wasn't being racist or even trying to be racist - that's not really the point. The point is that for generations black people have been stereotyped in a certain way, through violence, associations to jungles, apes, etc. If you're making music that originated in black communities you really have to be aware of that and you have a responsibility to make sure your music does not reinforce these stereotypes, whether intentionally or not.
ReplyDeletehe is far from spot on why is it that if u have lived in an an area and you are black yourself it is ok to portray this image but beacause pro green is white and from the same place he is not aloud to shine any bad light on black culture purley because he is white all akalas interviews he says white man does this white man does that well then mate you have no right to make white people out to be racist and make us look bad for a so called academic you have very one sided arguments and if i want to be technical here you are on about the plight of the blackman blud ur not even black ur mixed and if we all decend from Africa and have different pigmentation cant the whole world claim reprisals for the slave trade
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with moodsman. White males can NEVER really understand the black experience in the UK. Whether or not they grew up on the same council estate with some black folk. Of course its possible they may have some understanding of it, but it really is only superficial. You will find that if this subject was handled by a black rapper of the same calibre it would have been done differently. And if not, he too would be open to justifiable criticism.
DeleteIf Akala's views about things were accurate, then we'd never hear them, cos the 'system' would never let his voice be heard.
ReplyDeleteIt appears he's only attacking Pro Green cos of the colour of his skin, many people would call that racist.
Akala seems to speak well & pick his words carefully. This don't mean he ain't pig ignorant. Sounding like you know what you're talking about ain't the same as actually knowing.
So is he genuine but misguided, or is he a straight forward racist?
At the end of the day there's only one race, the human race. Question is, in Akala's black & white world, where does he fit in? Cos he's neither.
Also, what will he do if it turns out that he decends from slaveowners?
The thing is Akala, whatever you're actually up to, your opinions might gain you attention, but they also cause division, & that ain't good.
The words racism & racist are meaningless, because there is only one race, the human race.
ReplyDeleteSkincolorism or colorism, appears to mean mistreating or elevating someone due to the color of their skin.
I guess that makes mistreating or elevating someone because of their features, featurism.
Hmm, is there no end to the isms?