Rappers call for Fox to fire Ingraham over Hussle segment
IN “FDT,” his hit song with rapper YG, Nipsey Hussle made his feelings clear about Donald Trump. In the music video for one of the most popular protest anthems of 2016, Hussle walked the streets of Crenshaw in South Los Angeles with throngs of friends, fans and neighbours fl ashing expletive-laden signs disparaging the then-Republican candidate.
One day after a memorial service for the 33-year- old rap star and community activist who was shot to death in that same part of the city, Fox News host Laura Ingraham zeroed in on that song to offer her own laughter- fi lled analysis of his legacy last week. Referring to Hussle ironically as “this dear artiste,” she showed a clip of the “FDT” video and focused on the song’s chorus, which disparages Trump with an expletive — “a very creative refrain,” she noted.
“So, the chorus it goes on and on. Is that related to the lowest unemployment ever basically for African Americans?” she asked on Friday.
Now, Snoop Dogg, T.I., The Game and other notable hip-hop and R& B artistes are calling on Fox to fi re Ingraham for her “disrespect” of the slain rapper. The artistes shared clips of
We are NO LONGER laying quiet while you continuously disrespect our brother, culture African Americans as a whole.
the Hussle segment on their Instagram accounts, drawing millions of views and mounting support for their campaign against Ingraham, who faces yet another public pushback for comments made on-air.
Los Angeles-based rapper The Game helped start the move with an Instagram post on Sunday, warning Fox News to either dismiss Ingraham, whom he referred to with an offensive word for women, “or you will lose millions of viewers one person at a time until it drastically effects your ratings.”
“We are NO LONGER laying quiet while you continuously disrespect our brother, culture African Americans as a whole,” The Game wrote on Sunday. As of early Tuesday, his video has been viewed nearly three million times. “I will use my platform & call on my peers to do the same. Nips passing nor his legacy is to be taken lightly as there will be consequences for any disrespect now or in the future as long as I have a voice!!!”
His post got the attention of Snoop Dogg, who spoke at Hussle’s memorial service. “I’m in,” Snoop Dogg replied. On Sunday, T. I. joined the chorus with his own Instagram post, writing that the segment featuring Ingraham and Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo was “Disgusting,” and calling them “vile despicable, poor excuses for people.” The clip he shared has nearly 1.5 million views.
“My expectations have already decreased so much for mankind in the past couple weeks that this hardly surprised me ... especially from @ foxnews,” T. I. wrote. He added, “Neither of you WILL EVER know or experience the level of love, appreciation and respect that Nip has ... EVEN IN DEATH!!! So let that sizzle in ya lil hateful, demonic spirits.”
R& B artiste Tank had a different idea in mind for getting back at Ingraham, sharing a petition for Fox to fi re her. As of early Tuesday morning, the petition on iPetitions has more than 33,000 signatures.
“Disrespecting the deceased is not news!” Tank wrote. “It’s just disrespect!”
Fox News did not return a request for comment on Monday. Ingraham didn’t acknowledge the criticism on her Monday night show. — WP-Bloomberg
The Game, rapper