LeBron James Apologizes For ‘Jewish Money’ Instagram Post
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/lebron-james-jewish-money_us_5c20f0d7e4b08aaf7a8b3d81
If social media posts were shot attempts, LeBron James just clanked one off the rim.
The Los Angeles Lakers star apologized Sunday for sharing a “getting that Jewish money” lyric from the rap song “ asmr ” by 21 Savage.
“We been getting that Jewish money / Everything is Kosher,” James typed onto his Instagram story entry.
“Entourage” producer Doug Ellin and others online took offense, informing the superstar that the words reinforced a harmful stereotype.
In his mea culpa, James said he thought the words were positive.
“Apologies, for sure, if I offended anyone,” James told ESPN on Sunday. “That’s not why I chose to share that lyric. I always [post lyrics]. That’s what I do. I ride in my car, I listen to great music, and that was the byproduct of it. So I actually thought it was a compliment, and obviously it wasn’t through the lens of a lot of people. My apologies. It definitely was not the intent, obviously, to hurt anybody.”
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mrdougellin
This is an anti Semitic stereotype used for centuries to foster hatred against Jews. @kingjames the nazis spread this nonsense everywhere #wordshavemeaning posting words to 44 million people has a ton of meaning.
danielone
@ichiisan please google Nazi stereotypes and propaganda about Jews and how they used these as a pretext to the Holocaust. Many of us Jews expect better from Lebron James but not from 21 Savage. That’s why it’s sad and upsetting. What you state as a “positive” is not viewed as such by many and resulting in 6 million jews being killed and many other humans too. #neveragain .
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Here are the lyrics to the literary masterpiece LeBron James was qouting
Intro]
Y'all know what's goin' on
21 Gang 'til I'm gone
4L Gang 'til I'm gone
If Young Metro don't trust you, I'm gon'-
[Verse 1]
Roll the window down, stick the Glock out (Stick the Glock out)
This chopper got a AMP, I'ma rock out (I'ma rock out)
When it's time for smoke, they gon' cop out (They gon' cop out)
This AK47 made in Moscow (Made in Moscow)
All these dead bodies got me seein' strange things (Straight up)
Both sides of the gun, I done dealt and felt the pain (On God)
Drive by? Nah, we the walk-up gang (21)
I come from the 6 where they chalk up lames (On God)
Slide in and out (Out)
Spend the night? I doubt (Doubt)
Gold grill mouth (Mouth)
I come from the South (South)
We was stealin' cars
You was inside the house (Pussy)
I know he gon' be a rat one day
Right now we call him a mouse (21)
[Chorus]
I got lots of stripes, all my niggas shyst
You can roll the dice, you might lose your life
Keep my Desert Eagle on me, he not nothin' nice
I just need one Glock, Nas need one mic (Lil' bitch)
[Verse 2]
I done did a lot in the streets and them facts (21)
PTSD like I came from Iraq (On God)
You made it from the gutter, then I'm tippin' my hat (I am)
Don't go big on me, you might get hit with this MAC (Brrah)
I don't need no holster, you get burned like toaster (21)
I don't drink no liquor, but I'm smokin' on mimosa (Yeah)
We been gettin' that Jewish money, everything is Kosher (On God)
Bought myself a 'Ventador and bought my bitch a Roadster (Straight up)
Drive my Lambo to the store, I'ma wave with my doors
I'm on Glenwood, not the Ave., nigga, the road (21)
Talkin' on the pillow, nigga, that shit for the hoes (Straight up)
I'd never snitch on my enemies or my bros (Never)
I'm so 21, dawg, I'm so SG (Yeah)
I'm so 4L Gang, I keep a Glock, not a XD (21)
Head so good, she not even white, I still call her Becky (Yeah, yeah)
Richard Mille cost so much I could push a button and see next week (Straight up)
.30 on the glizzy, got my pants dizzy (Pants dizzy)
Playin' 'round with Savage, you get shot in the kidney (Shot in the kidney)
So many drums, he gon' think a band hit him (Ha)
Chopper clapped his ass, he thought a hand hit him (Ha)
I do the BlocBoy JB on a brick (Skrrt, skrrt)
Make your crew do the Electric Slide with this stick (Straight up)
She don't get no new Chanel, she gon' throw a fit (Straight up)
I wanna buy that girl the world, the way she suck this dick (Yeah)
Fronted me some bags, I ran out the same night (Damn)
When I was in jail, on my momma, I ain't kite (Damn)
Niggas know I'm solid, I shoot and I fight (Straight up)
You just wear Adidas, but in real life, I got stripes (21)
[Chorus]
I got lots of stripes, all my niggas shyst
You can roll the dice, you might lose your life
Keep my Desert Eagle on me, he not nothin' nice
I just need one Glock, Nas need one mic
[Outro]
My brother down the road, they tried to give him life
He swear he so creative, turned a toothbrush to a knife
Savage got your wifey playin' with herself on Skype
She thought the AC was on, it was just my ice
We pull up ready to shoot (Brrrah)
Y'all ready to fight (Stupid)
Pull up, ready to kill (Yeah)
Y'all ready to die (Straight up)
Broke-ass nigga get killed ridin' a bike (Pussy)
Savage left his gun at home, nigga, yeah, right
Personally, I don't think LeBron James had any idea that those words repeated an antisemitic canard. The song's composer is another story. All the more reason why it's a mistake for the schools to not be teaching about The Holocaust and what led to it. As for rap generally, the only rap (and I can't call it music) I ever heard that I thought was good was in the movie "Hustle and Flow" - "It's hard being a pimp".
I like rap, at least rap that has some substance or intelligence to the lyrics. And, there is a lot of that. A lot of it is controversial, or would be in mixed company. Just this weekend, I was driving with my oldest son, and we were riding to one of my rap playlists. We rapped along for about an hour's ride. I can tell you that I would not have posted anything of it on social media.
I grew up with the N word as part of my vocabulary. Not because I had any racist design, but because my best friend was black, and I spent the bulk of my time at his house, around his family, and constantly hearing the word thrown around...for years. I used it, right along with everyone else, and no one batted an eye when I did. Hell, I can't count the times that I was called by the N word. I was also a fat little white kid, so I took a good ribbing about that fact as well, except by grandma, who loved on me because I was surely the most appreciative of her cooking. That's a different story though.
Regardless, the SI article linked above makes an attempt to excuse the offense b/c of James' childhood. It even opines that he didn't appreciate the offense. Very well, slap on the wrist, move along, the writer says. I can scarcely imagine I would be given the same justification, despite the fact that in my childhood, every sentence, out of every mouth I was around, contained the N word, even most directed at me. I can say without a doubt I didn't appreciate, then, what offense that term carried with it. Certainly, now that I'm grown, I can't rely on my experience to justify any continued use.
Run LeBron out of the NBA for this? Not a chance. I just wonder what the headline would be if Steven Adams shared himself rapping along and throwing the N word out there. It's not the PC that gets me, it's the hypocrisy that we often see. Kyler Murray took one one the chin, immediately after receiving the hiesman, for something he posted years ago. Kevin Hart? Same thing.
Maybe I'm just too out of tune with the whole idea of being PC, and I don't know when we should simply move on with a warning, as suggested here for LeBron, or we should be really pissed like many were with Murray's several year old tweet. Regardless, I'm still conflicted. Do I belt out the rap that I enjoy? Or, do I take all of it off of my playlist?