
In the past 48 hours, two African American men have lost their lives to a police officer’s smoking gun. The deaths of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, La., and Philando Castile in Minnesota have sparked commentary from thousands via social media who are seeking answers, offering comfort and expressing outrage.
Among the celebrity responses was Brooklyn rapper Joey Bada$$. In a lengthy Instagram post around 10 p.m. Wednesday night (July 6), the “Christ Conscious” rapper offers an interesting perspective.
The “Devastated” artist urged his followers to be careful in how they respond to the recent shootings and not to give the government the civil war he believes they want.
“It is for sure time that we as a people stand up for human right and rebel against the system unapologetically.” Joey says. “I just want everyone to be cautious about how they go about it because this is all a part of the government’s plan. They are literally begging for this to happen so they can kill us off faster using uprising and rebellion as the excuse.”
Joey goes on to say that gangs “need to do a better job at protecting our communities and not assisting in destroying them.” He also poses an important question: “who do we call when the police break the law??”