In a recent interview with hip-hop journalist Elliott Wilson, Jay Z shared his views on George Zimmerman, calling him a “f**king mall cop.”
Zimmerman was charged with the second-degree murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. He plead not guilty, claiming self-defense, and on July 13, a Florida jury acquitted Zimmerman of all charges.
In the wake of the Zimmerman verdict, Jay Z and his wife Beyonce have been vocal in their support for Trayvon Martin and his family.
The couple attended a New York City rally last weekend with Rev. Al Sharpton and Trayvon’s mother, Sabrina Fulton, and during his concert at Yankee Stadium with Justin Timberlake, Jay Z and Timberlake dedicated the song “Forever Young” to Trayvon.
During his interview with Wilson, Jay Z talked about his reaction to the Zimmerman verdict.
I was really angry, I didn’t sleep for two days. I was really angry about it that the thing that we all knew that there was still a bit of racism in America, but for it to be so blatant. If you just ask the question, ask yourself the question, ‘Didn’t Trayvon have the right to stand his ground?’ He was being chased, he was being chased and fought back. You know, he may have won, that doesn’t mean he’s a criminal, he won. If you try to attack me and I defend myself, how can I be in the wrong? How is that right? This guy went to get some Skittles and go back and watch the All-Star game. He had plans.
“We all know it was wrong,” the rapper and sports agent continued. “It was wrong. [Zimmerman’s] not a professional. You’re not a professional to profile someone. Professionals are taught not to profile.”
“This guy’s a novice. This guy’s a f**king mall cop.”
Jay Z commented on President Obama’s speech last Friday, which addressed the George Zimmerman trial.
“Amazing, amazing, amazing, because it’s hard in politics to really just make a statement as a human. I felt he was very admirable because he made a statement as a father and as a black man and as someone who had compassion for the things that we go through because he’s been through them before.”
During the 21-minute interview, Jay Z also comments on how generations in America view race differently, as well as the current state of respect and competition within hip-hop.
Click here to watch the full interview.
Follow Carrie Healey on Twitter @CarrieHeals.