Although Jussie Smollett has come forward to clear up confusion surrounding his racially charged attack last week, some in the hip-hop community – particularly Joe Budden – still aren’t buying his story.
According to Hot New Hip Hop, this week the outspoken podcast host and his crew at State Of The Culture unpacked the details of the hate crime and touched on why some people refuse to believe it even happened.
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First, Budden starts off by giving an overview of what we know so far, stating the Empire actor, “was allegedly brutally attacked recently in Chicago by ‘MAGA terrorists.’ They broke his ribs, they put a noose about his neck, they poured bleach on him and called him derogatory names. The FBI is on the case now but it has confirmed that a letter was previously sent to a FOX studio that contained threatening language and a powdery substance said to be Tylenol.”
While all those present acknowledged a noticeable uptick in hate crimes over recent years, Budden’s skepticism remained steadfast as he opined that he found it hard to believe any Black man would keep a noose around his neck 45-minutes after being let go by his assailants. He also mocked the letter allegedly sent to FOX saying it looked “like some bulls**t I saw in Austin Powers.”
While the Love & Hip Hop star does concede that the attack probably happened, some of the details still seem too sensational to be true.
“Famous rich people, when bad things happen and they want to cover the story” Joe stated while expressing his distrust for Hollywood in general. “You cover the story to protect your image, your likeness and your career.”
Budden clarifies that his biggest concern is that this story is being used to manipulate the emotions of a community that’s already on edge. Adding, “I’m waiting for footage. Just show me footage and I’ll shut the f**k up.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQCIbqFH-Gg