Trina issues apology for comparing protestors to animals

The Miami-based rapper is trying to walk back controversial comments she made on her radio show.

Jun 4, 2020

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24 hours after she was canceled by Black Twitter for referring to protestors as “animals” rapper Trina has issued an apology – of sorts. But some are saying it’s too little, too late.

“They need to make the curfew at 6 p.m.,” Trina said while speaking with longtime collaborator Trick Daddy on 99 Jamz Radio, opining that a 9 p.m. curfew was still too late. “Keep everybody off the street, these animals off the streets, that are running around in Miami-Dade County acting like they have escaped from a zoo. Lock them up at 5 p.m. so the streets can be nice and clean, that’s how I feel.”

In the days following her statement, the 46-year-old music vet seemed to double down on her statements, directly clapping back at fans and influencers who criticized her problematic stance.

One part of her rant that struck people most was when she told listeners that she wasn’t worried about being pulled over by police because her license and registration were in order.

But now she’s taken to the airwaves again to do an about-face, explaining Thursday, “Me, in my Trina’s world, I’m automatically speaking for Black people. I am the Black people. I am Black people. That’s who I’m speaking for and I’m not going to say Black people are animals. But I didn’t say that, ‘Hey, my Black people or all of my people.’ I’m not talking to you. Not the protesters that are trying to make change.”

Trina’s ‘apology’ sounded more like a ramble to listeners and didn’t include a clear “I’m sorry” or explanation for her license and registration comments.

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“And this is why, the day after, when I spoke to the commissioner, I said to Trick, well, I learned a lot more about what’s really happening… Because I’m trying to understand what’s the solution,” she continued. “What is the answer to everything that’s happening and it’s more than just in the streets or people doing whatever. It’s the commissioners, it’s the governors, the mayors, it’s the chief of police. I had no idea of that so now I’m understanding that. And these are the people that has to protect the cities. So now these are the people you want to talk to, you want answers from. You want change.”

“That’s just what I was speaking from. Not a store, not nobody’s fancy car. None of that. I don’t care about that. I’m just speaking from where I felt…things that I saw.

I’m not calling nobody’s color or anything,” she concluded. “The gap was, I didn’t say Black people, my people. And I would never say that or call Black people animals. Or any name. I am a Black person. I must be an animal. I must be the same person. I mean, that’s not who I am.”

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