After being charged for public profanity in Norfolk, Virginia last weekend [click to read], The Coup‘s Boots Riley has responded. Firstly, the rapper says that the accounts written by media thus far were inaccurate. According to his label, Epitaph Records’ report, the audience was enjoying themselves, and any displeasure stemmed from the authorities ceasing the performance, not the reported profanity.
Riley stated, “City officials claim that they are making the statement that profanity will not be
tolerated. Obviously, since no one has been
charged with this in 26 years, profanity is tolerated. The statement they are
making is that the culture and the people they feel I represent won’t be
tolerated. I was already off stage; the man they asked to leave the stage was
Trombone Shorty, another black man who looks nothing like me. This happened at
10:00PM, and it was far from a ‘family’ atmosphere, most of the audience was
intoxicated after drinking at the festival’s bar – The Missing Kidney. There
was also a VIP section where free alcohol was distributed by the keg. Anyone
who has been to a music festival on a Saturday night understands the scene. I
did not leave the park afterward, as was claimed by FestEvents, the organizers
of the Bayou Boogaloo Festival. I stayed and debated the validity of the charge
with police and festival promoters. It is clear that this is part of a larger
debate that has nothing to do with profanity, one that is being dealt with
nationwide. That debate is about racism, gentrification and the ownership of
public space.”
The emcee and activist also pointed to a newly developed high-rise in the community amidst a multi-million dollar city renovation, as a motive to his being charged. Boots also revealed that the song in question, titled “What The Fuck?”, was on his set list and something he has performed extensively recently.
HipHopDX will keep you updated of this as it goes further.
