Hip Hop artists including Coi Leray, Pusha T and Russ have reacted to the release of footage of Tyre Nichols’ brutal death in Memphis with anger and calls for justice.
The video of Nichols’ arrest and subsequent assault at the hands of Memphis Police officers was released around 7:00 p.m. EST on Friday (January 27), nearly three weeks after the incident occurred on January 7. According to Sky News, the video is an hour-long compilation of four clips captured by police bodycams and CCTV cameras.
The footage captures a first altercation, during which a police officer drags the 29-year-old out of his car, cursing at him and threatening bodily harm as the man asks why he is being detained and comments on the aggressive manner in which he is being handled.
Moments after he’s wrestled to the ground, then Tyre Nichols briefly breaks free before being tased and repeatedly kicked, punched and struck with batons. The footage also shows Memphis PD officers pepper spraying the victim and punching him in the face.
Tyre Nichols died from his injuries three days after the attack.
In the hours ahead of the release of the footage, Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis issued a statement urging the public to remain calm. “I expect you to feel what the Nichols family feels,” she said. “I expect you to feel outrage in the disregard of basic human rights.”
The Hip Hop community and others have reacted just as Davis expected, with Tennessee native Young Buck reposting a clip of his song “Riot,” which he recorded in response to the 2016 deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. The two men were killed during traffic stops in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Minneapolis, Minnesota, respectively.
The clip opens with audio of a 2Pac interview, then finds Buck threatening to take matters into his own hands: “I can kill a cop with this Glock if I’m blinded/ You ain’t got no heart mother fucker better find it/ Look how they just killed Alton, then rewind it/ We are not on that peace shit, my n-ggas wilding.”
Following the release of the footage, Pusha T took to Instagram with a post that read “#TyreNichols didn’t deserve this… [broken heart emoji].” In the caption, he called out the five officers charged with the man’s murder, writing: “Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Justin Smith, Desmond Mills, You have failed our people…”
Royce Da 5’9″ also focused his response to the footage on the MPD officers, who have all been fired and charged with second-degree murder and other charges related to Nichols’ death. The Detroit rapper shared the officers’ department headshots, with a caption that read: “Look up Anthony Johnson circa 1651 … First Black man who was a slave that got free and then, owned slaves… Interesting read…”
On Twitter, Coi Leray called for “JUSTICE FOR TYRE NICHOLS,” while Russ spoke out about the violent nature of the footage. “That footage is sickening smh rip tyre nichols [prayer hands emojis],” he tweeted, “despicable completely unnecessary behavior on the cops part.”
While calls came from many across social media not to repost the footage, rapper turned activist Mysonne included a portion of the video in an Instagram post, expressing his anger and outrage in a caption that highlighted the systemic issues that led to the violent incident.
“#CowardCulture,” Mysonne started. “These officers are a product of a system that’s been taught that black life has no value! These cowards would never harm a white man who spit on them and threaten to kill them but they executed a harmless young black man because they thought they could !!”
He continued: “The blue uniform and the structural racism behind it is the problem!! We Need Something Different!! I’m outraged , I’m hurt , I’m Angry but I’m also ready to Make this shit change!! Rest In Power Tyre Nichols you were murdered for nothing by Cowards!! #BoycottBlackMurder .. only a coward could enjoy something like this!!”
In one of two IG posts resharing the clips of Tyre Nichols’ deadly encounter with Memphis Police, Funk Flex turned his anger towards Black Lives Matter activists demanding a response. “WHEN THE OFFICERS ARE NOT WHITE EVERYONE MOVES ON???,” the Hot 97 personality wrote. “REALLY TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THE WAY THESE BLACK OFFICERS ARE BEATING THIS BLACK YOUNG MAN TO DEATH…
“REALLY WATCH IT! (BEATEN WHILE HAND CUFFED BY 5 OFFICERS?????),” Flex continued. “FEW YARDS AWAY FROM HIS HOME… AS HE YELLED FIR HIS MOM… AND HES A FATHER @blklivesmatter (BLACK LIVES MATTER) Y’all BUSY SPENDING THAT STOLEN MONEY???? YALL AVAILABLE OR NAH???? YALL SEEN THESE OR FUCKING NO????? WHERE IS THE PROTEST???????”
Both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have issued separate statements in response to the violent footage.
“My heart goes out to Tyre Nichols’ family and to Americans in Memphis and across the country who are grieving this tremendously painful loss,” the President wrote in a tweet, with a full statement attached. “There are no words to describe the heartbreak and grief of losing a beloved child and young father.”
Vice President Harris echoed those sentiments, tweeting: “Tyre Nichols should have made it home to his family. Yet tonight, once again, America mourns a life brutally cut short at the hands of those sworn to protect and serve. I join President Biden in his call for accountability and transparency.”
Following Chief Davis’ statement, Fox News reported that businesses in Memphis had begun preparing for potentially volatile protests in the wake of the footage by boarding up store fronts across the city’s downtown areas.
Seemingly in response to the report, which was picked up by other outlets, Lecrae shared a portion of the conversation his family had about the incident. “My daughter asked…”is the marching or protesting going to change anything?’ #TyreNichols,” the Reach Records founder wrote.
According to the Associated Press, on Thursday (January 26) the five officers involved in Tyre Nichols death were each charged with aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression in addition to the second-degree murder charges.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy explained the kidnapping charges by stating that, “If it was a legal detention to begin with, it certainly became illegal at a certain point and was an unlawful detention.”
Tyre Nichols’ stepfather Rodney Wells told AP that while the family had initially hoped for first-degree murder charges, he and his wife RowVaughn Wells, Nichols’ mother, were “fine with” the District Attorney’s decision to reduce the murder charge while addressing the officers’ additional crimes.
Read on for additional reactions to the Tyre Nichols case from the Hip Hop world.
Funny thing is.. all five cops who are getting charged for this guy’s death.. they are all black. Every single one of them. So is the victim. But let’s still riot in every state because muh raycism!
Don’t worry the jews will use this incident to incite hatred for whitey all the same. Media is owned by jews, so are like every fuckin NGO, our politicians too, big tech, banking & finance, hollywood, music and entertainment industry, nfl, nba, nhl, you name it.That’s why you see this hatred against whitey, taking the knee, pushing the gay agenda etc all over. Jews are also behind non-white mass immigration, it’s funny because their precious Israel (fake state established on stolen palestinian land) has very strict immigration laws and it’s very racist, non-jews are second class citizens there and they are very open about it. They bulldoze palestinian families homes just so that Shlomo from New York can move there, into the “holy land”. In their talmud book it says that gentiles (non-jews), compared to jews, are nothing more than soulless cattle, who only exist to serve the jew. They are the biggest racists on the planet, yet they go around blaming white people for everything bad.
Holy who wrote this? David Duke? I’m pretty sure people would be outraged if a white guy was beat to death by the cops and it was on camera. The problem is you never see that happen. The same with lynchings. I don’t ever remember seeing white people hung from a tree as well. I don’t see how white people get blamed for everything bad. Maybe don’t take everything as against your race. That seems childish and maybe be a little open to the fact that maybe white people have done some atrocious things but it doesn’t mean all white people are bad.
ok boomer. go send your son to die in iraq/syria/afghanistan etc for Israel, remember they are the chosen people and they need white people to die in their wars (also they need your shekels, goy).
Jews ran the transatlantic slave trade. It was also jewish owned plantations were slaves worked. The slaveships were owned by jewish merchants. Slave traders were jewish. The whole concept of slavery in the first place, fits their teachings of the talmud where it says other races are to serve them. Here’s what even Wikipedia admits about a certain US senator and a Cabinet officer of the Confederate States called (((Judah P. Benjamin))).. “was the first Jew to hold a Cabinet position in North America and the first to be elected to the United States Senate who had not renounced his faith.”.. “Benjamin’s view that slavery should continue was based in his belief that citizens had a right to their property as guaranteed by the Constitution. As Butler put it, “he could no more see that it was right for Northern people to rob him of his slave than it would be for him to connive at horse stealing”
Nobody cares about the dude who was shot by swat, who had his hands up, and no weapons. Luckily he survived, but it’s really goes to show the loudest people ONLY care when it’s a black victim. They don’t care about any other wrongful shootings that aren’t defensive. Hell, they don’t even care about the constant murders and violence occurring in our black cities daily. It’s a big joke used to stoke racial tension, and to make people hate eachother.
Right on the nose buddy. These morons are lining up online to be divided and stoke separation.
Its always the jews behind this division too, they have their anti-white agenda,as we all can see just by following mainstream media (that jews control too)
Does anyone deserve to die like that. Part of the problem oh here we go what problem sooner or later people will be exposed for who they really are.
Was that in English? Seriously. Do you thing your post made any sense?
Well i don’t know how good your english is but go fuck your mother.
Look man, you will NEVER win that battle in the streets with all them against you. You ain’t got an army. You gotta fight it in court and sue the department for everything you could get. Or fight em take the whoopin and hopefully you don’t run across these boys who will kill ya ass. Unless you willin to go out blazin then take the pride hit and fight another day
Also one hundred percent on point. The media has idiots thinking the cops will now somehow lose. Dead men don’t cash checks.
The fact you call Coi Leray “Hip-Hop” is all you need to know about this site.
Whaaat? How can you not marvel at the level of genius and awesomeness of her talent and lyrics on tracks like “blick blick”?
“I can kill a cop with this Glock if I’m blinded—/—
You ain’t got no heart mother fucker better find it—/—
Look how they just killed Alton, then rewind it—/—
We are not on that peace shit, my n-ggas wilding.”
hopefully the “protests” go nationwide. i do need a new tv.
just to add, if they were white, the headline would say “WHITE COPS.” you know im right.
Watching the footage made my stomach turn man. I don’t care what your politics are or what race the police or victim was, that was still a human being getting abused and beaten to death over nothing.
Saying you don’t care about politics or race shows that it’s obviously an issue here. Maybe just don’t say anything. People’s blind idiotic protesting and calling to defund the cops created this. Not addressing that the murderers and victim were all black is disingenuous and disrespectful to this tragedy.
What a way to completely take a comment out of context. Seeing as you’re too full of yourself to actually comprehend the point I’ll spell it out in simple terms for you… That’s a human being getting murdered regardless of what your views are. I’m amazed I had to reiterate such a simple point, you’re an utter bonehead.
Shut up with the ignorant defund the police argument. The right makes that up. Nobody has defunded the police. Maybe quit going along with every story Nazis put out to further their agenda. Tons of ignorance on this site.
Hey Shlomo, how’s Tel Aviv? Does Hasbara pay you in shekels or dollars for your pro jewish propaganda that you shit out of your keyboard?
Fuck the police as u can see it doesn’t matter black or white they do the same, fuck em, they fuck boys that got picked on in school or NBA,NFL,MLB, flops who couldn’t make it, take all that aggression out on people, and yall kno I’m right, shit I’m in Gainesville FL, believe I know racism, hell rosewood 20 mins down the road, fuck the police
Chill out white guy. These are 5 retarded j dividi-las who were only hired in the first place because idiot politicians defunded cops at the behest of mongoloide like yourself. Instead of doubling pay and training and making it a worthwhile career that few can obtain, you now have janitors with guns doing this kind of shit. Here the race card won’t work so it’s the cops in general. Not your mouth breathing, ignorant ass being a sheep and following narratives designed to keep our prisons full of people of color. Try thinking for yourself for once. It will hurt at first. Reality always does.
Now all of a sudden this isn’t the firestorm it would be if the cops weren’t black. If we’re making everything about race, we should look closer at how this happened and why. One would expect young black men raised in a part of this country famous for its historic prejudice and bigotry to be a neutral party when justice is concerned. This is just bizarre. EVERYONE knows they’re being filmed all day everywhere they go. Especially the police. They have cameras on them for fucks sake. You defund the cops, and the only people willing to do the job are idiots and even bigger weirdos. Then this turns into virtue signaling. But one of these celebs with 300K cars and 80K watches is going to send this man’s family 20-30K to help out. They will promote murder and drug dealing in their music though, to other black men. These people all need to STFU and break off some money in the low. Fucking ridiculous hypocrites already. I can’t wait to hear T.I.’s idiotic take on this.
And all these white dudes on here love hiphop until race involved ever trust anyone white
this is what the black community promotes bet all of those officers listened to trap music and claim to believe in jesus all their women have weaves or wigs on like they are ashamed of what grows out their own head. they are raised up in that culture. the hate black folks have for each other means others don’t want to take a chance on us when we need help. so this is the ultimate damage this music causes although of course it’s deeper than rap
One black man gets beaten to death by five black cops and it’s cause of music? Americans are fucking stupid.
you’re the stupid one letting music rot out your inside to the point you have no brain to understand simple facts. listening to subhuman degeneracy leads people to act like subhuman degenerates. that you dispute this shows your low nature and idiotic tendencies
If the victim was white there would be no media outrage. Killing evil white people is all “kosher” according to our small hat wearing world controllers!
shut the fuck up – break a bat over your back if I see you. crying over white people on this thread go back to molesting your son it’s sunday morning
why don’t you go back to selling drugs to your black brothers and sisters and kids? shooting dice with Jamal and Tyrone on the block while smoking blunts and drinking 40 oz. Or maybe go pull a drive by? if you hit some four year old black kid, don’t worry the useful idiots at BLM will still blame white people for it, as everyone knows black people can do nothing wrong ever 🙂
who are you talking to? looks like you are talking to a TV screen. these are the bottom feeders that rap music empowers. all our enemies love rap music and that’s the biggest issue of all. it’s rap that’s the problem because it created a situation where we are just targets even our own target us so for others it’s just sunday fun to be entertained by degeneracy murder and tragedy. all fun for those with hearts of tin
this is going to change a lot of things in the culture. no matter who run what media where black folks got to pick a side. if we want justice and peace in our communities we can’t celebrate and promote idiocy, dishonesty, degeneracy and savagery in our communities from so called rap stars/entertainers no matter who they are. those cops were just acting out their gang members/trap star fixations and that’s how black cops will be seen in society. sets black folk back 50 years this video. a very serious turning point
I knew there was something rotten in Memphis the way they boost up this Yo Gotti clown as some sort of civic leader and turned young dolph into a public saint after he got shot dead. the whole city is corrupt. rap music is a public menace once you didn’t need talent to get over it ended the culture now it’s a virus infecting our people – have to start with these middle age black rap apologist. need to be cast out the community first. these old rap nerds who co-sign this are a disgrace – our youth need leadership
Where is BLM movement????? Didn’t this young black man’s life matter???? Where are youuuuuu?? Anyone there? Hello????