Hip-Hop Won’t Stop Protecting Alleged Abusers

After more than a month of nationwide protests against police brutality, many entertainers are finding ways to speak out about racial injustice. This past week alone, the hip-hop world loudly celebrated Black voices at the BET Awards, in popular interview podcasts, and during Monday night’s Verzuz battle. But the industry continues to be silent on its own transgressions: Those same platforms have also conspicuously amplified the voices of men accused of abusing Black women.

In reflexively offering praise and visibility to such figures, hip-hop institutions implicitly condone their alleged behavior. This support reflects a pattern apparent across the music industry of , men facing serious allegations of assault against women—particularly against Black women. Under normal conditions, that tacit approval would be upsetting. Now, though, as Black women around to curb racist violence, it’s stunningly hypocritical to affirm Black lives while ignoring the mistreatment that Black women endure.