Grime star Wiley today apologised for 'generalising' during anti-Semitic social media rants which prompted Twitter to permanently suspend his account...Oh, well, I guess that'll draw a line under it, then.
The musician, 41, appeared to blame 'a community of Jewish lawyers' in the music industry for 'using systemic racism' against black artists during an interview with Sky News.*blinks*
'My comments should not have been directed to all Jews or Jewish people. I want to apologise for generalising, and I want to apologise for comments that were looked at as anti-Semitic.'That's...well, not even a real apology, is it?
Clearly, he doesn't have a PR expert advising him. He's also pretty obviously as thick as a whale sandwich. We're talking Diane Abbott levels of self-unawareness here:
'The music industry people that I’m talking about, they are the ones who get to benefit from it, that’s what this is all about,' he explained. 'It's systemic racism from their side. The system and that man, and a community of Jewish lawyers have made me feel that way.
'Not anti-Semitic, they’ve made me feel angry and upset because they are showing me the systemic racism that they’re allowed to use on us.'
'Without generalising, there is no point saying all [Jews], it is the people I work with in the music and entertainment industry, the Jewish community that I have experienced.
'The things that need to change is the way that the system was set up, why all of these families are rich, or all of these people have heritage, not just England, like, worldwide. They still see us as slaves.
'Slavery hasn't stopped, it's just dressed-up in a million-pound record deal.'They should give that Sky interviewer an Oscar for keeping a straight face...
Speaking on what he would tell his fans and whether they would be influenced to carry out violent acts against Jewish people, the rapper said he has never been seen committing such acts against Jewish people or the Jewish community. He went on to describe fans as 'fickle', saying he is not 'current' and comparing himself to popular rapper Dave, before adding he is 'at the end' of his career rather than at the beginning.At last, he says something that's undoubtedly true!
"Slavery hasn't stopped, it's just dressed-up in a million-pound record deal."
ReplyDeleteThat really has to be the most ridiculous statement that I have ever seen.
It is the way of the world though that he has to apologise for saying something that he hadn't actually said. He was complaining about a specific group of Jewish people, he never said all Jews but it seems to be what everybody else heard. If he is going to make such a ham fisted job of apologising anyway, he could have pointed that out.
He still sounds like a twat though.
That's quote of the century stuff right there!
ReplyDeleteIn related news, I'm not avoiding work, I've just dressed it up as a three-day bender.
I am assuming that this Wiley bloke (never heard of him) is black, which probably means his ancestors originated in Africa. Unless he can prove he is descended from slaves, it is suggested that he is descended from slave traders - black Africans who enslaved other black Africans and sold them to Muslm slave traders. If the latter, perhaps he should go down to Bristol and throw himself in the canal, where anyone connected with slavery, no matter how remote, ends up. On the other hand, he could just STFU.
ReplyDeletePenseivat
If he wasn't as thick as mince, he'd realise that artists being shafted by their record companies and management is as old as the record industry. Its hardly a new phenomenon, or restricted to black musicians, ask the Bay City Rollers. If he's had the raw end of a record deal (which is entirely possible) he certainly isn't the first, or the last. Though in this day and age of universal information freely available via the web, you'd have to be quite dumb to fall for the old record industry tricks.
ReplyDeleteDo you know what, I really wouldn't mind being a rock star slave on rock star wages for a few years.
ReplyDeleteIn a compassionate society he would be accommodated in a nice day centre where he could play with plasticine and aspiring to potato printing. The depressing, frightening, terrifying thing is that he is firmly ensconced on the right hand side of the bell curve for his demographic.
ReplyDelete"That really has to be the most ridiculous statement that I have ever seen."
ReplyDeleteIt's only August! I'm betting it'll be topped by September...
"In related news, I'm not avoiding work, I've just dressed it up as a three-day bender."
LOL!
"Unless he can prove he is descended from slaves, it is suggested that he is descended from slave traders - black Africans who enslaved other black Africans and sold them to Muslm slave traders. "
Ooh, need more popcorn!
"...artists being shafted by their record companies and management is as old as the record industry. Its hardly a new phenomenon..."
Do you suppose he's ever read a biography?
"The depressing, frightening, terrifying thing is that he is firmly ensconced on the right hand side of the bell curve for his demographic."
Indeed!