Current:Home > InvestJohn Mellencamp says use of racial slurs are one reason he's 'not a big fan of rap music' -Insightful Finance Hub
John Mellencamp says use of racial slurs are one reason he's 'not a big fan of rap music'
View
Date:2025-04-25 18:18:03
John Mellencamp, who is often outspoken about racial injustice in the U.S., recently revealed why he’s not a fan of rap songs.
In a podcast interview with Bill Maher that released Sunday, the rock singer explained that he disagrees with the use of racial slurs and specifically mentioned the use of the N-word.
“That’s what I have against — not against — but, you know, why I’m not a big fan of rap music. It’s like, you guys are selling out what the people stood up for and fought for, and you’re making money off of it selling it to white kids?” Mellencamp said on the Club Random Podcast.
“I don’t like it. I don’t like that.”
The "Jack & Diane" singer has long had an aversion to the racial slur — seemingly even when used in the context of cultural re-appropriation — as Mellencamp mentioned that he and rapper Chuck D “were talking about the N-word — we were talking about how it’s not supposed to be used” while working on the track "Cuttin' Heads" for his 2001 album of the same name.
John Mellencamp recalls seeing racism firsthand as a teen in an integrated band
Mellencamp’s comments were made during a conversation with the “Real Time with Bill Maher” host about systemic racism, in which the two shared their different views on its prevalence in 2023.
The racism that he witnessed as a teen performing in a band with both Black and white members is persists today, Mellencamp told Maher.
“I was not familiar with how hateful people were to Black people until I was in The Crape Soul (band),” he said.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee started the band when he was 14 years old and the other members were in their 20s. Bandmate Fred Booker "was Black, so I learned a lot about race real quick in 1965, 1966,” Mellencamp said.
“They loved us on stage because half the band was Black, half was white. They loved us on stage,” he said. But “It’s when we came off stage” that their audience’s attitude changed.
Mellencamp shared that he was given a gravity knife to use against people, seemingly in case of a racist incident at a show.
"I’ve gotta compete with that":John Mellencamp says Springsteen made him work harder
John Mellencamp’s history of speaking out on racial injustice
Between taking a knee during an appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and reportedly speaking out against antisemitism during a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction speech for his longtime attorney last year, Mellencamp has a long history of addressing racial inequality and hate.
The southern Indiana-born artist has previously discussed the impact that being part of The Crape Soul had on him as a teenager. One of those times was in a speech before he performed the civil-rights anthem "Keep Your Eyes on the Prize" in a 2010 appearance at the White House during Barack Obama’s presidency.
"The kid I sang with, he taught me how to dance, he taught me how to sing," Mellencamp said of former bandmember Fred Booker. "And people loved him — when we were onstage. It’s when we walked offstage, they said, ‘You guys, take that young man outside.’”
He added, “He’s only a 16-year-old kid. He never said it hurt his feelings, but I knew it hurt his feelings. And it made a big impression on a 14-year-old John Mellencamp.”
Booker’s family was one of a handful of Black families in Seymour, Indiana, in the mid-1960s.
Mellencamp's catalog of songs includes multiple tunes addressing race relations, including 2007’s "Jena” and “Jim Crow” as well as his 2001 single “Peaceful World.”
The lyrics to “Easy Target,” off his 2017 album “Sad Clowns & Hillbillies,” include “So, black lives matter/ Who we trying to kid/ Here's an easy target/ Don't matter, never did.”
Contributing: David Lindquist, Indianapolis Star
Opposing racial injustice:John Mellencamp supported BLM during his FarmAid performance
veryGood! (24)
Related
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- ‘Rustin’ puts a spotlight on a undersung civil rights hero
- U.S. sets record for billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in 2023
- Slave descendants vow to fight on after Georgia county approves larger homes for island enclave
- Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
- 2023 MTV VMAs: Megan Thee Stallion's See Through Look Proves Hot Girl Summer Is Still in Full Swing
- Spain strips deceased former Chilean President Pinochet of a Spanish military honor
- Former No. 1 tennis player Simona Halep gets 4-year ban in doping case
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Industrial policy, the debate!
Ranking
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- Journalist sues NFL, alleging discrimination and racially charged statements by NFL owners
- When do the Jewish High Holidays start? The 10-day season begins this week with Rosh Hashana
- Hurricane Lee swirls through open waters on a path to Atlantic Canada
- Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
- Why Japan's iconic Mt. Fuji is screaming for relief
- COVID hospitalizations have risen for 2 months straight as new booster shots expected
- These tech giants are at the White House today to talk about the risks of AI
Recommendation
B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
Colorado man wins $5 million lottery jackpot. His first move? To buy a watermelon and flowers for his wife.
5 former Memphis officers indicted by federal grand jury in Tyre Nichols' death
Hundreds of Bahrain prisoners suspend hunger strike as crown prince to visit United States
Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
Apple event reveals new iPhone 15. Here are the biggest changes — and its surprising new price.
Aaron Rodgers' Achilles injury is not good, Jets head coach says, as star quarterback is set to get MRI
The myth of the money spider and the power of belief credited for UK woman's lottery win