Lil Yachty is facing mounting backlash after performing a controversial lyric referencing George Floyd during Plaqueboymax’s livestream on Thursday, August 14.
In the viral clip, the Atlanta rapper raps, “Put my knee up on her neck, I went George Floyd,” a line critics say trivializes Floyd’s killing in 2020. The lyric quickly drew sharp condemnation across social media for its perceived insensitivity.
Among the most vocal detractors was former NBA player and podcast host Stephen Jackson, a childhood friend of Floyd. Jackson accused Yachty of exploiting Floyd’s name for attention and dismissed his music as “wack.” He condemned the lyric as tasteless, arguing no rapper should degrade the memory of someone whose death galvanized a global movement against police brutality.
Jackson connected Yachty’s lyric to what he views as a broader cultural shift in rap—an era where shock value often comes from disrespecting the dead. He stressed that many artists invoking Floyd’s name never knew him personally and instead use his legacy as a tool for clout. His message was direct: leave Floyd’s name out of songs entirely.
In a pointed rebuke, Jackson urged Yachty to imagine the outrage if someone mocked the death of his own family member. He challenged the rapper to consider the pain caused to those still grieving Floyd’s loss, warning that such remarks reduce a human tragedy to a punchline.
Online reaction mirrored Jackson’s criticism. Fans and public figures alike branded Yachty “corny” and “lame” for crossing a moral boundary. Many noted that Floyd’s death—caused when former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes—became a defining moment in the modern fight for racial justice.
Floyd’s final words, “I can’t breathe,” echoed through protests worldwide, symbolizing the urgent demand for systemic reform. For many, Yachty’s lyric wasn’t merely offensive—it undermined the gravity of a moment that sparked one of the largest civil rights uprisings in decades.
The controversy now places Yachty at the center of a heated debate over respect, artistic freedom, and the ethics of referencing real-life tragedies in music.
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