Lil Wayne has a complicated approach to racism and the police. During an episode of his Beats 1 Young Money Radio show, Weezy tried to explain this stance while also encouraging people not to judge others.
As most of his fans would know, Wayne shot himself when he was 12 years old. It is also documented that Weezy's life was saved by Deputy Robert Hoobler, which contributes to his thoughts about the police. The New Orleans rapper has frequently recollected the incident in recent years, notably during his I Am Hip Hop Award acceptance speech at the 2018 BET Hip Hop Awards.
"My life was saved when I was young. ... Shot myself. My life was saved by a white cop. Uncle Bob," Wayne reiterated during his radio show. "So from, therefore, you have to understand the way I view police, period. ... There was a bunch of black cops that jumped over me by that door with that hole in my chest. He refused to."
In 2016, Lil Wayne made headlines when he denounced the Black Lives Matter movement. During an interview with ABC's Nightline, the rapper claimed to not know "what racism is." Additionally, he expressed that he only pledges allegiance to his red bandana.
Yet, what is missing from Wayne's good samaritan story about Hoobler is the way the officer treated other people. In 2012, the deputy was fired from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff Department after repeatedly tasing a Marrero, Louisiana man during an arrest. He called the victim several racial slurs including the N-word before unlawfully tasing him multiple times. The incident was so egregious that Sheriff Newell Normand considered filing criminal charges against his former deputy.
Outside of referencing "Uncle Bob," Wayne also touched on New Orleans' militarized police presence during the episode.
"I'm from New Orleans, 17th, Hollygrove," Wayne continued. "We have a thing called 'Jump out boys.' Uptown New Orleans. That's the police. They pull up on you they already got they door cracked. ... So many of them jump out. They ain't coming after you to ask you 'How you doing? What's your name? And how's your day?'"
Having these conflicting experiences breeds Wayne's personal feelings towards the police. But, he wants his fans not to be quick to judge anyone for having different feelings.
"Understand that I go through situations too," Wayne said. "We all got our situations. Don't judge no one for no reason. Don't judge. Do you. ... Help out in any way that you can. We can only win it together."
His latest sentiments come after his thoughts on the police killing of George Floyd, in which he opined that "we have to stop placing the blame on the whole force and the whole everybody or a certain race or everybody with a badge."
