After allegations of sexual assault and misconduct (one story remains here, others have been deleted) by KOOL A.D. and other members of Das Racist resurfaced, the California artist issued a statement yesterday.
"I have been taking a long, hard, sober look at myself and my past actions. I have caused a lot of pain, I have hurt people that deserved nothing but love," he said in a post to Twitter on Wednesday, December 27. Some of the accusations date back to 2012, but as sexual assault in the music industry continues to be an urgent topic of discussion, talk of Das Racist's past behavior has come up again this year.
"My behavior perpetuated the dehumanizing misogyny and patriarchy of the system of oppression that I have tried to live in opposition to. I internalized the mental, emotional and spiritual poisons of the deeply sick, toxic system that hurts us all, and with the aid of drugs and alcohol, allowed myself to become an instrument of that very system, causing great and very much needless pain. I'm saddened and disgusted with my weakness and hypocrisy and baffled at the massive cognitive dissonance that has been at work in my mind."
I'm saddened and disgusted with my weakness and hypocrisy and baffled at the massive cognitive dissonance that has been at work in my mind.
KOOL A.D. goes on to acknowledge his position of privilege as a male celebrity and knows that he can't fix what has already been done, but vows to make changes and set a positive example. "I want to be a good person, a good father to my daughter and a good example to the men that she will encounter in her life," he says. "I'm taking steps to unlearn the ugly, dangerous ways of thinking that have become entrenched in me."
The 34-year-old artist says that he went to psychiatric counseling and has "greatly decreased" his consumption of drugs and alcohol over the past couple of years and has decided to quit entirely.
"In addition to my sincerest apologies to the women in my life whom I have hurt, I apologize to fans of my work. I let you down. I didn't live up to the ideals I espoused. I hope that one day I can."
See KOOL A.D.'s full response below:
