Killer Mike has been warring on Twitter all night after responding to a user’s tweet regarding Bill Maher‘s N-word slur usage on HBO’s Real Time With Bill Maher last Friday. The Run The Jewels rapper essentially said that Black people have larger concerns in the world than Maher’s racist stances and should focus on economics and other factors
It all began with the tweet below:
Naturally, the tweet garnered a ton of responses that have been going on all Saturday (June 3).
To recap, Bill Maher was speaking with Nebraska Senator Ben Sassee and referred to himself as a “house n-word” in an ill-timed joke. Maher’s quip has since garnered an apology from the host and a flurry of debate around the n-word and who should use it. Mike’s statements have been equally as dissected and it too has sparked discussions online that have bordered on tense.
Giving rise to the umbrage at Killer Mike’s statement is that it appears as if people are thinking the slur is a non-issue because of Maher’s liberal stances and humor displayed on his show. The Atlanta artist is trying to turn the moment he captured with the above tweet into a lesson-sharing moment, but it’s not immediately resonating.
What Maher said and how he used the slur was indeed problematic and Killer Mike doesn’t have to agree. But he does have to acknowledge that one can do all of the economic boot-strapping he speaks of and still be upset that a white man crossed the line when he didn’t have to.
We’ve collected some of the reactions below and on the following pages.
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Photo: Jessica Alexander/Future Image/WENN.com
