Hip-hop has been very kind to caucasian rapper/singer Post Malone. He has been frequenting the hip-hop billboard charts since his release of “White Iverson” in February 2015, which peaked at #5 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart. In 2017, he has seen mainstream success with “Rockstar,” which is currently #1 on the charts, while his Quavo-assisted 2016 single “Congratulations” also peaked at the 5th spot.
In a recent video interview with Poland’s Newonce, Post Malone shared a controversial opinion, stating, "If you're looking for lyrics, if you're looking to cry, if you're looking to think about life, don't listen to hip-hop. There's great hip-hop songs where they talk about life and they spit that real shit, but right now, there's not a lot of people talking about real shit,” he continued, “Whenever I'm trying to have a good time and stay in a positive mood, I listen to hip-hop.” Understandably, music fans did not take well to these statements, and Twitter erupted with accusations that Post Malone is a cultural appropriator, accusing the artist of exploiting the hip-hop genre and African-American culture.
In a video released to Twitter on November 23, just days after the Newonce interview, Post Malone shares a clarification for the misconstrued comments.
“Who the f*** am I to tell you, don’t listen to this, don’t listen to that. Or who am I to tell you, you should feel a certain thing when you listen to something," the artist opens up while inhaling a joint, continuing, "I’m 22 years old. I have not had a lot of life experience. I sing about what I’ve gone through, what’s going on in my life. Never once did I say that I don’t appreciate hip-hop.”
