Fat Joe is getting major backlash for saying that Blacks and Latinos are "Half and Half" when it comes to the creation of hip-hop culture.
On Friday (Aug. 26), Fat Joe hopped on Instagram Live to talk about DJ Khaled’s new album God Did but for a brief moment, he addressed critics who believe that the Bronx rapper is spreading a lie about Latinos contributing to hip-hop. Joe said the "haters" are upset after he posted a video featuring Latino pioneers in hip-hop culture.
"Lately, they talking about Latinos wasn't in rap…these guys are fucking delusional," the veteran rhymer said at the 52-minute mark in the video below. "We are from the Bronx, New York shit happens."
"So when hip-hop started it was half and half," he continued, suggesting that both Blacks and Latinos contributed to hip-hop at the same time.
"I don't know what the fuck is up with these people that don't know their facts," he added.
Joe went on to explain the video he posted on Thursday (Aug. 25), which featured several Latino pioneers in hip-hop including DJ Junebug, Prince Whipper Whip & Ruby Dee, DJ Disco Wiz, DJ Charlie Chase, The Rock Steady Crew and more, had made a lot of people mad but he stands by the visual.
"History is history…I don't get it," Joe said. "They gotta stop. They gotta fucking stop."
Additionally, Fat Joe posted another video from Grandmaster Caz, a member of the legendary hip-hop group The Cold Crush Brothers, who reiterated Joe's point that Latinos were involved in hip-hop. Watch it below.
Fat Joe's remarks have generated a backlash of comments from people on social media who believe that Foundational Black Americans (FBAs) were the sole creators of hip-hop and Latinos were never involved in the culture.
"If every single element of hip hop culture was created by Foundational Black Americans & 1 or 2 Latinos just happened to wander off into a hip hop party in the '70s, how does that equate to Blacks & Latinos being "half & half" in the creation of hip hop?" asked author and cultural critic Tariq Nasheed on Twitter. "The math aint mathing."
Other people have jumped on Twitter to also vehemently disagree with Fat Joe’s statement that Latinos contributed to hip-hop.
"*I’m a 53 year old woman from Jamaica Queens NY. Raised as a 'church girl' and even I know that Hip Hop was birthed by young Black Men from the Bronx (I believe)," tweeted actress Tichina Arnold. "Rap was how the different boroughs in NY communicated w/each other. Stop highjacking #BlackCulture"
Another person wrote, "The fact that ZERO Blacks in Hip Hop have corrected Fat Joe about this OBVIOUS #Lie is f*cking PATHETIC."
This has surely become a hot-button topic on social media.