Rapper Ice Cube faced blowback this week after a Trump campaign adviser claimed the singer was working with the administration on its platform for African Americans.
Trump adviser Katrina Pierson tweeted Tuesday that the rapper was helping develop the administration’s "Platinum Plan," which aims to bring $500 billion to Black America.
“Shoutout to @icecube for his willingness to step up and work with @realDonaldTrump Administration to help develop the #PlatinumPlan,” Pierson tweeted. “Leaders gonna lead, haters gonna hate. Thank you for leading!”
Shoutout to @icecube for his willingness to step up and work with @realDonaldTrump Administration to help develop the #PlatinumPlan
— Katrina Pierson (@KatrinaPierson) October 13, 2020
ICYMI: https://t.co/V0qOAp0lwR
Leaders gonna lead, haters gonna hate. Thank you for leading! ✊
Ice Cube responded on Wednesday, clarifying that both parties contacted him after he released his Contract with Black America, which seeks to address "the heart of racism" and present "a blueprint to achieve racial economic justice."
The rapper said that Democrats told him they’d address the initiative after the election, while the Trump campaign made adjustments to its plan after speaking with him.
Facts: I put out the CWBA. Both parties contacted me. Dems said we’ll address the CWBA after the election. Trump campaign made some adjustments to their plan after talking to us about the CWBA.
— Ice Cube (@icecube) October 14, 2020
He also responded to a fan who claimed he was now “working with the darkside.”
“Every side is the Darkside for us here in America. They’re all the same until something changes for us,” Ice Cube tweeted. “They all like and they all cheat but we can’t afford not to negotiate with whoever is in power or our condition in this country will never change. Our justice is bipartisan.”
Every side is the Darkside for us here in America. They’re all the same until something changes for us. They all lie and they all cheat but we can’t afford not to negotiate with whoever is in power or our condition in this country will never change. Our justice is bipartisan. https://t.co/xFIXXpOs8B
— Ice Cube (@icecube) October 14, 2020
In a video posted to his social media on Oct. 11, Ice Cube said that while Democrats had been nice to him, the Trump campaign had “put $500 billion on the table.” However, he claimed that he was only “spitting the truth” as he saw it.
"I’m trying to get to the truth. I ain’t about to be part of nobody’s program. Nobody’s gonna get me to back down," he said.
DON'T KILL THE MESSENGER #CWBA #ContractWithBlackAmerica pic.twitter.com/8NqthXp268
— Ice Cube (@icecube) October 11, 2020
Pierson's tweet garnered backlash for Ice Cube, with some pointing out that the NWA rapper said he would “never endorse a mothaf---a like Donald Trump
Donald TrumpNYT: Rep. Perry played role in alleged Trump plan to oust acting AG Arizona GOP censures top state Republicans McCain, Flake and Ducey Biden and UK prime minister discuss NATO, multilateralism during call MORE” in 2016.
How it started. How it's going.
— Black Professor (@WonderKing82) October 14, 2020
Ice Cube, even capitalized EVER! pic.twitter.com/fTaxkSrv4p
Good lord... how much are they paying Ice Cube??? How... does the guy from NWA become MAGA?
— roxane gay (@rgay) October 14, 2020
Ice Cube putting on the red hat is about to break me.
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) October 14, 2020
Did Ice Cube ask Trump to apologize for leading a lynch mob against the Central Park?
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) October 14, 2020
Did he ask him to apologize for spreading a racist lie about Pres. Obama’s birth certificate?
Did he ask him to apologize to the Black people beat up by police that followed Trump’s guidance? https://t.co/dMCC0auZa9
