Image: NRATV / YouTube

Run The Jewels’ Killer Mike Criticised For Defending Gun Ownership In NRA Video

By Tom Williams

Run The Jewels member Killer Mike has been criticised after defending gun ownership in a video published by America’s National Rifle Association (NRA) on National Walkout Day, while marches against gun violence took place across the US.

In an interview with NRATV, Killer Mike (who is a known gun owner) said, “I told my kids on the school walkout, ‘I love you. If you walk out that school, walk out my house.’

“We are a gun-owning family. We are a family where my sister farms. We are a family where we’ll fish, we’ll hunt. But we are not a family that jumps on every single thing an ally of ours does because some stuff we just don’t agree with.”

Killer Mike also said he didn’t agree with the anti-gun protests or the need for stricter gun laws.

“There was something that the woman who is the NRA spokesperson [Dana Loesch] said and everybody just kinda lost it,” he said.

“Dana says that the tears of white mothers are like ratings. And that’s so true and it was so sad to hear her acknowledge it, but it’s true, and black people know it’s true.

“We are raising a generation of kids where everyone gets a trophy. But in real life, everyone don’t get a trophy. In real life, the cops don’t come on time. In real life, depending on where you live, you’re not gonna have the time to try to logic your way out of something.”

Since Killer Mike’s comments, the likes of his bandmate El-P and rapper Vic Mensa have shared their views.

Taking to Twitter, El-P criticised NRATV host Colion Noir for suggesting no one would know the names of the protesting students from Parkland, Florida if their classmates hadn’t recently died.

“They didn’t want to be known they wanted to be kids,” he said.

“And they’ve earned being heard in one of the hardest ways possible. No matter what you believe we all have to listen in a real way. It’s owed to them and many others. That’s my take on it.”

https://twitter.com/therealelp/status/977641469895954432

Vic Mensa (who is also a gun owner) told Killer Mike, “YOU DONT NEED AN AR-15,” to which Killer Mike said he’s open to discussing the topic with Mensa.

https://twitter.com/VicMensa/status/977693625164296193

Gun reform advocates also took to Twitter to criticise Killer Mike’s interview…

https://twitter.com/JoyAnnReid/status/977949791262003208

…but some people have defended his views while criticising the NRA:

https://twitter.com/NoahHurowitz/status/977764449275863040

https://twitter.com/ben_geier/status/977910043176849409

Killer Mike has since apologised, saying, “Sorry my interview about ‘black gun owners’ was used in the wrong way but, hey it’s people having far worse days. Thanks for the support.”

You can watch his full interview on NRATV, below.

Tom Williams
Tom Williams

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