Rapper xxtentacion is facing a lot of criticism over his released video in collaboration with Kodak Black. In the video you see two kids, one is African American and the other is Caucasian, walking with rapper xxtentacion up to a knotted rope. The Rapper then is recorded putting the rope on the caucasian boy and then lynching him. Many people are enraged and want the video taken down. The rapper then replied saying he was trying to send a message by way of his craft and trying to send a message about racism. Do you get the message he was trying to convey or was this taken too far?
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Hey Ruben, I found your article really provocative. The imagery in the video you describe, a Black kid and a white kid walking toward a noose, and the white kid being “lynched” by XXTentacion, is intensely disturbing, and your piece raises a tough question: is this art meant to expose racial violence, or did he cross a line? I agree with you that intent matters, but so does impact. Sometimes, even with good intentions, shock can cause a different conversation and be upsetting for some people. Your piece pushed me to think about whether artists have a responsibility to their audience when they use super heavy symbolism, and where the balance should be between expression and ethical boundaries.