Black Lives Matter Shuts Down Lil Yachty’s ‘Scam’ Accusation in New Response
Lil Yachty stirred controversy this week after taking aim at Black Lives Matter, branding it a “scam,” and now, the organization has returned with a fiery response.
Tension between the “A Cold Sunday” rapper and the social movement flared following Yachty’s appearance on the YouTube series “Feeding Starving Celebrities” with host Quenline Blackwell, where he shared his thoughts on the group, declaring, “BLM is a scam. BLM was literally a scam. They had bought mansions.”
He then added, “You probably wouldn’t know anything about it because you don’t care about Black people, and don’t follow Black news.”
It didn’t take long for the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation to respond. In a statement to FOX News, the organization condemned Yachty’s remarks, saying, “It’s clear Lil Yachty has been drinking the white supremacist ideology Kool-Aid. His comments are wrong. They are misinformed, unoriginal, and crafted to please the same people who profit from Black suffering.”
The statement continued with a direct pushback against Yachty’s claims: “The real scam isn’t Black Lives Matter. It is watching Black artists with massive platforms recycle the same tired attacks on Black movements while ignoring the actual systems killing us. Black Lives Matter has supported Black families who have lost loved ones to police violence. We have built programs, funded mutual aid, and fought in courtrooms and on the streets to protect our people. BLM was never a scam; selling out your people for clout is.”
BLM has faced scrutiny in recent years, particularly regarding financial transparency.
In 2022, reports surfaced about the organization’s $6 million purchase of a California property, sparking backlash. At the time, BLMGNF responded on social media, acknowledging concerns about transparency and stating, “There have been a lot of questions surrounding recent reports about the purchase of Creator’s House in California. Despite past efforts, BLMGNF recognizes that there is more work to do to increase transparency and ensure transitions in leadership are clear.”
Adding to the controversy, BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors resigned in 2021 amid criticism over the management of the organization. Investigations into donation handling followed, and some affiliated chapters distanced themselves from the foundation over concerns about financial oversight.
While debates continue over BLM as an organization, the broader Black Lives Matter movement, which gained global momentum after the 2020 police killing of George Floyd, remains an active force in the fight for racial justice.
Yachty has yet to respond to BLM’s statement.
