Ain’t no n-word, indeed.
(For your edification, that’s taken from the title of a classic 1996 track by Jay-Z and Foxy Brown from The Nutty Professor soundtrack.)
For all the good Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter is hoping that will come out of his problematic partnership with the problematic NFL (yes, I said it), yet another controversy has bubbled up.
Brooklyn’s reigning rap king and his Roc Nation empire are embroiled in a new drama this week after it was revealed that the founder of one of the two charities benefitting from his “social change” partnership with the NFL posted “insensitive” photos of her cutting the dreadlocks of two black teenagers.
We would think that these charities would be vetted before they are chosen— and especially since “Jigga Man” is sporting a dreadlock aesthetic these days.
But that’s another talk show topic.
Sally Hazelgrove, founder of Crushers Club—one of the two charities splitting a $400,000 donation from Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and the NFL— apologized for the two tweets, posted in 2016, saying it was done “without much thought.”
“Out of 500 youth going through our doors I cut two young men’s hair because they asked me to and we are a family structure and so I did it and didn’t really think about it after that,” Hazelgrove told USA Today. “I tweeted about it without much thought. It’s hair. But I regret it now and I promise you I will not be doing that again if asked.”
“The hatred and accusations from this took me by surprise,” she continued. “The backlash has been hard, to be honest.”
Founded in 2004, and based in Chicago, the not-for-profit organization’s mission is “to be the strongest alternative to gangs,” according to its website.
The “thoughtless” tweets came back to life on the same day as Roc Nation’s free Chicago concert to celebrate the NFL partnership—featuring Meek Mill, Meghan Trainor, and Rapsody.
A few hours after the shiznit hit the fan, Crushers Club posted a video of a man who alleged he was the teen pictured getting his dreadlocks cut by Hazelgrove.
“They cut my hair like three years ago,” Kobe said. “That’s something I wanted to do. I was tired of it. Tired of gang banging. Tired of messing up.”
But the dreadlock beeswax wasn’t the only thing Hazelgrove had to answer for.
America’s National Newspaper called into question Crusher Club’s since-deleted tweets using the polarizing phrase “All Lives Matter,” which is commonplace among critics of the Black Lives Matter movement.
“I said that not to take away from Black Lives Matter, but to be inclusive of everyone,” Hazelgrove told USA Today. “I never meant to belittle or disrespect anyone. I will be more sensitive of what I say moving forward. I truly have love for everyone of all races, religions, and preferences, and hate does not live in me. I am so sorry for being insensitive.”
Hmmmm, I guess she tole us.
The former drug dealer turned Forbes first hip-hop billionaire may need new people.
Reps for Roc Nation and its problematic partner, the NFL, has yet to comment.