Rappers Who Ruined Their Careers On Social Media
The following article includes mentions of sexual assault and child abuse.
The modern world of social media has made it possible for fans to be closer than ever to their favorite musicians. And while this has allowed young, unknown rappers to build up large followings online, many have also sabotaged their own careers through their social media posts. In an interview with The Times, Jay-Z explained his decision to stay away from online platforms like Twitter. "You can't give someone a microphone for 24 hours a day and [have them] not think they have to use it!" he argued, insisting that the level of scrutiny was "unbelievable."
"Imagine having a microphone and you're asked about social justice questions at 18 years old?" the veteran rapper continued. "It's like, 'What? I'm meant to know the answer, and if I don't answer the correct way, if I don't say everything right, even if my intentions are right, and I don't say the same right thing, it's going to be everywhere.'" And Jay-Z might be right about the dangers of social media, as its allure has been deadly for some. Keep reading to find out which rappers have alienated their fans and gotten themselves in trouble because of their behavior online.
Azealia Banks
Azealia Banks seemed to have a promising future ahead of her when she burst onto the rap scene in 2011 with her hit "212." Unfortunately, a series of high-profile feuds meant that she became more known for clashing with other musicians on Twitter than for her songs. The New York rapper has used her social media accounts to fight with everyone from Iggy Azalea to the entire nation of Ireland. But in 2016, Zayn Malik was the target of controversial remarks that got her kicked off Twitter. As CNN Business reported, Banks was also dropped from a London music festival after using racist and homophobic language towards Malik.
Another memorable feud began in 2018, the same year Banks' Twitter account was deactivated again after she beefed with "RuPaul's Drag Race" star Monét X Change on the platform. Banks had allegedly been invited to the home of musician Grimes and tech billionaire Elon Musk. The purported plan was for Banks and Grimes to hit the studio together, but in a series of Instagram Stories (via Vox), Banks claimed that she had "waited around all weekend while Grimes coddled her boyfriend for being too stupid to know not to go on twitter on acid."
The singers never ended up making a song together, and Banks posted screenshots of their subsequent fight. Per Complex, Grimes repeatedly called Banks a "narc," to which Banks snapped back, "Ok you brittleboned methhead." In 2021, Grimes reignited the feud by releasing a song about how Banks "tried to destroy my life," per Entertainment Weekly.
Lil Boosie aka Boosie Badazz
Southern hip hop star Lil Boosie has raised eyebrows by voicing his homophobic and transphobic views online. When Dwyane Wade publicly spoke about supporting his then-12-year-old transgender daughter in 2020, as NBC News reported, Boosie posted a rant on Instagram insisting that the former NBA star had "gone too far." After receiving backlash, Boosie insisted that he had "nothing against no gay people," per Complex, but complained about modern-day parents "giving the children the f***ing power." "We already can't whoop em — we go to jail," he commented. "In ten years the children gonna be the parents."
The rapper's own parenting came under fire weeks later when he bizarrely claimed that he had hired a sex worker for his underage son. "I'm training these boys right," Boosie insisted on Instagram Live, per Complex, revealing that "a grown woman" had illegally performed sex acts on his son and nephews when they were 12 and 13. "They can watch as much porn as they want," he added. "It's better than them watching cartoons with two men kissing."
He also made comments about Lil Nas X, who joked that they had a song coming out together in 2021. Per NME, Boosie responded by telling the "Old Town Road" star to kill himself and calling him a homophobic slur. This sparked an outpouring of outrage on Twitter, with one popular reaction reading, "Boosie is mad that a queer Black rapper is doing better than him in an industry that has built its foundation in homophobia."
CeeLo Green
Singer and rapper CeeLo Green deleted his Twitter account after receiving backlash for victim-blaming comments about his ongoing court case. He had been accused of giving a woman drugs before having sex with her, and although prosecutors decided not to file charges based on lack of evidence, as the Los Angeles Times reported, Green lost a lot of fans in 2014.
"People who have really been raped REMEMBER!!!" he tweeted while discussing the court case, according to The Guardian. "If someone is passed out they're not even WITH you consciously! so WITH Implies consent," he added. The singer also made a dubious comparison between his own accusations and other crimes, writing, "When someone brakes on a home there is broken glass where is your plausible proof that anyone was raped."
He did apologize for the ignorant posts, tweeting that his comments had been "taken so far out of context" and that he would "never condone the harm of any women," but Green's career was never the same. In fact, his sets at three different 2014 concerts 2014 were immediately canceled because of his tweets, according to E!.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
B.o.B.
B.o.B. had one of the most baffling career transformations in rap history when he went from appearing on mainstream hits like "Nothin' on You" with Bruno Mars to spreading wild conspiracy theories.
In January 2016, the "Airplanes" rapper used his Twitter account to voice his beliefs about the earth being flat, rather than a globe, which sparked a feud with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. "No matter how high in elevation you are... the horizon is always eye level ... sorry cadets... I didn't wanna believe it either," B.o.B tweeted, per CNN, alleging that the many people who didn't agree with him had been "indoctrinated into a heliocentric belief system." Despite receiving backlash for his views, which also included the conspiracy theory that the moon landing was fake, B.o.B didn't back down. "A lot of people are turned off by the phrase 'flat earth' ... but there's no way u can see all the evidence and not know... grow up," he wrote. According to Billboard, the blowback was strong enough that it made the rapper decide to "step back from the public eye."
Perhaps more concerningly, B.o.B.'s subsequent diss track towards Tyson included the rapper asking his audience to do their "research" on Holocaust denier David Irving, per Billboard. "Stalin was way worse than Hitler/ That's why the POTUS gotta wear a Kipper," he rapped in a verse that, for many, represented the nail in the coffin for B.o.B.'s career.
Wiley
British rapper Wiley was banned from social media in 2020 and again in 2021 after sharing antisemitic tweets where he likened Jewish people to the Ku Klux Klan, per the BBC. "I don't care about Hitler, I care about black people," he told his followers. His management severed ties with him soon afterward.
In a follow-up interview with Sky News, it was revealed that his rant had been prompted by a disagreement between Wiley and his Jewish music manager. The rapper apologized during the interview, denying that he was racist. "My comments should not have been directed to all Jews or Jewish people," he said (via The Times). "I want to apologize for generalizing, number one, and I want to apologize for comments that were looked at as antisemitic," he continued, admitting that he "didn't remove the ignorance from the truths."
Wiley still emphasized his resentment towards the Jewish community in the music industry, however, and returned to Twitter a year later. As The Times reported, he had created a different account, where he posted a picture of himself dressed in traditional Hasidic garb. He also promoted two antisemitic videos, including one titled "The Jewish faces that control hiphop and mainstream black music." After the Campaign Against Antisemitism contacted Twitter, he was banned from the platform again. An Instagram account he had used to direct fans to the offensive Twitter content was also removed, further restricting his ability to promote his music.
Lil Pump
Lil Pump might seem like an unlikely political pundit, but he made headlines in 2020 when he made a surprising endorsement.
The Soundcloud star decided to support Donald Trump's presidential campaign on social media, provoking shock from his young fanbase. "All I gotta say is Trump 2020, b****," he declared in an Instagram video, per Newsweek, insisting that Biden's tax plan had pushed him to vote Republican. "F*** I look like paying a extra 33 is tax for Biden, b***** ass n—. F**** sleepy Joe n— Trump 2020 b****." As it turns out, Pump wasn't paying his taxes when Trump was president, anyway. According to XXL, as of November 2021, he owed the IRS over $1.6 million in unpaid taxes from 2018.
The rapper also appeared at a rally and was introduced by Trump himself, although the president mistakenly called him "Lil Pimp," as footage recorded by the Associated Press showed. Pump, who wore a Make America Great Again hat, was called up to speak to the crowd. "I've come here to say, Mr. President, I appreciate everything you have done for our country," the rapper declared. "You brought the troops home, and you're doing the right thing. MAGA 202020, don't forget that!"
As NME reported, the ensuing backlash led to him losing over 300,000 followers on Instagram. And according to records uncovered by The Smoking Gun, Pump was never even registered to vote.
Juicy J
Since March 2020, celebrities from all different backgrounds have gotten in trouble for their anti-scientific views on the COVID-19 pandemic. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was criticized after it was revealed that he was unvaccinated, per ESPN; Nicki Minaj's medically dubious claims raised eyebrows; and Juicy J had his own COVID controversy. The former Three 6 Mafia member received flack for telling his Twitter followers (via XXL): "If I was you, I wouldn't get vaccinated. I would wear a mask & take vitamins."
His advice was met with skepticism and amusement from hip hop fans. "Hey juice. Big fan. You told me to sip on sizzurp when I was in the 7th grade. Ima just say sit this one out playa," one critic replied, referring to the rapper's casual endorsement of "lean," or codeine-based drinks. "I think it's rich that Juicy J trusted drug companies for decades for various prescription opioids of choice but vaccines is where he put his foot down," another Twitter user observed. Clearly, the criticism was too harsh for Juicy J, as he ended up deleting the tweet.
Kodak Black
On top of his many legal issues, Kodak Black got himself in trouble by hitting on Nipsey Hussle's girlfriend less than a week after Nipsey was shot to death in April 2019. "I'll give her a whole year," the rapper stated online, per CNN. "She might need a whole year to be crying and s*** for him." Black also promised that he would "be the best man I can be for her," suggesting that they would inevitably become a couple.
The rapper's remarks led to his music being boycotted by Los Angeles radio station Power 106. "We stand with the family of Nipsey Hussle and are appalled by the disrespectful and poor comments made by Kodak Black," DJ Justin Credible tweeted. "With that, Power 106 will not support Black's music. #LongLiveNip." Fellow musicians The Game and T.I. also called him out for being disrespectful so soon after Nipsey's death.
Black eventually gave a half-hearted apology in an Instagram Live. "If I disrespected you Lauren London in any shape or form, I am sorry," he stated, per the BBC, before insisting, "Even though I didn't." He went on to mention Nipsey and London again, paying tribute to the fallen rapper. "Rest in peace to dude. If I disrespected Lauren London in any way, even though I know I didn't, my bad," the Florida musician repeated.
Black drew more social media ire in December 2021 when he shared a photo of his 6-year-old son smiling while a woman appeared to twerk in front of the little boy, per XXL.
Die Antwoord
The South African hip hop duo Die Antwoord was dropped from several festivals after a video surfaced online where they physically fought DJ Andy Butler while calling him homophobic slurs. As Mix Mag reported, the incident took place in 2012 at the Australian festival Future Music, where rapper Ninja chased down Butler, who is openly gay. "Run, f****t, run. Run for your life b***h," Ninja's musical partner, Yolandi, can be heard yelling. Later in the video, the pair decide to pretend that Butler had assaulted Yolandi, and she pretends to cry, which Ninja describes as "Oscar Award-winning."
Their Facebook explanation, where the pair claimed that the video was just "cleverly edited," didn't win them back any fans. Ninja denied that they had antagonized Butler because of his sexuality, insisting that it was "just a fight with someone who f***ed with us." On top of the controversial video, several women have also come forward to accuse Ninja of sexual assault, per The Sydney Morning Herald.
The band's reputation has led to them being cut from a number of U.S. musical festivals, including Life Is Beautiful in Las Vegas and Louder Than Life in Kentucky, per Mix Mag. And their behavior was still losing Die Antwoord gigs in 2021, with Kerrang! reporting that they were dropped from the ALT+LDN festival after other performers complained about the group being part of the lineup.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
T.I.
The internet was shocked and disgusted when Atlanta rapper T.I. revealed on a podcast that he made the gynecologist for his teenage daughter, Deyjah Harris, perform "virginity tests" on her, as The Guardian reported. According to WHO and the UN, tests like these are a "medically unnecessary and harmful" violation of a young woman's human rights.
The rapper then went on the Facebook talk show "Red Table Talk" to try and explain himself, but he didn't win back any fans when he insisted that he had "exaggerate[d]" the situation. "Let me go set this record straight: Never said I was in any exam room — that is an assumption; that is a falsity," T.I. insisted. "I never said that it was being done present day, as an 18-year-old, and I never said that her mother wasn't present. Her mom was present every time," he explained, although host Jada Pinkett Smith observed that this was still controlling and harmful behavior.
T.I.'s daughter also admitted that her father's comments had made her very uncomfortable and changed their relationship dynamic. "I mean, honestly, I'm embarrassed, definitely for sure," Deyjah revealed on the family's VH1 show, "T.I. & Tiny: Friends & Family Hustle." "I'm trying to push it in the back of my mind so I'm really not thinking about it. I know it's not healthy. But I've been doing that since a child." She also recalled that the gynecology appointments had been happening since she was "14 or 15," adding, "It's not like I could have said no."
If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.
Travis Scott
While it remains to be seen whether Travis Scott's career can survive the Astroworld tragedy that killed 10 people, his apology on social media didn't make it seem likely. The rapper was criticized for appearing insincere in the black-and-white video, in which he claimed to be "devastated."
"We're actually working right now to identify the families so we can help assist them through this tough time," Scott promised, per CNN. The rapper also insisted that he had no idea how dangerous the crowd had become throughout his performance. "Any time I could make out, you know, anything that's going on, you know, I just stopped my show and, you know, helped them get the help they need," he claimed.
The rapper was also condemned for partnering with a "scam" therapy app, as the Daily Dot reported. He offered one free month of counseling on BetterHelp to attendees, but the platform has had its own controversies over privacy and data security. And although he publicly declared that he would pay the funeral costs for the victims' families, half of them actually rejected Scott's offer. "It's bulls**t. If you gave a s**t about these families, you wouldn't have to put out a press release for everyone to see," one attorney representing the victims told Rolling Stone.
After his apology video, the rapper's upcoming collaboration with Nike was postponed, per Forbes, "out of respect for everyone impacted by the tragic events." He was also dropped from the Coachella 2022 lineup, as Billboard confirmed.