Rapper Blueface is being accused of trying to get attention by humiliating homeless people on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles.
The L.A. rapper, real name Johnathan Michael Porter, on Monday tweeted video of himself standing on an SUV throwing cash from a bag, and captioned the clip: “The season of giving.”
While Blueface may have had good intentions, critics accused him of “narcissism” and called the scene “degrading.”
Related Story: Machete-Wielding Man Fatally Shot by LAPD Near Hollywood Walk of Fame
“Wow. Blueface stood on top of a car and flung money into a crowd of poor people. This is not ‘the spirit of giving,'” tweeted activist, author and BET host, Marc Lamont Hill. “This is contempt of the poor mixed with narcissism. Even if his intentions were good, this isn’t ok. Hopefully he has someone advising him.”
Wow. Blueface stood on top of a car and flung money into a crowd of poor people. This is not “the spirit of giving.” This is contempt of the poor mixed with narcissism. Even if his intentions were good, this isn’t ok. Hopefully he has someone advising him. pic.twitter.com/N4QIwZ06HO
— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) December 24, 2019
Actor Sean Cory Cooper added, “I’ve been homeless before. This is BEYOND disrespectful. There was ZERO good intent here.”
I’ve been homeless before.
This is BEYOND disrespectful.
There was ZERO good intent here. #blueface treat those people like they were animals, when he could’ve donated to the 3 shelters that are within 3 blocks of that location, helped more people, and let them keep their dignity— Sean Cory ? ? (@SeanCoryCooper) December 24, 2019
“This is NOT giving back. This is disrespectful and degrading. He should be ashamed of this,” tweeted Entertainment Tonight co-host Nischelle Turner.
This is NOT giving back. This is disrespectful and degrading. He should be ashamed of this. ??? https://t.co/8kL4LhoWW0
— Nischelle Turner (@nischelleturner) December 24, 2019
Skid Row has one of the highest concentrations of homeless people in the U.S.
According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s 2019 count, a total of 4,757 homeless individuals live in the Skid Row neighborhood, marking an 11 percent increase over the previous year.
Of that number, 58.21% are Black or African American; 24.53% are Hispanic or Latino; 12.66% are White; 2.06% are American Indian or Alaska Native; and 0.63% are listed as Asian.
