It turns out not everyone is upset with Ice Cube’s efforts to promote his Contract With Black America concept. Cube has faced staunch opposition online after the Trump administration revealed that it had incorporated many of his CWBA requests into its “Platinum Plan” for addressing Black Americans. However, one of his peers in the music industry recently spoke up in his defense: T.I., who believes Cube should be given the benefit of the doubt.
During an interview with LA’s Power 106, T.I. stated his belief that detractors are “being presumptuous,” citing Cube’s anti-authority track record as an outspoken critic of the government throughout his ’90s rap releases. Parroting Ice Cube’s belief that Democrats were uninterested in taking the CWBA into consideration (and conveniently leaving out that many — if not most — of its proposals are already part of Joe Biden’s presidential platform, including concrete provisions to make them happen as opposed to the broad declarations in the Platinum Plan) T.I. said, “To add input to this initiative for the greater good of your people, and only one side responds? That’s not Cube’s fault.”
He also wondered at the criticisms being sent Ice Cube’s way, including some of his attackers mistaking his meeting with the Republicans for an endorsement of Trump. “If we ain’t never known or seen or caught Cube on no bullsh*t — doing no tap dancing and bending over backwards for no white supremacist — why you think he gon’ start right now 35, 40 years in?” he questioned. You’ve got to give him the credit of his credibility. And if you ain’t never known him to be on bullsh*t before, why you gon just automatically put him in the mix of some bullsh*t now?”
Ice Cube defended his decision on CNN, saying, “Once we get some capital, we’ll be treated better. This is a capitalistic society and if you ain’t got no money — you see how people are treated on the street. Bottom line is, dollars bring dignity… we need to close this wealth gap.”
You can watch the full interview above.