Bill Maher, a comedian and podcast presenter, criticized the late rapper Ice Cube for his use of language that encouraged disdain for the police.
On the most recent edition of Club Random, the two were talking about fame, and Ice Cube argued that certain individuals profit from dividing others.
The rap industry was then brought up by Ice Cube, who said that the same individuals who run rap companies also operate private prisons.
Ice Cube continued, noting that record committees may lay out a structure for artists to adhere to in order to forward a particular story.
“It seems really suspicious if you want to say that word, that the records that come out are really geared to push people toward their prison industry,” the rapper said.
“They didn’t make you write those lyrics,” Maher shot back.
“If they have financial interests in prison, and your theory, if I’m following correctly, its that the stuff in rap lyrics works as a funnel to get people inspired to do the kind of things that would get them in prison. For example, writing a lyric ‘fuck the police… might get somebody arrested and sent to prison,” Maher said.
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