Soulja Boy has apologised after his song, Let’s Be Real, with its anti-military lyrics, angered many Americans. However the rapper has said that his country should focus on “taking care of our own” rather than fighting foreign wars.
At the weekend, Soulja Boy released Let’s Be Real, a track on which he raps: “Fuck the FBI and the army troops… Fighting for what? Be your own man…”
Soulja Boy, Let's Be Real
The song unleashed a tide of fury from many who felt that slating the military, especially so close to the anniversary of 9/11, was unacceptable.
"It's a very offensive statement, especially with the 10th anniversary of 9/11 coming up." Fred A. Flores, a soldier currently serving in the military told TMZ. "He should apologize to ALL armed forces.”
On Youtube, comments, for the most part, follow this sentiment.
“As an army ranger I say f*** you to Soulja Boy…he has no idea what we go through overseas…I am disappointed in this little rugrat Soulja Boy…I think he should go through our training and go spent time in Iraq and Afghanistan,” wrote starstatus329.
Angry responses to the song have been posted, like this one:
However, others have sided with Soulja Boy.
“I agree with you bro! The Troops are not protecting us, nor isn't fighting for us. If anything, they are starting war with other Countries for the Government, while the Government plans to turn his back on they ass anyway….” says RamirezDGary.
While 000theUnforgiven000 wrote: “To be honest, the whole argument ‘the troops are the ones that allow you to be free’ isn't worth shit. If you really believe that the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan are defending in any way your country then you are mighty deluded. I am not defending that uneducated prick called soulja boy but I am tired with people being apologetic towards all kinds of military abuses saying that somehow if they didn’t fight in the middle east the U.S. would be in danger. It’s quite the opposite.”
Whether genuinely apologetic, or just seeking some PR damage limitation, Soulja Boy has issued an apology, writing on Global Grind:
"As an artist, I let my words get the best of me. Sometimes there are things that we feel, things that we want to express, and when we put them on paper and speak them out loud, they can come out wrong…. So, I write this to give my sincerest apology to all members of the United States military services, as well as their families that were offended by my most recent lyrics."
Soulja Boy also referred to the spate of violence that took place in New York City during the holiday weekend, saying:
"As a young man who grew up in the post-9/11 era, I have watched our country fight two wars that seem like they are never going to end. I have seen thousands and thousands of our brave men and women get killed in battle and often times, I think for what? A lot of people in this country are struggling to make ends meet and I think a lot about what if we had never gone to war. Where would our economy be? Our schools, our after-school and work programs, our streets? I mean, damn, 48 people got shot in New York City just this past weekend … in 3 days … I'm not saying that it is just because of a bad economy, but at a certain point we have to take care of our own people."
A total of 46 people have been shot in New York City – in a spate of separate, unrelated incidents – since Saturday morning, authorities said.
Do you think Soulja Boy has a fair point? Or not?
