Lil Dicky Speaks Out About George Floyd, Encourages Fans to Take Action Against Racism
Since George Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020, protests against police brutality have taken over the nation. Dave Burd, better known by his rap persona Lil Dicky, took to Instagram to encourage his fans to become part of the solution.
Lil Dicky has a national reach
Aside from becoming a viral sensation on YouTube for his song “Ex-Boyfriend,” Burd has recently stepped into the television spotlight. His FXX series Dave gives fans a glimpse at Burd’s life before his music career took off. The series was recently green-lit for another season. Now, Burd is using his voice to make an impact at a time when it matters most.
As a caucasian, Jewish rapper, Burd has had many difficult conversations as they relate to the music industry, privilege, and appropriation. Recognizing his fame, Burd used his influence to connect with his fans and speak to the issues Floyd’s death has presented.
Lil Dicky’s personal experiences with racism
Burd posted to his Instagram regarding his experiences with racial injustice and how, in the past, he ignored the situation.
“Even though things are at such a boiling point right now, perhaps the saddest thing to me is that none of this is remotely new,” Burd wrote in a text post to Instagram. He admits he has been oblivious to systemic racism, saying, “When I saw anything on the news, I thought to myself, ‘how can someone actually be racist, that’s so illogical and dumb.’ And I left it at that. I figured something so clearly wrong, and so legitimately evil could never continue to survive in today’s ‘enlightened’ society. I was wrong.”
Dave Burd, Instagram
Then he focused on the impact racism has had on his life and the lives of his friends. On several occasions, Burd says he was witness to Elz (Travis ‘Taco’ Bennett) and GaTa experience the hate of racism. He recounts the times he has seen black colleagues were wrongfully accused of doing something simply because of the color of their skin. He wrote about being at parties with GaTa and haring people threaten to “curb stomp him.” Burd said he was accused of stealing people’s laptops after he brought Elz and GaTa around.
“Nobody ever accused me of stealing anything before I hung out with GaTa,” Burd wrote. He recounted the many times racist events occurred and how mad he was about them, and how GaTa and Elz treated the situations as “business as usual.” After recalling these horrible instances, Burd’s focus shifts into a call of action for his fans and followers.
Lil Dicky encouraged action amongst fans
Using his fame and position as an “unaffected” party, Burd called for his fans to take action. “The people that are affected the most by this — their voices aren’t the loudest,” the rapper wrote. “It’s just astronomically harder for them to have the platform to be heard. So what’s becoming clear to me is that those of us unaffected every day by racism need to fight this fight harder than anyone.”
Though he’s unsure about his next move, Burd made a pledge to donate money, educate himself on the issues at hand, and do whatever he can to help.
Burd concluded his post with a hopeful message: “I believe that we are here to love. But hate will not disappear on its own. I beg all of you to join the fight. Not with violence, but with love. Because love will beat hate if we want it bad enough.”
