Busta Rhymes accused of homophobic attack
The American rap star, Busta Rhymes allegedly lashed out at a young gay fan outside a gay night club in Miami earlier this week.
The New York Post claims that the singer has been on edge since his bodyguard, Israel Ramirez, was shot dead last month in Brooklyn while guarding Rhymes’ jewellery.
The alleged homophobic incident took place at the 11th Street Diner, which is next door to the popular gay night club Twist early on last Sunday morning.
“The restaurant was packed with transvestites, gay men and drag queens, which obviously made Busta a little edgy,” eyewitness Thomas Barker told the Post. “This became evident when a young gay guy came up behind Busta and tapped him on the shoulder to congratulate the rapper on his recent comeback. Before the guy could even mutter a word, Busta turned around and repeatedly screamed, ‘Why the f**k you touchin’ me, man? Get the f**k away from me.”
Other sources claim that the rapper then whispered to his bodyguard: ” I hate f*****g faggots, man.” PinkNews.co.uk has been unable to verify this claim which has been found on a number of music websites.
Earlier this month, British pop diva Beverly Knight spoke out against the blatant homophobia in a great deal of music from black artists including Beenie Man and Busta Rhyme.
“Some people may feel that there’s a certain attitude that has to come with being a reggae fan and that part of that attitude is gay-bashing. I don’t believe that,” Knight told the Voice newspaper. ” Reggae is a genre of music – it’s not a lifestyle. I enjoy reggae music. I liked Buju Banton back in the day, I listened to Beenie Man’s Many Moods of Moses, I love great singers like Luciano and John Holt.
“But what I didn’t like was seeing talented artists using their platform to gay-bash. Firstly, it doesn’t make business sense for an artist to do that kind of thing, knowing that British society aims to encourage tolerance.
“And also, I think black people need to remember that whenever they gay-bash, they’re bashing at least ten per cent of their own community. I know a number of young, gay black men who live a lie every day of their lives because they are terrified of the ramifications of just being themselves.
“My friend who died hated the fact that being a black, gay man had to be such a burden for him. So it really breaks my heart to hear talented reggae artists falling into this trap of gay-bashing.”
The human rights activist Peter Tatchell of gay rights group OutRage! has long campaigned against what he calls “murder music lyrics” which he believes incites the murder of gay men and women.
PinkNews.co.uk is forced to regularly remove offensive posts from its comments section citing lyrics from black artists. “Batty bois fee dead” meaning “kill gay men” is often deleted by editors.
BUSTA Rhymes went ballistic on a young gay fan who dared to tap the rapper on the shoulder after a night of clubbing in Miami. Rhymes, who was in South Beach for the Winter Music Conference, has been on edge ever since one of his security guards, Israel Ramirez, was shot dead last month in Brooklyn while guarding Rhymes’ jewelry. But it seems nothing makes the rapper’s temper flare faster than the unwanted touch of an effeminate man. The drama unfolded at the 11th Street Diner, which is nextdoor to gay club Twist, early Sunday morning. “The restaurant was packed with transvestites, gay men and drag queens, which obviously made Busta a little edgy,” eyewitness Thomas Barker e-mails. “This became evident when a young gay guy came up behind Busta and tapped him on the shoulder to congratulate the rapper on his recent comeback. Before the guy could even mutter a word, Busta turned around and repeatedly screamed, ‘Why the [bleep] you touchin’ me, man? Get the [bleep] away from me’ . . .
It’s claimed the ‘Break Ya Neck’ rapper then whispered to one of his bodyguards: ‘I hate f*****g faggots, man’.’
