Elton John condemns DaBaby for fuelling “stigma” round HIV
Elton John has responded to feedback made by DaBaby throughout his set at Rolling Loud Miami over the weekend.
The North Carolina rapper (actual title Jonathan Kirk) drew criticism for controversial feedback he made surrounding homosexuality and HIV/AIDS onstage on the pageant on Sunday (July 25).
“Should you didn’t present up immediately with HIV, AIDS, any of them lethal sexually transmitted ailments that’ll make you die in two or three weeks, put your cellphone gentle up.,” he might be heard saying in footage from his set.
He added: “Girls, in case your pussy scent like water, put your cellphone gentle up. Fellas, should you ain’t sucking dick within the car parking zone, put your cellphone gentle up.”
DaBaby additionally claimed HIV will “make you die in two or three weeks”.
John – who based the Elton John AIDS Basis charity in 1992 – took to Instagram earlier immediately (July 28) to share his ideas on the rapper’s feedback and to supply some information and figures regarding HIV.
“We’ve been shocked to learn concerning the HIV misinformation and homophobic statements made at a current DaBaby present,” John wrote. “This fuels stigma and discrimination and is the other of what our world must struggle the AIDS epidemic.”
The singer then shared a couple of key information and statistics:
“HIV has affected over 70 million folks globally: males, girls, youngsters and essentially the most susceptible folks in our communities.
“In America, a homosexual black man has a 50% lifetime likelihood of contracting HIV. Stigma and disgrace round HIV and homosexuality is a large driver of this vulnerability. We have to break down the myths and judgements and never gasoline these.
“You may stay a protracted and wholesome life with HIV. Remedy is so superior that with one capsule a day, HIV can develop into undetectable in your physique so you’ll be able to’t move it onto different folks.”
John concluded his submit by stating that “a musician’s job is to carry folks collectively”, due to this fact there isn’t any place in our society and business for “homophobic and HIV mistruths”.
“As musicians, we should unfold compassion and love for essentially the most marginalised folks in our communities,” he added.
Dua Lipa – whose 2020 ‘Levitating’ remix contains a verse from DaBaby – has stated she is “stunned and horrified” by the rapper’s feedback.
“I actually don’t recognise this because the individual I labored with,” she stated in a submit to her Instagram Story. “I do know my followers know the place my coronary heart lies and that I stand 100 per cent with the LGTBQ group. We have to come collectively to struggle the stigma and ignorance round HIV/AIDS.”
DaBaby has since taken to Twitter to supply an apology for his remarks. “What I stated was insensitive,” he stated, “Regardless that I’ve no intentions on offending anyone. So my apologies.”