Lil Wayne: ‘I’ve never dealt with racism’

Reacting to the decision of NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick to protest the national anthem, rapper Lil Wayne said racism “does not exist.” 

{mosads}Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the national anthem has put national focus on racial tensions in the United States, drawing comment from everyone from President Obama to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.  

But Wayne told Fox Sports on Tuesday that he’s too removed from prejudice to have a position. 

“I respect the man and his decision, and that’s all I can do. I have no opinion on it, because thing’s outside me. … Somebody had to explain it to me like, ‘He’s kneeling because of that whole Black Lives Matter thing,’” Wayne said. 

He said he has not encountered racism in his life and that his diverse fan base shows that racism “does not exist.”

“I have never, and never is a strong word, never dealt with racism, and I am glad I didn’t have to. And I don’t know if its because of my blessings … but it is my reality,” he said.

“Not only have I thought it was over, I still believe it’s over. But obviously it isn’t.” 

The hip-hop artist then reflected on his experience in the music industry and his deeper view of racism in the U.S.

“I don’t have a this type of crowd or that type of crowd. My crowd has always been everybody,” he said of his fans.

“I don’t want to be bashed … but I thought that was clearly a message that there was no such thing as racism. That’s what I thought that was. I thought that was a perfect example of it,” he said, recalling his experiences on stage. 

He also mentioned an incident in which a white police officer saved his life after he accidentally shot himself in his residence.