Meek Mill, who is very vocal about social issues, has been at the forefront of a very heated controversy over his response to professional boxer Ryan Garcia’s racial slur. The Mexican-American fighter sparked outrage by going public, saying that Lil Wayne permitted him to use something very sacred among black Americans—the N-word. This statement, coupled with inflammatory remarks invoking the Ku Klux Klan, drew swift condemnation from Meek Mill and others in the public eye.
Meek Mill speaks on Ryan Garcia’s N-word rant: “Doing anything for money can mess your brain up & now your really broke n*gga” PIC.TWITTER.COM/JMYIH5JP2Z
— SAY CHEESE! 👄🧀 (@SaycheeseDGTL) JULY 5, 2024
The boxing champion Garcia went to X Spaces to go ranting, which left many speechless. “I hate n-gas. I’m anti-Black,” he said in the worst part of the rant, further invoking the Ku Klux Klan and vile comments about George Floyd. His statements quickly drew intense backlash across social media sites.
In a series of candid Instagram Stories, Meek Mill called out Garcia for his mental state, warning that acting solely based on monetary gain rather than personal integrity would damage one’s mind. “Doing anything for money can mess up your mind,” the rapper stated, reflecting others’ worries over Garcia’s statements’ ethical nature and possible impact.
The fallout from Garcia’s controversial outburst was immediate. The World Boxing Council (WBC) announced it had expelled Garcia. Mauricio Sulaiman stated, “The WBC is a zero-tolerance institution to any kind of discrimination,” so sending a gesture full-handed against the offensive language by Garcia.
While Meek Mill was quick to voice his disapproval, Lil Wayne, who was implicated in Garcia’s claims, has yet to address the controversy publicly. This silence has left many wondering about the rapper’s stance on the issue, adding another layer of intrigue to the unfolding drama.
Meek Mill’s response extended beyond social media posts. He took to Twitter to further express his thoughts, generating a flurry of reactions from his followers and critics alike. Some commentators speculated that Meek Mill’s outspoken stance was aimed at boosting engagement on his platforms—a practice known as “engagement farming.” However, supporters rallied behind him, urging a measured response in the face of Garcia’s inflammatory rhetoric.
In what may be unprecedented—a surprise this week—Meek Mill became the latest celebrity to take a Twitter Space, only this time, it was the incendiary figure Andrew Tate. The interaction further crystallized discourse over Garcia’s antics and complicated how engagement with issues of racial sensitivity is viewed in public life.
Meek Mill reacted to this, citing what former NBA player Stephen Jackson had said about Garcia’s behavior, calling it attention-seeking and deeply concerning. In a candid Instagram video, Jackson took it upon himself to tell Garcia how insensitive he was and that he needed help. “You ain’t that, Ryan. Okay? You’re a boxer. Stick to that, bro,” Jackson said, setting a clear boundary against Garcia’s antics.
First of all, the N-word itself is entrenched in a lot of pain and troubled history. To comprehend its usage, it is only fitting to discuss where it originated. The term can be directly related to those dark times during the Atlantic slave trade that occurred from the 16th through the 19th century. In 1619, one ship sailed into Virginia with about 20 Africans on board who were treated as spices purchased for slavery. This was dubbed after the Spanish and Portuguese words for black, from which the N-word was formed.
That is intrinsic because the derogatory term belonged to the dehumanization of African people; less than human, synonymous with animal or beast of burden. In several instances in history, through films such as “12 Years a Slave,” one can mention that the use of the ‘n’-word was actually employed to make black people feel less human and not good enough. In the UK also, the term was used at times like some sort of “endearing” surname, but still with all negative undertones.
Astonishingly, even the British scientist Charles Darwin and his wife Emma used this word in their letters jokingly to imply that a husband was equal to an enslaved person in status. During World War II, it even became the name of a black Labrador retriever mascot named the 617 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, the famous Dambusters.
Over time, the N-word changed from being a neutral millennium-old syllable to a highly offensive racial epithet. Its use mirrored Independent the intense systemic racism and discrimination that is rooted in society. Decades more recently, rap culture and hip-hop would attempt to appropriate and reclaim the word for their purposes, but its phenomenal power still remains so very strong and polarizing.
As Meek Mill, among hundreds of others, continues to plead for understanding and empathy in societal interactions, the controversy surrounding Ryan Garcia’s remarks stands as a stark reminder that words leave scars and that racial justice remains an uphill battle in contemporary discourse.
