In an apparent effort to court controversy, TV host Laura Ingraham made a series of swipes directed at slain musician and community activist Nipsey Hussle during her Fox News show The Ingraham Angle on Friday night.
The right-wing commentator, who has previously faced boycott campaigns for mean-spirited remarks, smiled and laughed as she pounced on the rapper's hit song "FDT," which blasts President Donald Trump. The track, recorded by Hussle and rapper YG, was released in 2016.
"Yesterday in L.A., thousands lined the streets to say goodbye to rapper Nipsey Hussle," Ingraham announced, grinning. "Now this dear artist recently released a song called 'FDT' – F Donald Trump."
Ingraham then played a clip of the song, which became an anthem at protests during the 2016 presidential campaign and the rash of protests that followed Trump's inauguration. Ingraham focused on the song's chorus, which repeatedly uses the phrase "f*ck Donald Trump."
As she spoke, the lower-third of the screen featured a text chyron that read: "Nipsey Hussle's Wholesome Song Featuring Donald Trump."
"Now that's a very creative refrain!" Ingraham joked.
"Very catchy," guest Raymond Arroyo, a right-wing producer, responded. At one point, Ingraham mocked the song by saying the chorus "goes on and on." The two then went on to joke about Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan referring to Hussle as "Nipsey Russell" more than once during a eulogy for the rapper.
Although Ingraham focused on the chorus of "FDT," the lyrics also encourage young voters to cast their ballots and includes blistering critiques of racism within the Trump campaign. It can be listened to in full in the video below.
Hussle, a father of two, was fatally shot outside his apparel store, Marathon Clothing, in South Los Angeles on March 31. Tens of thousands of people poured into the city's Staples Center on Thursday for a public memorial for the rapper, who was also a prominent community activist working with underserved youth.
In a letter, former President Barack Obama praised Hussle for his contributions to the city.
"His choice to invest in that community rather than ignore it — to build a skills training center and a co-working space in Crenshaw; to lift up the Eritrean-American community; to set an example for young people to follow — is a legacy worthy of celebration," Obama wrote.
Los Angeles Police Commissioner Steve Soboroff also announced shortly after Hussle's death that he had been scheduled to meet with the rapper to discuss "ways he could help stop gang violence and help us help kids."
Hussle's activism wasn't mentioned in Ingraham's segment. She closed out the topic by saying, blithely, "God Bless.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
