Like many recent performers who’ve been released from WWE, Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins appeared on Talk Is Jericho, where they talked frankly with Chris about their experiences in WWE. Hawkins and Ryder were two of the many Superstars WWE let go back in April, immediately before reporting record profits and little impact from the pandemic.

Zack Ryder has always been one of those WWE talents, like Rusev in more recent years, who fans claim WWE held down because Vince McMahon resented the fact that Ryder got over with fans on his own, rather than by following a WWE script. He was the first WWE Superstar to embrace YouTube, long before Xavier Woods came along, but his success there did not translate to success in the company. In fact it did seem to count against him in the company’s eyes.

On the podcast, Zack Ryder told the story of how he got himself over with his YouTube videos, and just when he thought Triple H was going to five him a rub for it, it went the other way.

So this is November. I start the YouTube show in February. So it’s almost a whole year of working my f–king ass off and just trying to get noticed. Trying . Trying. Trying. It literally took almost a whole year, and it was the fall time where I think eventually they said we got to shut these people up because I wasn’t even booked to these shows.

They’re chanting. They’re bringing these signs, I was incorporating that into my show. I had somebody who would literally watch RAW and Smackdown and find a Zack Ryder sign and screenshot it. Then I’d include all those signs in my YouTube show, and it would entice people to bring signs. So I was just trying to create as much momentum as possible.

Finally, I think they had to just put me on to shut everybody up, but now, the chants were getting louder and especially the match he’s talking about. It was a Ziggler vs. Morrison match. Listen, I don’t want to toot my own horn, but like I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about. Madison Square Garden, not only is it our home arena, but it’s The f–king Garden.

I go out there. The place is going nuts, and I get to the curtain. Triple H is like, “Come here,” and I’m thinking finally this is it. He’s gonna say, “Good job, kid.” This is what I’ve been waiting for like, how can you deny? This is Madison Square Garden, right? He pulls me aside, and I had just got fresh blond tips on my hair like that week.

So he asked me, “Why did you dye your hair?” I’m like, what? Madison Square Garden is chanting my name. You’re asking me why I dyed my hair. I’ve been dying my hair for months. It was just a fresh job like come on man. I thought he pull a come here like he would say, “Good job, man. Alright, we believe in you. Let’s go,” but it’s like you can’t go dying your hair like that or something like that.

Curt Hawkins added that one of the central backstage myths of WWE had to basically be abandoned because Zack proved it so wrong.

Chris can attest to this. Every year, as long as I was in WWE, after the RAW after Mania, we have this BS company everyone there at TV meeting where we say the brass ring is there. It’s yours. It’s a fresh year. Who’s gonna get it?

Ever since “Long Island Iced Z” and “Z! True Long Island Story,” they don’t even bother with that meeting anymore because they know it’s not true. It’s not true because even if you grab the brass ring, you’re going to get your hands smacked. You’re not going to have it.

Chris Jericho agreed, bringing up Daniel Bryan as another example.

If Vince doesn’t think of it, it’s not valid. It’s not real, and the same thing happened with Daniel Bryan when he first came in. I mean Vince did not like him because he was a vegan and all these other reason. He went and got over because he knows that how to get over, and they still resisted it for so long until finally they had no other choice.

I feel the same thing happened with Zack Ryder in that you got over so well. You gave yourself an internet title.

Zack then admitted that he wishes he’d spoken up for himself more directly at the time.

One of my biggest regrets is that I was too young and afraid to almost, not stand up for myself, but question like, “Hey, why is this happening?” I should have went right to Vince and said like, “Hey, I’m selling this merch. I’m doing this. I’m doing that. Why is this happening?” And I just took it.

Hopefully Zack lands somewhere that appreciates his ability to connect with fans, instead of holding it against him.

Not every professional athlete is given the chance to go home. For Taj Gibson, that opportunity was presented to him during the 2019 NBA offseason, when the veteran forward/center received a contract offer from the New York Knicks. Gibson, a Brooklyn native, put pen to paper on the deal, and prior to the NBA’s current hiatus, he served a steady hand in the frontcourt amid the team’s youth movement.

While Gibson has done plenty of work in the community over the years — he was awarded the key to Brooklyn during a ceremony last June, before he came to terms on a deal with the Knicks — there is no way he could have seen the hurt that New York has gone through over the last few months. The Big Apple was, for a stretch, the global epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, and of the more than 100,000 casualties that have occurred in the United States, more than 21,000 of them have occurred in New York county as of this writing.

As a result, Gibson teamed up with Knicks legend John Starks to raise money for the Robin Hood Foundation, a New York-based charity that fights poverty in the city. A number of other big names, including a host of athletes who represent the city, have joined in on the initiative, and according to the Foundation’s website, tens of millions of dollars have been distributed in relief funds.

Dime caught up with Gibson recently to discuss, among other things, his charity efforts at a time when his fellow New Yorkers need it the most.

How did you get involved with the Robin Hood campaign?

Well, I’ve been talking to them for a couple months now, ever since I’ve been a part of the Knicks. I always liked how their organization was ran. They had a lot of stars and I was always just in tune with them for a couple of months — one of my best friends, Tameek Floyd, one day, introduce them to me. But then, this pandemic happened and the New York Knicks, they kind of reached out, Robin Hood reached out to the Knicks, and the Knicks and me were already talking about doing some positive things. So we just felt like, why not jump in and try to do something with Robin Hood? That’s how it all started.

And what’s been the goal with all of this?

Just to raise money for most of the starving families around New York. It was so many different fundraisers underneath one umbrella — it was from the Giants, from the Rangers, the Knicks, I was in charge of the Knicks with John Starks. The goal was to try to raise over a million dollars, they succeeded, that number, with a telethon.

It was a bunch of people just gathering up money and then trying to put it all in one. And then the telethon thing comes on, they shut down New York with all the television and everything, and callers would just donate $10. Most of the time, we wasn’t asking for much, mostly $5, $10 to a good cause, and we did that.

You’re a New Yorker. Do you feel some kind of added motivation in that to help out those in your city who are really struggling right now?

Of course, without a doubt. I always felt like this even before the pandemic happened, I always was helping out throughout Brooklyn in my neighborhood for like 10 years now, with my foundation, the Taj Gibson Foundation. Just the lowest scale, but as of late, I’ve been picking up, meeting people, networking, working with the NYPD, NYCHA, building it up to help people the best way I can. But since this pandemic, it’s been even higher — you got funerals, you got people needing money, people needing food, support, people being there for each other. There’s a lot going on in New York.

So when you first joined the Knicks, you gave a quote where you said you grew up a Knicks fan, and the one player that you mentioned in this quote was watching John Starks, so how special was it getting to work alongside him for this?

It’s dope have your name attached with John Starks in anything. Because I grew up watching him, he’s tough-minded guy. Over the years, even coming to New York to always play the Knicks, he always just talked to my family. He’s a great guy. When I became a part of the Knicks, I was running in to all the Knicks legends — Sprewell, LJ, ran into Pat Ewing in D.C. To see these guys and honestly have a conversation with them about basketball is just dope, it’s a great feeling.

So I’m from Jersey and it seems like there is something about John that made him particularly beloved among a certain era of Knicks fans. For the non tri-state people, could you explain why Knicks fans loved him so much?

I liked him because, when you look at the makeup of the old Knicks team, they were rugged and a grimy kind of team. They were hard-nose on defense and they were really physical and passionate. Every night they went on the court, you knew that they were going to play hard and I was a big fan of that. He was a very aggressive player and I just liked that growing up. It’s always those players on every team that you just root for no matter. He was one of them to the Knicks.

I’ve always thought there’s this really special sense among New Yorkers of being in it for one another. And you’re a well-traveled dude, is that something that is unique about people in the city?

Yeah, cause we can fit in anywhere. New Yorkers will go anywhere and just be like, you know what, you just adapt. People from New York just adapt. I’ve been able to adapt in different circumstances, but my hunger and my determination and my work ethic has always been a New York, grime and grit kind of style. I’ve been a blue collar guy my whole life. Being in New York kind of helped me with that.

NBA players are always able to use their platforms to help their communities and that seems like it’s a little more important than usual right now. Would you agree with that?

Of course, of course. Your platform, sometimes you take it for granted, because you don’t want to be so into social media, but then, you gotta think about the bright sides that come with it. You’ve joined forces with many different people that want to help and have the same kind of desire and the goal that you want to do, that you have as well. And with social media, you connect, get the word out there, build more bonds so you can even bring back more reinforcements to help the people that you’re trying to help yourself. That’s one of the main things I’ve been trying to do with my platform since I’ve been around this pandemic and the last 10 years working with my foundation and the kids.

It also seems really important to use your platform and to show other guys how they can use theirs. What do you tell younger dudes finding their way in the league about why it’s so important to be able to give back like this?

Well, you always try to tell them to get back because it’s like, somebody took the time out to put some energy into you. It’s a lot of little children, a lot of little kids out there that are looking up to us and we got to set the standard for them, you know what I’m saying? Especially in New York where the standard of making it to the pros or making it to play division one basketball has kind of slacked off a little bit. You just got to just be there, got to kind of coach them, kind of give them an insight like, yo, this is good for you, this could help you. I see young players are really into it. Some of the guys, a lot of guys in my team, that’s all they do. That’s how we communicate. We laugh at jokes and everything through social media.

Aside from the charity work, what all have you been doing to keep yourself busy as we’re trying to wait everything out right now?

Well, just try to stay in shape. It’s nothing like basketball shape, but when you’re in New York, they shut everything down. It’s not really too much you can do, but just staying shape. The Knicks send workouts — a lot of biking, but mostly just staying home and staying ready, staying healthy because you never know. Anything can happen in this pandemic, but so far, it’s been okay. But the main thing right now is just a lot of Zoom meetings with friends, family, my teammates, coaching staff. This has been a weird but fun … It’s kind of weird, but the fun part about it, you learn new things. I’m having meetings on Zoom a lot with my teammates. So it’s a new way as far as getting to know each other.

You’re the longest-tenured dude on a team with a bunch of young guys, and obviously none of us have all the answers, but how do you act as a team leader in the middle of something that none of us have ever experienced before?

First thing is try to stay in tune with the team, make sure you always be a part of the team. Sometimes those things just come to you — sometimes you’re never really trying to be the leader or anything like that. It just comes natural because when you’re a giving person, as a team-first kind of a person, those things kind of build strong qualities in you, so guys kind of respect you a little more, guys kind of feel they can always count on you to ask you questions and count on you to just be there for them. And it just comes like that, just having a personality like that, I guess, for me personally.

Beyond all of this, you’re living out every single New York kids dream in that you are playing for the Knicks. How’s your first year been back in the city and what’s it been like after a decade-plus to finally get to go home?

Well, it’s a weird feeling. I used to ask guys before before they went back to New York to play, “What is it like? What is it like? What is it like?” And for years, I used to always look at them like, oh man, they’re lucky they get to go back home and play. That’s awesome. I was like, I wonder if it will ever happen, but then it happened. It has its good and it has its bad. Being home, you always have a thousand phone calls. Then at the same time, you got to still lock in and be able to play, and it’s tough, because you’re a pro, you got a lot of things you have to be attentive to.

But so far, it’s been great. I can see my family, my dad, he’s still recovering from a heart transplant, brand new heart, which I’m happy he’s able to get thanks to the great doctors at Mount Sinai, New York. So I get to see my family all the time. That’s one of the bright spots that would be in this pandemic, seeing all distant relatives, people I grew up in my neighborhood, people where I grew up that used to work at the local stores, essential workers. A lot of the older generation are slowly dying from this disease. And every day, it just makes me think like how appreciative I am to be able to play in New York and be around my family at this crazy time.

A really fun quote that you gave when you joined the Knicks, you were mentioning that Thibs said to you, if anyone is capable of playing in New York, you’re a New York style player. How do you and Thibs define that?

I guess it was just from him talking through all the years, when he was with the Knicks. One of my favorite players was LJ. I just appreciated how he played, especially when his back was hurt, all those years in the Knicks. And Thibs, we just always just talked about being tough. Like, you can always count on me just to stay focused, be tough, and have that mindset of every game, just knowing that you’re going to play hard, do whatever it takes to help the team, be a strong leader on the court, strong leader off the court, always have a solid mindset of just being that guy for your team. Being that guy that you can always count on, like he’s going to be there to always have your back.

Hey friend,

Do you remember me? It’s been a while, I know. I sat behind you in civics in junior high.

Do you remember me? You were my base on the cheer squad, and once you caught my head just before it hit the ground after a long day of stunting.

You don’t remember? Our boys played together on the soccer team in 4th grade.

We drank wine out of solo cups in college together.

You totally remember. My vernacular is so similar to your own that it’s a running joke that I’m not actually Black, but I am.

And so are my boys.

---

Friend, I don’t get deep enough with you and it’s not your fault. I just see the quick twist in your face that quickly screams “I’m uncomfortable” when I broach the subject of race.

Discomfort I can deal with most days, but some days it’s more than discomfort. Some days it’s disbelief, and that hurts more, so I don’t tell you.

I don’t tell you the fear I feel on a daily basis as my boys continue to grow. I don’t tell you that all on their own they’ve developed a healthy fear of the police, and even the school resource officer.

I don’t tell you that my oldest son has said “the SRO treats the Black kids meaner. It gives me anxiety.”

I don’t tell you that even though we are careful not to watch these awful videos of unarmed people getting shot, your children are showing them at school, and my children have noticed the theme.

I would never tell you that as they shoot up to be as tall as I am, soon to tower over me, that my mama heart breaks for reasons you’ll never fully grasp.

I’d never tell you that at the ripe age of 14, my son “fits the description,” and his brother is not far behind.

I would never tell you that, because you can’t imagine that being truth. You know my boys. You know their hearts. You know they’re the sweetest, most respectful and helpful children you’ve met. The thought of anyone seeing them as a threat just does not cross your mind.

I love you for loving my boys, I do. But I need you to love them enough to demand change so parents that look like me aren’t afraid our children aren’t going to make it home.

I need you to love them enough to not just see them as your sons, but to see all boys that look like them as your potential sons.

I need you to love them like you love your own sons, because this world doesn’t. Love them because my mama heart cannot handle another man being shot that looks like my brothers, cousins, uncles, and sons.

Love them because my son has said the words “I can’t breathe” when talking about how seeing a police car makes him feel.

Love them because my big brother likes to jog.

Love them because my younger brother has the best contagious laugh you’ve ever heard.

Love them because my baby brother has the sweetest soul, but it takes him a while to say things. He gets excited and his stutter gets in the way.

Love them because the movie American Son is so many Black mothers’ realities.

Love them so it does not become my reality.

Love them and demand America do the same.

You know me. I’m your friend.

This post was originally published on Jacalyn Wetzel’s blog, Stop Yelling Please. You can read it here.

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It’s been a weird 2020 for AJ Styles. The two-time WWE Champion started the year off getting injured at the Royal Rumble. He then got punked out by the Undertaker not once, not twice, but three times (with the third time also doubling as his first boning). Maybe AJ just wasn’t meant to be on Monday Night Raw.

Styles, who is a ghost, recently appeared on Corey Graves’ After The Bell podcast where he not only discussed his feelings regarding his trade to Smackdown, but the loss of his O.C. stablemates Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows, who were among the massive roster cuts WWE made in April, despite having just re-signed big contracts in mid-2019:

“I think they’re doing a good job [on Smackdown], so I’m excited about that. Doing something different is good for me. I needed a change. Losing Gallows and Anderson really hurt me. Getting away from Raw helps me get over it — I don’t know if I’ll get over it, but it helps change the atmosphere around me and to do something different. My whole time on Raw was basically with them. To get away from that and get to SmackDown, where I’ve had a lot of success, it’s a good thing.

“I brought their names to WWE and when they got released, I immediately felt responsible for them because I helped them get here and I wanted them to stay. I thought, if I hadn’t encouraged them to stay maybe they wouldn’t be behind right now. A lot of it fell on me and I felt like I let them down. I talked to them about this and I was just crushed. I’m the oldest and I didn’t take care of them. That really bothered me. And it still does.”

To their credit, Gallows and Anderson seem to be taking their releases in stride, promising a tell-all episode of their Talk’n Shop podcast dropping the day their non-compete clause ends, on July 18.

(h/t Fightful)

Another day, another return for a major soccer league in Europe. This time, it’s England’s Premier League, as multiple reports indicate that the world’s top footballing league has a date set to restart following its hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Prem is slated to make its return on June 17, a date that reportedly received the green light during a shareholders meeting on Thursday. According to ESPN FC, a pair of matches will occur on that day — Manchester City hosting Arsenal and Sheffield United traveling to take on Aston Villa — before an all-out sprint will occur. The proposed end date is August 1, with the English FA holding one last match, the FA Cup final, on August 8.

Via ESPN:

Several clubs are thought to have expressed a desire for four more weeks’ preparation having only approved contact training in a vote on Wednesday, but the league’s desire to resume sooner in addition to pressure from UEFA to complete domestic matches by the beginning of August forced a compromise.

In terms of crowning a champion, few leagues need to resume less than the Premier League. Liverpool sits atop the table on 82 points, with Manchester City (57 points) being the only club that can mathematically catch them. That, however, is not going to happen, as the Reds need six points from their remaining nine matches in order to clinch the title. Having said that, there are still a handful of other things that need to be decided, primarily positions for next year’s various European competitions, so instead of going the way of France’s Ligue 1, the Premier League will make its way back in less than a month.

A judge has ordered Rich The Kid to pay over $300,000 after his landlord sued him for skipped rent and damages to a Hollywood Hills mansion. According to legal documents acquired by Bossip and reviewed by Uproxx, Rich was sued in January of 2019 for failing to pay $22,500 in rent — an amount which ballooned when the chairman of the trust that owns the mansion alleged that “special damages” had occurred while he was in residence.

Haikuhe Chichyan, the trustee, reported that in addition to the initial back owed $22,500, Rich and his entourage used $7,376 in utilities, while a $2,500 late fee was tacked on when he failed to pay. However, Rich either didn’t have the $32,376 or thought other things were more important than catching up on his rent, as he failed to respond and the judge issued a default judgment against him, ordering him to pay the full amount of $323,214. Among the damages alleged by Chichyan, Rich and his friends broke the saltwater pool system by overheating it to almost 100 degrees, destroyed the entertainment system, and let dogs poop on the hardwood floors.

That’s not the least of Rich’s money troubles to date. Earlier this month, it was reported that he was also being sued for $234,000 for an unpaid jewelry tab, as well as by his management company for $3.5 million. At this rate, he may need a name change — and that house from Parasite to hide in from all these bill collectors.

Read the case documents here.

Last year, global superstar Rosalía joined forces with Travis Scott for his “Highest In The Room” remix off his EP Jackboys. The duo apparently enjoyed their time working together as they’ve now come together once again for a new single. Titled “TKN,” the track boasts an irresistible beat and Scott even tries his hand at rapping in Spanish.

For the track’s accompanying video, the duo enlists the help of the youth. Filmed prior to quarantine and directed by Nicolás Méndez, the visual opens with a stampede of school children rushing through the streets. Joined by their leader Rosalía, the large hoard of kids erupt into coordinated dance in line with the track’s hard-hitting rhythm.

In a statement alongside the track, Rosalía praised Scott for his work: “Travis is an artist who I’ve admired a lot since the beginning of his career and I can’t imagine a better artist to collaborate with on this song. I feel that now is the moment to release this song, after so many months of staying indoors, missing freedom or being with people we love. I hope ‘TKN’ gives you energy, makes you dance, and gives you strength if you’re going through difficult times. With all my love <3.”

Watch Rosalía and Scott’s “TKN” video above.

Lisa Kudrow launched into living rooms on Jimmy Kimmel Live! from home to promote her Space Force role, which teams her up with The Office‘s Steve Carell and Greg Daniels. Kudrow’s role in the Netflix series is a small one, but she’s one of the most recognizable faces of the ensemble cast and is very enthused to promote the gig. In addition, the former Phoebe Buffay is anticipating the Friends cast reunion for HBO Max, so she related a story to Kimmel about how Matthew Perry was nice enough to gift her with a prop from the beloved series.

Oh, look… it’s right there on the shelf: the “Cookie Time” prop from Monica’s kitchen

However, Kudrow immediately suspected that Perry may have lifted the clock, rather than go through more orthodox channels to give it to her. Is she correct?

“I think the first thing I asked was, ‘This was so nice.. did you get permission?’” Kudrow explained to Kimmel. “I mean, my car used to get searched every night when I left.”

Hmm. Well, it’s certainly possible that Perry may have pulled some strings with producers, but it certainly produces a better story if he simply decided to lift the thing. Years prior, Kudrow had fully mistaken the prop for an actual clock while gesturing toward it during a scene, so it does make for a nice memento.

At an already perilous time in American history, police brutality against Black Americans is rearing its ugly head again. In March, Breonna Taylor was murdered by Louisville Metro police after they barged into her home on a search warrant — for a person who had already been arrested. Earlier this week in Minneapolis, George Floyd was callously suffocated by since-fired officer Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on Floyd’s neck for at least eight minutes despite the 46-year-old pleading that he couldn’t breathe. (There was also the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, which involved an ex-law enforcement official.)

Former NBA player Stephen Jackson, who called Texas native Floyd his “friend” and “twin,” said that Floyd had moved to Minnesota to change his life, only to die violently at the hands of the state. Video footage shows MPD officers unlawfully pulling Floyd out of his car (on suspicion of using a forged check in a nearby store) and manhandling him even though Floyd gave no resistance.

The four officers involved in the incident (two of which are Chauvin and Tou Thao) have been fired, but their removal does nothing to shift the praxis of an American police system that is fundamentally predacious toward Black people. As of March 31st, at least 31 Black people have been shot dead by police in 2020, according to Statista.com. Taylor and Floyd are the latest public faces of a police brutality prevalence that doesn’t feel like a series of anomalous incidents as much as a natural consequence of a racially biased system. Outrage over Taylor and Floyd’s deaths has been widespread, especially from members of the hip-hop community that is disproportionately targeted by police.

There has been even more uproar about Floyd’s plight, with the likes of Diddy, Snoop Dogg, Talib Kweli, and more taking to social media and calling for action. Meek Mill bemoaned, “Its 2020 don’t even bring up a protest!!!!!! Now they killing us on camera it’s no excuses left!” But what does a proper civic response to police brutality look like? One can look through the hip-hop community to see that different people have different answers.

Stretches of Minnesota went up in flames last night at the hands of protestors, and people took to the streets of Los Angeles in outrage. Martin Luther King Jr. famously called uprisings, reductively framed as riots, “the language of the unheard.” Cardi B expressed the rage of that silenced hoard by venting, “As much as I don’t like this type of violence it is what it is. Too much peaceful marches, too much trending hashtags and NO SOLUTIONS! The people are left with NO CHOICE.”

That surge of emotion stems not only from the audacity of bad cops, but the emissaries of the state who rarely hold them accountable. Trae Da Truth, a Houston icon who called Floyd “one of our own from 3rd Ward Cuney Homes,” posted the badge number of Chauvin and Thao on Instagram and alerted that he was “applying pressure,” likely for them to be prosecuted. (As it turns out, George Floyd was a member of a Houston-based rap group in the ’90s) LL Cool J surmised, “These 4 evil cops need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and put in prison for life.” T.I. spoke on the three Louisville Metro Police officers involved in Breonna Taylor’s murder on Instagram, noting that “there is no way in hell the officers responsible for murdering (Tayor) can be allowed to walk free.”

At the very minimum, incarcerating the offending officers would ensure that they are no longer abusing their powers to assault the community they swore to protect and serve. But expecting carceral politics to resolve an issue of its own making is injudicious. If convicting cops actually served as a warning to others who commit state-sanctioned violence, then the high profile 2019 conviction of officers like Amber Guyger, who murdered Botham Jean after barging into the innocent man’s home, would have moved the needle. But instead, the violence persists.

Along with the prosecution of offending officers, many police critics are calling for reforms that they believe will hold more officers accountable and make their interactions with citizens a matter of public record. People have suggested demilitarization, body cams, local oversight committees, and other deterrent measures. Raising awareness of reform through music, social media interaction works, but the next step in actionizing those measures is through policy, specifically local politics.

In 2014, when asked about how to enact change, St. Louis-born rapper and activist Tef Poe said that, “I think that when the smoke clears (in Ferguson), a lot of our plans are just to become a self-sufficient community and to really break away from the Democratic and Republican game of charades.” He’s been on the frontlines protesting police brutality in Ferguson, Missouri for most of the last decade, challenging the police department and politicians to enact legitimate justice for Black people in the wake of Mike Brown’s unjust murder by former Ferguson Police Department cop Darren Wilson in 2014.

Though the national political arena is downright depressing for many, there are still opportunities to engage municipalities and create a better quality of life through policy. Many liberal politicians have been smart enough to embrace hip-hop as a direct pipeline to young voters. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms, who put T.I. and Killer Mike on her transition team, is a chief example. In 2019, she pulled 25 officers out of joint task forces with the Drug Enforcement Administration because the federal agents were trying to prohibit the local cops from wearing body cameras. Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields, likely also speaking for Bottoms, challenged, “If you’re policing and you’re policing properly…you have nothing to fear” from wearing a body cam.

That principled stand speaks for Bottoms’ desire to hold the police accountable for their actions, which is more than many politicians are doing. That’s what onetime Chicago mayoral candidate Toni Periweckle sought to do amid the city’s FBI investigation for corruption. Chance The Rapper endorsed her in 2019, saying she was the best person for the job in part because she’s a “person who’s going to account for the police,” as he noted in a city hall speech. But unfortunately, Periweckle lost to Lori Lightfoot, who is a figure of ire for Chicago progressives.

In theory, more rappers should join TI, Killer Mike, Chance, and Meek Mill (who participated in a police reform town hall) in standing behind candidates that they believe in who can push for police reform. Many top rappers ideate themselves as the “kings” of their city because of their commercial stature, but galvanizing political change is a true sign of influence. Even when legislation is enacted, though, it doesn’t necessarily change the psyche of officers like Chauvin, who knew he was being filmed but still kept his knee firmly planted down on Floyd’s neck.

The prevalence of filmed instances of egregious violence indicates that there are cops who aren’t deterred from being aggressive on camera, and one instance of police brutality is too many. Police are held to a higher standard than civilians but the malice Chauvin showed feels no different than that of ex-law enforcement officer Gregory McMichael and his son Travis McMichael, who were recently charged in the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery. Arbery was jogging through a South Georgia neighborhood before being accosted by the McMichaels while William Bryan Jr. (who was also charged) filmed them. McMichael had worked for as police officer at the Glynn County Police Department from 1982 to 1989, and an investigator in the Glynn County District Attorney’s office for 24 years. He was almost suspended in 2014 when the office found out that had worked for years without the required firearms and deadly force training. Would his actions or disdain for Arbery’s mere presence have been any less if he were in a cop uniform? This reality makes many believe that stumping for police reform is such an uphill battle that it’s the wrong fight to have, and police should be outright removed from the equation.

On Tuesday, underground hip-hop legend Immortal Technique took to Instagram and expressed that “police exist in a society when it’s necessary to prevent rich and poor people (from coexisting) together” and deemed them “pawns of the system.” There are others who believe that while there are police officers who respect the humanity of the communities they serve, they don’t offset the hoards of corrupt officers. And more importantly, they believe that cops’ systemic criminalization of poor people of color doesn’t allow them to see the humanity of the people they cross paths with, which leads to brutality.

However, those seeking abolition of the current police system don’t want an environment without conflict resolution. Yesterday, Kehlani called for “death to the badge” on Twitter, but also shared a thread from Twitter account @a_busy_woman with valuable resources for those seeking alternatives to calling the police. The Unitarian Universalist Association seeks to “guide us away from punitive solutions into restoration and transformation.” Critical Resistance’s Abolitionist Toolkit “is designed primarily for U.S.-based community organizers already working toward abolition and our allies.” The kit contains a thorough explanation on alternatives to policing such as transformative justice, which relies on community networks and mediators instead of the police.

From gang interventionists who have halted cycles of gun violence to circles — an indigenous practice where mediators talk through offenses with the perpetrator, victims, and their communities — there are already non-punitive alternatives to policing. Increased awareness of these roles could lead to more people assuming them, and more self-policing communities throughout the country. It’s also worth noting that police abolition work goes in tandem with advocating for economic and social policies that reduce the factors that lead to crime.

Clearly there are different perspectives on how to tackle police corruption from reform to revolutionary ideas. Black activists have always differed on grounds of reform vs. radicalism, even butting heads over it. But no matter how we think justice should occur, the one thing that everyone can agree on is that it needs to happen before it’s too late — for the sake of everyone in this country.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.