With rappers getting into the swing of giving back for holidays, LA rapper Blueface looked to join in the festivities yesterday, but the way he chose to “give back” has angered fans, who criticized his actions as dehumanizing. Monday afternoon, Blueface went to Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles and made it rain dollar bills while standing on top of a vehicle. In the video below, the homeless residents of Skid Row can be seen scrambling to pick up the fallen money, with one saying “thank you” as Blueface re-enters the vehicle.
However, once the video began to go viral on Twitter, observers weighed in on Blue’s actions, calling them “disgusting and degrading.”
One observer empathetically noted that she believed Blueface’s heart was in the right place, but “you cannot help people by humiliating them. The little cash they scraped from the ground isn’t enough to help. There were more effective ways to help.”
#Blueface, your heart may have been in the right place and maybe your privilege created blindspots for you, but you cannot help people by humiliating them. The little cash they scraped from the ground isn’t enough to help. There were more effective ways to help. https://t.co/mWbEGE6UOp
— Ari Hall אדרה יפה (@adarayaffa) December 24, 2019
Meanwhile, some of Blueface’s fellow rappers chimed in as well. Chika pointed out that “there are far better ways to give to the needy other than making a f*cking spectacle of yourself and tossing money in the air” and suggested that he could “do a food drive” and “learn about the people out there.” Cupcakke simply called Blueface “a real life cornball.”
there are far better ways to give to the needy other than making a fucking spectacle of yourself and tossing money in the air.
do a food drive. learn about the people out there. like not even tryna hate on him, but gotdamn. https://t.co/6E9UqkO2A1
— CHIKA (@oranicuhh) December 24, 2019
Blueface has his defenders though. One noted, “I had an opinion about this and then I asked myself, self how much money did you give? The answer was none. Carry on Blueface.” Others asked, “If Blueface was in front of you throwing $50,000 you gone get on Twitter and complaining about how degrading it was or you gone pick that shit up?”
I had an opinion about this and then I asked myself, self how much money did you give? The answer was none. Carry on Blueface https://t.co/eMorstwhYd
— The Spike Lee of D.C. (@_MCKENTON_) December 24, 2019
If Blueface was in front of you throwing $50,000 you gone get on Twitter and complaining about how degrading it was or you gone pick that shit up?
— Miss Toe-Lurr (@BlondeTremaine) December 24, 2019
Overall, though, the sentiment seems to be that, while Blueface’s intention may have been to do a good deed, his method left a lot to be desired. Check out more responses below.
I’ve been homeless before.
This is BEYOND disrespectful.
There was ZERO good intent here. #blueface treat those people like they were animals, when he could’ve donated to the 3 shelters that are within 3 blocks of that location, helped more people, and let them keep their dignity— Sean Cory Cooper 🎭 🔥 (@SeanCoryCooper) December 24, 2019
How much money have you donated? How have you helped the homeless?? All these bum ass ppl criticizing #Blueface for doing something while people haven’t done shit for the homeless, but have a lot to say from the couch on what he’s doing.. smh pic.twitter.com/qkZ70iQEOK
— RebelliousSoul (@GaiaOsiris) December 24, 2019
“he still gave them money tho” “y’all would’ve picked it up” “what have you donated?” that aint the point at all the way he went about it was dehumanizing as fuck #Blueface
— the ciera clause 3 (@nochillciera) December 24, 2019
#Blueface yall niggas really flipping a nigga making it rain on homeless people into a positive…oh hell nah.
— Trapper Of The Year (@YallAre1) December 24, 2019
This is disgusting and de-humanizing. Stop making spectacles out of other people’s difficult situations.
Capitalism is a system that allows Blueface to have all this money while people are homeless. Just another reason to destroy that shit. https://t.co/5eYK4HCFDu
— michael ☭ Ⓥ 🇮🇹🇵🇷 (@ReadAndAct_) December 24, 2019
#Blueface is the definition of a nigga, and those who defend this are part of the reason black people will NEVER come togther. I PERSONALLY dont want any association with anyone that thinks his antics are ok. pic.twitter.com/5YpzMcNAw6
— Cortri Trotter (@CortriTrotter) December 24, 2019
Blueface is the same nigga who kicked his mom and sister out of his house over some thots. You think he had good intentions when he was throwing money on homeless people?
— Duncan Mcloud of the Clan Mcloud (@Kowenmoffor) December 24, 2019
If you don’t like how he did this then you take yo ass out there and hand every single person some money, til then watch Blueface give back for the holidays 💯 https://t.co/bFDW6IgfxZ
— Uncle Trav 🚀 (@MackEasy_) December 24, 2019
How some people don’t see anything wrong with what Blueface did concerns me… like would you ever throw money at the homeless, or the less fortunate? Good intentions or not that shit is fucking rude and disgusting.
— sugar tits ✨ (@PureGolddddddd) December 24, 2019
#Blueface could’ve easily donated that to the shelters or HANDED them the money. Instead he thoughtlessly threw it up in the air as a complete spectacle and risked inciting violence among the homeless. This is extremely disrespectful and dehumanizing.
— Captain Hat (@CaptHat211) December 24, 2019
Written by: Uproxx