RZA Says Eric Garner’s Death “Wasn’t Just A Black, White Thing”

RZA is one of the more outspoken and intelligent minds that we have in the hip-hop community, so when he talks, we listen. In an interview with Gawker, RZA spoke about the death of Eric Garner, what the implications of his death and non-indictment have, and the strained relationship that currently exists between police officers and the people.

When asked if he thought that Eric Garner's death was an issue of race, RZA replied: "It wasn't just a black, white thing, it was about authority and about empowering a man who didn't have power before and who overexerted his power." He continued by saying that the police officers had alternatives that they could have opted to use instead of using a chokehold to subdue Garner.

"Those gentlemen were wrong, the cop had a utility belt of options for different escalating scenarios," said RZA. "He had a stick, pepper spray, he had his physical training ... but to jump up on him? It looked like a gang fight, and that's totally wrong. The cops had other options — I've been pepper sprayed before, it's 100% efficient. You gonna chill out. It's a chill pill."

When asked what the main issue he had with the entire Eric Garner situation was, he replied “The real problem I have with it is that we got the guy [police officer Daniel Pantaleo] red-handed, in HD quality. And not just the one cop, all those cops should have been indicted,” added the super producer. “Those are the guys who give us the non-value of black life.

[Gawker]

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