Celebrity Apprentice runner-up Geraldo Rivera has some ill feelings about hip-hop.
During a sit down with Josh Zepps on HuffPost Live, Rivera said that hip-hop has had more of a negative affect on the minority communities than racism.
“Hip-hop has done more damage to black and brown people than racism in the last 10 years,” Rivera told Zepps. “When you find the youngster, a Puerto Rican from the South Bronx or a black kid from Harlem, who has succeeded in life other than being the one-tenth of one-tenth of one percent that make it in the music business, that’s been a success in life walking around with his pants around his ass or with visible tattoos.”
He also took aim at Russell Simmons, saying that he should own up to the fact that by encouraging the hip-hop culture, he has played a role in minorities letting it destroy them.
“This whole ethos, and I love Russell Simmons – he’s a dear friend of mine, I admire his business acumen – at some point though, those guys need to cop to the fact that by encouraging this distinctive culture that is removed from the mainstream they have encouraged people to be so different from the mainstream that they can’t participate other than the racks in the garment center and those entry level jobs,” Rivera said. “I lament it; I really do. I think it’s been very destructive culturally.”
Watch the interview below.
