O’Shea Jackson, known by the stage name Ice Cube, faced controversy this week after some claimed his Twitter posts were Anti-Semitic.
Ice Cube posted a picture of a mural Saturday on Twitter depicting several men with large, hooked noses sitting around a table of money. The mural’s imagery is similar to propaganda used by Nazi Germany during World War II, according to a Guardian report by Michael Segalov from 2018.
FUCK THE NEW NORMAL UNTIL THEY FIX THE OLD NORMAL! pic.twitter.com/wNN3uwOb4K
— Ice Cube (@icecube) June 6, 2020
The men sitting around the table references a text called The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which is a fabricated document claiming to be a record from a meeting of Jewish elders plotting to control the media to conquer the world, according to Segalov. Jewish people plotting to take over the world, controlling money and using power to subjugate others directly mirrors Nazi propaganda from the 1920s and 30s.
Segalov replied to the rapper’s tweet and said “hey, just to flag that the image of the mural you’ve shared is quite anti-semitic. I wrote about it here a couple of years back. I expect you hadn’t clocked the connotations – but hopefully this helps. stay strong, and in solidarity x”
hey, just to flag that the image of the mural you’ve shared is quite anti-semitic. I wrote about it here a couple of years back. I expect you hadn’t clocked the connotations – but hopefully this helps. stay strong, and in solidarity x https://t.co/qTpgTaM1xy
— michael segalov (@MikeSegalov) June 6, 2020
Several other Twitter users pointed out the antisemitism in the tweet and encouraged him to delete it. (RELATED: Chinese Embassy In France Reportedly Tweets Anti-Semitic Image, Then Quickly Deletes It)
“Hi @icecube. I have tremendous respect for you as an artist and champion for peace & tolerance. But the image you shared, even as cropped, is strongly Antisemitic,” said International Human Rights attorney Arsen Ostrovsky. “As a role model fighting racism today, would strongly urge you to please withdraw.”
Hi @icecube. I have tremendous respect for you as an artist and champion for peace & tolerance. But the image you shared, even as cropped, is strongly Antisemitic. As a role model fighting racism today, would strongly urge you to please withdraw.https://t.co/FfHwUPpLlz
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) June 6, 2020
Please delete this. It’s antisemetic and roots in nazi anti Jewish Propoganda. I stand with you but please delete the image and the anti Jewish hate behind it.
— Tracy-Ann Oberman (@TracyAnnO) June 6, 2020
Yo take this down.
— Chloé S. Valdary ???? (@cvaldary) June 6, 2020
Ice Cube posted a Star of David with a cube outlined in the center Wednesday, which Twitter labeled as “sensitive content.”
It is impossible to take you seriously with regards to social justice or,.. anything when you post anti-Semitic imagery. What the fuck are you doing?
— roxane gay (@rgay) June 10, 2020
“It is impossible to take you seriously with regards to social justice or,.. anything when you post anti-Semitic imagery,” writer Roxane Gay tweeted in response.
Joshua Rush, who works on the digital team for Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey, weeted “ice cube why.”
“This is CUBE. My account has not been hacked. I speak for no organization. I only speak for the meek people of thee earth,” the rapper said Wednesday following the backlash. “We will not expect crumbles from your table. We have to power of almighty God backing us all over the earth. NO MORE TALKING. Repent.”
In response to a Twitter user posting an article saying the rapper was “under fire” for Anti-Semitic posts, Ice Cube accused critics of “trying to change the narrative,” adding that “Ice Cube ain’t under sh-t.”
All of the posts are still up on Ice Cube’s Twitter page.