Kid Rock, the former rapper who built his career on Black music, has made headlines as the top donor to Daniel Penny’s Legal Defense Fund. Penny is the 24-year-old ex-marine accused of killing Black street performer Jordan Neely on the F Train in New York City. The controversial donation has sparked further attention due to Kid Rock’s comments on the donation page, calling Penny a hero and slandering Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
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On May 17th, Kid Rock made a sizable contribution to Daniel Penny’s Legal Defense Fund, topping the donor list at $5000. The move, which was lauded by Fox News, raised criticism by those who remember the “Forever” rapper in the mid 90s.
On the donation page, Kid Rock expressed his support for Penny, while also taking aim at DA Alvin Bragg, referring to him as a “POS.”
“Mr. Penney is a hero,” the former rapper posted. “Alvin Bragg is a POS.”
Alvin Bragg, Harvard Law educated and the 1st Black district attorney for Manhattan, indicted Penny for the killing of Neely. The DA, who recently indicted Donald Trump for hush money payments, now faces attacks by supporters of Daniel Penny.
Jordan Neely, a homeless street performer, was strangled by 24-year-old ex-marine Daniel Penny on the F train in New York City. The 30-year-old black man was known by many for his spot-on impersonations of Michael Jackson on subways and in NYC Times Square.
On May 1st, the slimly built Neely was accused of “erratic behavior” and “harassment” of fellow passengers on the train heading south. Video shows Penny restraining the limp and unresponsive Neely in a deadly chokehold. Neely’s death was ruled as a homicide by the city medical examiner.
Kid Rock launched his rap music career in Detroit and gained recognition with the help of hip-hop legend, DJ D-Nice. He signed with Jive Records at age of 17 and released his debut studio rap album, “Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast,” in 1990. Since then Kid Rock has released 12 studio albums.
In 2010, Kid Rock appeared to be an ally of the black community, speaking out in support of T.I. during the rapper’s legal troubles.
However, years later in a 2015 Rolling Stone interview, Kid Rock’s connection with the black music community unraveled when he made disturbing comments about Beyonce.
“Beyoncé, to me, doesn’t have a f–king ‘Purple Rain,’ but she’s the biggest thing on Earth…How can you be that big without at least one ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ or ‘Old Time Rock & Roll’? People are like, ‘Beyoncé’s hot. Got a nice f–king ass.’ I’m like, ‘Cool, I like skinny white chicks with big t-ts.’ Doesn’t really f–king do much for me.”
In related news, the recent killing of 26-year-old Patrick Lyoya, by a Grand Rapids officer during a routine traffic stop has drawn attention. Activists argue the killing reflects an escalation resulting from years of unaddressed demands for policing reforms.
