Bow Wow Explains Why He Can't Cancel R. Kelly Or 6ix9ine

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Bow Wow explains why he's able to separate the art from the artist when it comes to people like R. Kelly and Tekashi 6ix9ine.

Cancel culture has been a hot topic over the past few years; a controversial one, at that. We've seen plenty of people, including the former president of the United States, rail against the concept of being 'canceled' but in hip-hop and R&B, it's been a particularly touchy subject. Artists like R. Kelly and Tekashi 6ix9ineparticularly, have been polarizing figures at large which have played a role in how they've maintained their relevance.

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Some people don't appear to be on board with the ideas of canceling artists, especially if the art, itself, is worth consuming. During a recent interview with Fox Soul, the rapper explained that he's able to separate the art from the artist in regards to artists like R. Kelly and Tekashi 6ix9ine. "How I would view him as an artist, he's almost like a rockstar," explained Bow Wow of his fandom of R. Kelly. "When I look at him as the artist, right? What he does in his personal life is what he does in his personal life but when I look at Tekashi 6ix9ine, I look at the artist."

Shad explained that he doesn't 'hop on waves' in terms of 'canceling' individuals in the limelight because he doesn't know these people personally. "We know the story, we see what it is. That's what it is. Cool. But, that's not my business, but, you know, the music is something separate," he added. "We all don't agree with what happened to R. Kelly but do I still listen to his music at times? The artist? Yes, I do. It's great music."

Check out the clip below. 

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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