*Country music singer Jason Aldean is speaking out about the criticism he is facing over his new song and music video that some claim is racially charged.
Aldean is accused of promoting gun violence and racism in his “Try That in a Small Town” track. As reported by The Jasmine Brand, the video was shot in front of the historic Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee. This is where 18-year-old Henry Choate was lynched from a second-floor window in 1927 by a white mob after being accused of raping a white girl.
Aldean sings on the track, “Got a gun that my granddad gave me / They say one day they’re gonna round up / That sh*t may fly in the city / Good luck trying that in a small town.” The lyrics also include: “Cuss out a cop, spit in his face / Stomp on the flag and light it up / Yeah, ya think you’re tough / Well, try that in a small town / See how far ya make it down the road / Around here, we take care of our own / You cross that line, it won’t take long / For you to find out, I recommend you don’t / Try that in a small town.”
After the music video’s release, social media users accused the artist of being racist.
Aldean addressed the controversy on social media in a lengthy message, stating: “In the past 24 hours I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) and was subject to the comparison that I (direct quote) was not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests. These references are not only meritless, but dangerous. There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it- and there isn’t a single video clip that isn’t real news footage -and while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music- this one goes too far.”
In related news, the song was removed from Country Music Television (CMT) rotation on July 17.
As reported by The Jasmine Brand, fellow country singer Sheryl Crow took to Twitter to call out Aldean, writing: “@Jason_Aldean I’m from a small town. Even people in small towns are sick of violence. There’s nothing small-town or American about promoting violence. You should know that better than anyone having survived a mass shooting. This is not American or small town-like. It’s just lame”
Meanwhile, country music’s Adeem the Artist has released a parody track song called “Sundown Town” in response to Aldean’s “Small Town.”
READ MORE: Country Star Jason Aldean Wore Blackface to Dress as Lil Wayne for Halloween
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