Stephen Jackson and Lil Yachty Address Controversial George Floyd Lyric
Former NBA baller Stephen Jackson isn’t the type to let disrespect slide — especially when it comes to his late friend George Floyd. This week, Jackson called out rapper Lil Yachty for a bar in his new song that many felt crossed the line.
It all started when Yachty appeared on Plaqueboymax’s livestream and previewed a track from the upcoming Concrete Boys project. In it, he rapped:
“Put my knee up on her neck, I went George Floyd.”
That one line had social media instantly lit up — and not in a good way. Fans accused Yachty of being wildly insensitive, and Stephen Jackson made sure his voice was one of the loudest in the room.
Stephen Jackson’s Heated Response
Jackson took to Instagram on Thursday (Aug. 14) to tag Yachty directly, blasting the lyric in a since-deleted post.
“Lil Yachty, bro. You been wack, my dude. But you really think saying George Floyd’s name and using it in a lyric is gonna make people vibe with your wack music, my dude? That’s weak,” Jackson wrote.
He didn’t stop there, making it clear that disrespecting the dead is a no-go:
“Y’all are the only generation that thinks disrespecting the deceased is cool, my dude. It ain’t. It’s me and the whole Third Ward and all of Houston riding with G man.”
Jackson continued: “Don’t ever use his name, man. None of y’all knew G. Nothing about him… That’s some weak stuff, Yachty. Let one of your loved ones pass away. We’ll make a whole skit about it. It’s just you wack Sambo types that do stuff like that.”
The Private Conversation That Changed Everything
But it looks like this wasn’t just an online beef. Less than 24 hours later, Jackson revealed on Instagram Stories that he and Yachty spoke directly.
“I apologized to him, and we talked, and he apologized too,” Jackson shared. “He gets the outrage. Yachty’s a smart guy; that’s why he’s successful… Shout-out to Lil Yachty for reaching out… I salute him.”
By Friday (Aug. 15), Jackson had shifted the tone, calling Yachty “a super smart young man” and making it clear the situation was behind them:
“I won’t be doing interviews about it. I spoke to him; he’s a smart young man… He made a mistake and apologized… We move on from it.”
Why This Moment Matters
This conversation hits different because Stephen Jackson isn’t just another celebrity speaking up. He was close friends with George Floyd — a friendship that turned into a powerful advocacy role after Floyd’s murder in May 2020.
Floyd’s death, captured on video as former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for over nine minutes, sparked protests around the world. Chauvin was later convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.