Nick Cannon. (Screenshot, YouTube)
(CNS News) — In a statement released this week, ViacomCBS said it was terminating its business relationship with rapper Nick Cannon because of comments he made on his YouTube podcast that “promoted hateful speech and spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.”
“ViacomCBS condemns bigotry of any kind and we categorically denounce all forms of anti-Semitism,” said the company. “We have spoken with Nick Cannon about an episode of his podcast ‘Cannon’s Class’ on YouTube, which promoted hateful speech and spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.”
“While we support ongoing education and dialogue in the fight against bigotry, we are deeply troubled that Nick has failed to acknowledge or apologize for perpetuating anti-Semitism, and we are terminating our relationship with him,” said ViacomCBS.
“We are committed to doing better in our response to incidents of anti-Semitism, racism, and bigotry,” the company added. “ViacomCBS will have further announcements on our efforts to combat hate of all kinds.”
In addition to his YouTube podcast, Cannon also ran the show “Wild ‘N Out” and TeenNick for ViacomCBS.
Nick Cannon. (Getty Images)
During his “Cannon Class” episode, Cannon discussed racial theories, the alleged racial importance of melanin, why white Europeans are genetically and psychologically deficient, Jews, and the Illuminati. His guest was Richard “Professor Griff” Griffin, a former member of the rap group Public Enemy.
Some of the remarks made by Cannon include, “When we are the same people who they [Jews] want to be. That’s our birthright. We are the true Hebrews.” He also referred to “Jewish people, white people, Europeans” as “savages.”
People lacking melanin are “a little less,” said Cannon. “They have to rob, steal, rape, kill and fight in order to survive. So then these people who didn’t have what we had, and when I say we I speak of the melanated people, they had to be savages, they had to be barbaric, because they’re in these Nordic mountains, they’re in these rough torrential environments, so they’re acting as animals. So they’re the ones that are actually closer to animals.”
An anti-Semitic cartoon. (Echoes&Reflections)
Cannon clarified his point thus, “I say all that to say, the context in when we speak of whether it’s Jewish people, white people, Europeans, the Illuminati, they were doing that as survival tactics to stay on this planet.”
Back in 1989, Griffin had said, “The Jews are wicked. And we can prove this.”
Cannon issued a lengthy apology on Facebook.
In his apology, he said, “As for Viacom, who is now on the wrong side of history, I will continue to pray for you. I don’t blame any individual, I blame the oppressive and racist infrastructure. Systemic racism is what this world was built on and was the subject in which I was attempting to highlight in the recent clips that have.” He went on to demand that ViacomCBS return full ownership of his show “Wild ‘N Out.”
“Charlamagne tha God,” real name Lenard Larry McKelvey. (Getty Images)
Charlemagne tha God, a well-known radio host of ‘The Breakfast Club’ commented on Cannon’s termination saying, “Listen, Nick is my guy, I hate it had to be him, but that’s what you can do when you have the power. And if there’s one thing Jewish people have showed us, it’s they have the power.”
