Assassinated Black Panther Fred Hampton’s Son Offended By Jay-Z’s Lyric Referencing His Father

Son of Black Panther Fred Hampton, Fred Hampton Jr., is not happy with Jay-Z. In Jay’s verse on “Murder To Excellence” off Watch The Throne, the emcee raps, “I arrived the same day Fred Hampton died.” To Fred Jr., this was highly offensive because his father did not just simply die, he was assassinated. During a lecture at the University of Chicago over the weekend, the activist had some not-so-kind words for who he called “Slave-Z.” Read what he had to say below and share your thoughts. Rightful reaction or overreacting?


“Fred Hampton didn’t die,” Hampton Jr. said. “He was assassinated. Saying Fred Hampton died is like the school teacher telling students that Christopher Columbus discovered America.” He later went on to refer to Jay-Z as Slave-Z, questioning his motives on the record.

The comment drew a mixture of applause, shock, and silence from the panel as well as the crowd.