OPINION: Slik Talk, stop using ‘black culture’ to defend your nonsense

If you ever wondered if people should take seriously the discourse from certain podcasters, well that would be an individual decision to make. Sometimes their opinions seem to matter, such as controversial podcaster Slik Talk. 

The podcaster has become synonymous with his trash talking on several trending topics in the world of entertainment. His latest comments on the late Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes album Mass Country were no different. 

Slik Talk became somewhat notable after publicly criticising certain celebrities’ looks and their music by basically making outlandish statements.

However, one person he attacked, Cassper Nyovest, wasn’t having it and settled their differences in a boxing match which left the podcaster quite battered and bruised. 

So his critique of AKA’s last album Mass Country could be taken with a grain of salt. 

‘I hate this album’

A clip of Slik Talk slamming Mass Country went viral on Twitter this week. There have been some reviews since the release last Friday, and there is a consensus that the album is a mixed bag. 

Slik Talk is not alone in this thinking.

Having listened to the album myself, I think the top songs are Company featuring KDDO, the break-out hit Lemons to Lemonade featuring Nasty C, Prada featuring Khuli Chana, Everest, Army and Last Time.

This list is all subjective just like Slik Talk’s opinion that certain songs are “trash”, and slamming Nadia Nakai’s verse on Dangerous. 

He gave the album a “solid 2 out of 10”, which is quite harsh. 

Where I draw the line between listening to certain podcasts and the people behind the mic is the borderline hate of certain figures that is spewed out. 

Instead of a concise critique that has some validity, personal attacks weaken one’s argument. 

When people like Slik Talk start talking about how Nadia Nakai is a “glorified rebound” and she is not a “widow”, it’s an unnecessary comment to basically get clicks and opinion pieces such as this one. 

Do better

Using one’s platform to get people talking and get controversy for the week badge by bashing people’s personal lives, as if you are aware of what is happening behind the scenes is below the belt. 

Slik Talk knew very well what he was saying in terms of criticising AKA’s album and then dragging the late rapper’s personal life into his arguments, which shouldn’t have been mentioned in the first place. 

This leads me to another point. 

ALSO READ: ‘Music was our love language’ – Nadia Nakia on her and AKA’s Mass Country collab

Can we please start saying “this is not part of black culture” as a defence to criticise how people mourn, how they hold certain traditional events, gatherings, etc?

People come from different families and cultures and contrary to popular belief, many black cultures do things differently, we are not all homogeneous.