Maino has defended NBA YoungBoy from Ja Morant’s gun critics, saying the basketball’s star recent off-court antics has “nothing to do with rap music.”
Morant was again suspended by the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this month after another video surfaced of him flashing a firearm on social media, this time in a vehicle with friends while blasting NBA YoungBoy’s music.
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Since then, many critics have come out and accused Hip Hop of influencing Morant’s behavior, with Ja Rule,Paul Pierce and other Hip Hop and hoop figures agreeing that rap music plays a role.
In a quick catch-up with TMZ, Maino said he doesn’t believe that Hip Hop should be blamed for Morant’s poor choices.
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“It don’t have nothing to do with NBA YoungBoy, it don’t have nothing to do with rap music,” he said. “All of us — as men, as adults — we have responsibilities and decisions to make. That’s like when keeping it real goes all the way wrong. How real do you need to keep it?
“We know you like the music, you come from a culture. But homie, truth be told, you got way more opportunity than the average person. Don’t throw the opportunity away trying to keep up with what’s going on.”
The Brooklyn rap veteran then imparted some O.G. wisdom on the young Grizzlies guard, urging him to surround himself by the right people.
“Listen, I just feel like he needs somebody to really, really talk to, man,” Maino continued. “I don’t know if the people he got around him is at a point where they feel like they not living in fear.
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“Because some people be around you and they’re fearful of saying something that you might agree with. He gotta have people around him that don’t care what he got to say or, ‘Listen homie, you dead in the wrong.’
“It’s no reason why you got another gun in the camera. I get it I come from making a lot of mistakes trust me, so I understand, but he not the average person. You got a lot of responsibilities man.”
When asked if he thinks Ja Morant could potentially squander his NBA career, Maino said that sometimes these big lessons are learned the hard way.
“It’s sad but sometimes we gotta learn the hard way,” he said. “What else can you say? You already was in this situation. I’m the last person to try to condemn somebody for making mistakes because I’ve made many, but c’mon, it’s not even about being a role model…you have the opportunity to change lives.”
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Patrick Beverley was the first to speak about how music may have influenced Morant’s actions, who has since been suspended eight games for flashing a firearm on Instagram Live earlier this month.
“It’s crazy to say this but Charleston White was absolutely correct,” said Beverley on an episode of his podcast last week. “The music we listen to and how that is the new brand. The music say I keep pipe, I do this and I do that. That turns into, ‘I need a pipe.’ A pipe meaning gun.”
