L.A. Guns frontman Phil Lewis has refused to back away from his controversial comments he made during a performance, suggesting that current African-American music was "one dimensional."
According to heavy metal news site Blabbermouth, the band was performing at Fish Head Cantina near Baltimore on April 22nd, when Lewis made a somewhat awkward attempt to praise the recently deceased Prince.
"We were all into that Prince, right?! 'Purple Rain'. It was so cool, because, you know, you had all your heavy shit, and then you had the pop shit, and there was Prince doing his own fucking thing," Lewis Said.
"The problem is, right now — and I'm not gonna be a racist about it — but black people are all one-dimensional. We need more Princes, man. We need less fucking rappers and more people like Prince."
Since then, Lewis has tried to qualify his comments, but has not backed away from the central thrust of his thesis. In a subsequent post on Facebook, first reported by Metal Sludge, he wrote (edited for clarity):
"Alright. It seems I have ruffled a few PC feathers with my onstage comment from Friday night's show. I stand by my words and make no apology for my observations. Perhaps 'black media' would have been a better choice [of] words than 'black people.' I was just thinking about the family who recently moved in the house next to mine and [they're] all very nice but [it] is obvious that [they're] drinking the gangsta rap or hoops mentality Kool-Aid. Oops, is that racist as well?
"My solution has been to provide and teach the two 10-year-olds basic guitar with the hope it will broaden [their] horizons as it did mine.
"Don't expect there will be a new Prince anytime soon, but damn sure there will be countless rappers spouting the 'money and hoes' moronic nonsense that does the black community no favors at all.
"I posted a picture of my old band that I formed with my mate Rudy Rivera, who apparently is black — not that I ever gave it much thought; [he is] just a good mate and brilliant guitarist.
"It's one thing to say, 'Oh, I'm not a racist. Look, I have black friends,' but quite another to hitch my wagon and form a musical alliance and hopefully a career with a black musician. And, yeah, I caught some flack for it, but couldn't care less. We were mates and made great music together and race had zero to do with it.
"I'm sure there are plenty of multi-dimensional, brilliant musicians out there, but you're not likely to hear about them on mainstream black media. Shame.
"More Princes, less rappers.
"There, I said it again.
"Carry on."
