Billie Eilish sparks backlash after claiming rappers ‘lie’ about guns and women

Singer received criticism from hip-hop fans who accused her of perpetuating old tropes

Billie Eilish is experiencing a backlash after a comment she made about hip hop.

The artist, who recently swept the 2020 Grammy Awards with wins in all four of the major categories, spoke to American Vogue magazine for an interview in which she accused modern rappers of lying in the music.

"Just because the story isn't real doesn't mean it can't be important," she asserted. "There's a difference between lying in a song and writing a story. There are tons of songs where people are just lying. There's a lot of that in rap right now, from people that I know who rap.

"It's like, 'I got my AK-47, ad I'm f***in',' and I'm like, what? You don't have a gun. 'All my bitches...' I'm like, which bitches? That's posturing, and that's not what I'm doing."

A number of rap fans on social media were unimpressed by Eilish's remarks.

"Breaking news: Billie Eilish has the same opinions about hip hop as your racist boomer uncle," one wrote.

"BREAKING: BIllie Eilish repeats tired talking points about rap and hip hop that have been around since the Nineties," another said.

US artist, writer and activist Ferrari Sheppard tweeted: "Billie Eilish will win even harder now that she's taken a colonial approach to hip hop. Would you prefer rap stories to be 100 per cent nonfiction so we can produce more dead or incarcerated rap stars? Stfu and stay in your lane."

Journalist Seth Mandel commented: "What's weird about this is Billie Eilish is so young she's *only* lived through a period in which rap talks seriously about mental health, as she does, and grapples with God meaningfully, and resurrected protest music from Katy Perry and others (thank you Kendrick [Lamar]."

He continued: "This is a generation in which hip hop really does spread its wings artistically. Look at Saul Williams – does anyone on the planet move so seamlessly between genres? He's very much a hip hop Trent Reznor. Kanye just put out two gospel records. What is she even saying."

Eilish has named a number of hip hop artists she says inspire her music. She previously defended her love of the late, controversial rapper XXXTentacion, who had been on trial for domestic abuse charges before his death in 2018.

Months after his death, Eilish dedicated a song to XXXTentacion and told the New York Times: "I want to be able to mourn, I don't want to be shamed for it. I don't think I deserve getting hate for loving someone that passed."

She had earlier called the rapper "a very powerful person [who] made me feel OK when nothing else did."

Eilish won all four major categories at this year's Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist, Best Album, Best Song and Best Record.