Source: Scott Dudelson / Getty
Although YG and the belated Slauson Boy would likely be disgusted to see how things have changed since 2016, a recent wave of rappers endorsing twice-impeached former POTUS Donald Trump, from Kodak Black to Lil Wayne. And now we can add one more to that list: Jeffrey “Ja Rule” Atkins.
This January, Twitter banned “45” for his role in the storming of the U.S. Capitol. Though Twitter is not subject to following the First Amendment of free speech, the decision opened up a lot of questions about precedent and private interests silencing whomever they want. Trump certainly could have joined DJ Khaled and Fat Joe on their OnlyFans venture. But enter Ja and his own social media alternative, ICONN: “Listen, It’s freedom for everybody. Anybody can go on any platform they want!”
Debuting in December 2020, the rapper initially shared with HipHopDX how the app is nothing like his infamous Fyre Festival app. “What ICONN does is special for me because it kind of brings everything full circle. It’s like giving us back our power. When I say ‘us,’ I’m speaking of my artists’ power. My friends there. Giving us back out power in a lot of ways.”
“Some of the features that I have on ICONN are really dope, like being able to charge for a Live. I know that concept, it sounds off a little bit off because nobody does that. Who charges for their Live? Like I’m going to go Live … But, just think about it. Think about it on the grand scheme of things, right?”
“You know, [Twitter CEO] Jack Dorsey, he said it best when he did the actual banning of Trump. He said that he believes that it’s the right thing to do, but he also believes it is a slippery slope,” Rule recently told TMZ. “And that’s exactly what I felt about it, you know, about the decision that was made… they rushed the g–damn Capitol for Christ’s sake.”
“So Trump, come on over to Iconn and get yourself a page. But you better behave,” Rule added
