Things heated up on Ebro In The Morning today as guest Kodak Black stormed out of the studio in frustration at the host’s line of questioning. Visiting the show to discuss his upcoming album, Dying To Live, which drops this Friday, December 14, Kodak was taken aback by Ebro Darden‘s blunt questioning of Kodak’s sexual assault case; when the host refused to let the subject go, Kodak leaves abruptly, looking visibly upset.
I was tryna have a balanced convo with Kodak Black & not ignore the serious allegations against him but also not ask specifics to make his situation worse… and he wanna get an attitude with me?? Nah….
— the Old Man Ebro (@oldmanebro) December 12, 2018
During the interview, Ebro says “we take sexual assault serious(ly). We can’t get into details [due to the pending case], but we hope to have you back so we can have a deeper conversation about that, because it’s a serious topic and we hear these stories a lot.” After an awkward silence, which co-host Peter Rosenberg tries to break with a joking question about the moon landing conspiracy that that has received headlines recently due to NBA star Steph Curry, Ebro asks if his earlier invitation has upset Kodak. The rapper replies that he thinks “when n—-s goin’ through sh*t, y’all be entertained by bullsh*t. So, change the subject, or I’m fi’n’ta walk out.”
Ebro, undaunted, tells Kodak “we don’t have to talk about nothing else. We can be done right here.” Kodak accepts this as an invitation to leave the studio, which he does, leaving co-hosts Rosenberg and Laura Stylez in shock.
The “No Flockin'” rapper was accused of sexual assault after a 2016 performance in Florence, FL. A woman states that she accompanied him to his hotel room, where she says that he raped her, saying he “couldn’t help himself.” He plead “not guilty” in February of 2017, with the trial set to begin April 2019. In the meantime, he’s visited jail repeatedly for a litany of offenses from possession of marijuana to child neglect.
While Ebro later characterized the exchange as “tryna have a balanced convo,” once the video hit social media, it seemed everyone had an opinion on how the situation should have been handled; some observers sided with Kodak and claim Ebro only brought up the case to “clout chase.” Meanwhile, others applaud the plainspoken host for addressing an important topic which has clearly been swept under the rug with too many rappers for too long. Ebro himself just says it was a matter of making sure that he addressed an important aspect of Kodak’s career, but that he “won’t be given ultimatums” on his own show. Check out further responses below.
Watch the entire @KodakBlack1k interview… I think most of it was honest & balanced. He’s a smart guy… I just won’t be given ultimatums after we tried to be chill.. nah
— the Old Man Ebro (@oldmanebro) December 12, 2018
People being furious at Ebro for telling Kodak Black "We take sexual assault seriously here" is proof there's a lack of guidance out here. People whose job is interviewing musicians are supposed to ask hard questions. But that wasn't a hard question. That was just accountability.
— Craig Bro Dude (@CraigSJ) December 13, 2018
Why are people mad at @oldmanebro for asking Kodak Black about his recent court case? The issue shouldn't be with Ebro. The issue should be with Kodak's label and management who should coach him on how to handle media and radio interview questions
— Tariq Nasheed 🇺🇸 (@tariqnasheed) December 12, 2018
https://twitter.com/BenjaminEnfield/status/1073045767923884032
https://twitter.com/FBG_willie/status/1073045367422377985
https://twitter.com/ZipSquad_JihaD/status/1073044018836226054
I understand why they asked him this. They are a radio talk show, a dying breed, they need the clicks. "Kodak Black talks his sexual assault case and more" but Kodak is NOT there to discuss some bullshit. He's there to tell y'all how he's been and promote his album. https://t.co/CAkv1qO4hC
— Music Journalist (@thryfts) December 13, 2018
https://twitter.com/noyokono/status/1073029093086715904
https://twitter.com/thecoreyholcomb/status/1073029060945571841
Kodak Black is a Warner Music artist. .
