Source: George Floyd / Courtesy of Roxie Washington
The horrific murder of George Floyd at the hands (or knees) of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin earlier this week has understandably spurred all kinds of protests on both the streets of The Mill City as well as social media.
Now that reporters continue to get deeper into the lives of both Floyd and Chauvin, the more Floyd comes off as the everyday law abiding citizen just living his life while Derek “MAGA” Chauvin’s history of use-of-force complaints raises more questions as to why he was never disciplined by the Minneapolis Police Department.
Now Vulture is reporting that George Floyd was actually doing his thing-thing on the Hip-Hop scene with non other than the legendary DJ Screw. According to the piece, the 46-year-old security guard lived in Houston before moving to Minneapolis in 2018 and worked with DJ Screw’s Screwed Up Click in the 90’s when he was rapping under the moniker, Big Floyd.
After dropping Big Floyd bars on a few mixtapes during his 90’s run, Floyd eventually released his own album in 2000 dubbed Block Party as part of the Presidential Playas. Though he may have never made it to the mainstream with his work, it was enough to have left an impression on his fellow Houstonians who took to social media to pay homage to Floyd’s memory.
Houston rappers have posted tributes to Floyd and called for justice in what they see as an act of police brutality against an African-American man. “R.I.P. Big Floyd He took his life in broad day may God bring his family justice,” original Screwed Up Click member Lil’ Keke wrote on Instagram. His post asked followers to call Minneapolis District Attorney Michael Freeman and demand charges be pressed against the four officers fired after detaining Floyd for an alleged forgery in progress, one of whom pushed his knee against Floyd’s neck, according to a bystander video. “Say His Name #GeorgeFloyd Rest Easy… The Fight For Us Begins Now,” rapper Trae The Truth, another member of Screwed Up Click, wrote alongside a photo of Floyd. “4 Officers Fired Aint Enough!!!” he added on a subsequent post.
Protests over the murder of George Floyd are now going into it’s third day in Minneapolis with protestors taking to the streets and trashing a police precinct in frustration over his death. Police in response have been firing off teargas into the crowds and though they’ve already fired the four police officers, none of the officers involved in the killing have been arrested much less indicted.
Justice for Floyd.
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