Talib Kweli Gets Into Heated Argument With CNN's Don Lemon About Ferguson [WATCH]

Earlier today, rapper Talib Kweli appeared on CNN to discuss the riots in Ferguson, Missouri with Don Lemon, but what should have been an intelligent discussion on police brutality and race relations in this country devolved into some sort of meta-interview about the nature of mainstream news coverage. Still, it's a conversation worth having, and luckily it happened on one of the very networks guilty of such coverage.

It all started when Kweli began criticizing the media's coverage of the situation in Ferguson, which he has seen firsthand. "I feel like it was important for me to be here and control the narrative," Kweli explained of his presence in the divided city, "because the media has been doing a horrible job of making sure the stories get out."

Being a prominent figure in the media, Don Lemon disagrees with Kweli's criticism, saying the CNN has been "balanced...telling the stories of young black men and their interactions with police officers," adding that he doesn't think "the entire media has been bad."

Kweli then criticizes CNN directly, saying that their coverage of the riots has been inaccurate, based on what he's seen. This is when Lemon begins interrupting Kweli, which leads to a few minutes of heated debate, including Kweli calling out Lemon for being rude to him prior to the interview. They eventually make up, but it's a fascinating watch.

You can check out the interview below, though this is a slightly edited video posted to CNN's website. The beginning of the interview in which Kweli begins to criticize the media can be found in a Youtube clip filmed directly off of someone's TV, which you can also check out below:

Tags

Talib Kweli, Don lemon, Cnn