Nick Cannon weighed in on the ongoing Oscars 2016 controversy with a spoken-word poem posted to his Facebook this past weekend. In the video, Cannon tells his viewers that his poem is not to be mistaken as "another trophy rant," but rather a chance to focus on the biggest issues at hand.
He begins by emphasizing another very important Oscar: Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old killed in 2009 by an Oakland police officer. Grant's story inspired the 2013 Fruitvale Station, which was memorably and controversially snubbed by the Academy in 2014. Along with Grant, Cannon highlights the controversial deaths of figures like Mike Brown, Eric Garner and Freddie Gray.
The multi-hyphenate then delves into a detailed bit about the 2016 Oscars controversy, fueled recently by Will and Jada Pinkett Smith's announcement that they plan to boycott the event due to the lack of minority acting nominees.
"It's blasphemous, don't get distracted by these lottery tickets and statues. It's just fake gold and plastic," Cannon says, turning his direction to his fellow black actors. "We crying for votes but how many of us is on the board." (The Board of Governors vowed last Friday, January 22, to double its diversity membership by 2020.) "Better yet, when's the last time you showed up and supported the NAACP Awards? I want what's mine, not yours."
Cannon also speaks about how he encouraged this year's host, Chris Rock, who scrapped his entire opening monologue last week. "That's why I told Chris, man, go 'head and rock that s–t," Cannon recalls of their conversation. "You got the Juice now. Fight the Power. Hell yeah, I'm gonna watch that ceremony where they gonna let a black man be the Master for at least two hours. So don't waste your voice, don't waste your prayers."
Watch Cannon's powerful spoken-word poem above, and read the full piece below:
"Damn! Look what they did to Oscar.
Nah, not another trophy rant.
I'm talking Oscar Grant, Sandra Bland, Mike Brown, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray.
Why we trust what the news say anyway?
It's blasphemous, don't get distracted by these lottery tickets and statues.
It's just fake gold and plastic.
We come from Pharaohs with no masters.
What happened?
We went from golden tombs to closed caskets.
The Black Plague, they want us to catch it.
Just ask Magic, Malcolm, Martin, Muhammad Ali, Bill Cosby.
It's tragic.
How the enemy can tear down our community and rewrite the history by highlighting our flaws.
But let he who cast the first stone, who constitutes the new laws.
Nah, I ain't never seen Empire but I serve my own throne.
What I look like begging them to let royalty into they home.
As for me and my house, we'll serve the Lord!
We crying for votes but how many of us is on the board.
Better yet, when's the last time you showed up and supported the NAACP Awards?
I want what's mine, not yours.
F–k getting my foot in. I'm building my own doors.
Hollywood mainstream don't validate me, yo.
Like Hov say, save the accolades, just the doe.
You in this show for the business, or this business for the show?
Talent and brilliance? Hands down, man, we got that s–t.
That's why I told Chris, man, go 'head and rock that s–t.
You got the Juice now.
Fight the Power.
Hell yeah, I'm gonna watch that ceremony where they gonna let a black man be the Master for at least two hours.
So don't waste your voice, don't waste your prayers.
Save 'em for the thousands killed in Nigeria, Kenya, the Philippines, Syria or right here in our urban areas.
Low America.
Nah, now no one cares.
What about my mother raising a son while working three jobs and still equating to less than minimum wage?
What about me being placed on medication before my system could age?
What about that prison industrial system turning Brothers into new slaves?
Where's the outrage? Where the complaints at?
Overcoming obstacles, definition of Black.
Hashtag #facts.
But I guess they don't make no awards for that.
Real talk.
Real Kings don't need no pats on the back.
#Dontbedistracted."
