What happened with George Floyd brought the Black Lives Matter movement to national attention in 2020. Now, half a decade after the 46-year-old Black man was killed in 2020 after being pinned by Minneapolis police, Lil Yachty, the renowned rapper, used Floyd’s name in his most recent song that went viral on social media.
“Put my knee up on her neck, I went George Floyd,” were the lyrics that irked a majority of the black community the wrong way.
Former NBA player Stephen Jackson seemed seriously offended by the rapper’s use of Floyd’s name. Jackson went on social media and ripped into Yachty for disrespecting Floyd.
“Lil Yachty, bro. You been wack, my n***a,” Jackson said. “But you think you’re saying George Floyd’s name, and trying to use his name in a bar, that’s gonna make people like your wack-a** music, my n***a? That sh** is weak. Y’all the only era that feel like demeaning the dead and saying that sh** is cool, my n***a. It ain’t.”
“Don’t ever say his name, bro. None of ya’ll knew G, nothing about him. But y’all wanna say his name for clout. That’s some weak-a** sh**, Yachty. Let somebody die in your family, we’re gonna do a whole skit about it. And see how funny it is, bro. Cut that sh** out.”
Stephen Jackson calls out Lil Yachty over George Floyd lyrics:
"Put my knee up on her neck, I went George Floyd" -Lil Yachty pic.twitter.com/G3gwCRZUCl
— SAY CHEESE! 👄🧀 (@SaycheeseDGTL) August 15, 2025
Turns out, Jackson and Floyd grew up together in Houston, and he knew Floyd. Therefore, he was one of the first people to strongly voice their concerns over the artist’s new song.
It all started when Yachty appeared on Plaqueboymax’s live stream. He played his upcoming track, which references Floyd. After former police officer Derek Chauvin was caught on camera kneeling on Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes, Floyd passed away on May 25, 2020.
Chauvin was sentenced to 22 and a half years in state prison for the death of Floyd after being found guilty of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. In addition, he received a 21-year federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights.
Stephen Jackson previously recalled how he shared a close relationship with Floyd and how people called them “twins” because they looked like each other.
In my opinion, Lil Yachty has taken his artistic freedom a bit too far this time just in order to sell his music. Being an African-American man himself, Yachty should have made a better judgment here with his words.
