Chance the Rapper Praises Super Bowl Protestor: ‘Shoutout Sudan, Shoutout Gaza’

Chance the Rapper recently joined TNT’s NBA Tip-Off to chat with hosts Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

At one point, Shaq asked Chance what he thought of Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show performance.

“I thought it was awesome,” the Chicago rapper said. “First of all, it was the first time a rapper headlined the Super Bowl. It’s long overdue. But I think it was an incredibly impactful performance. It was a great time to see and hear…what’s culturally relevant right now.”

He then applauded the protestor who waved a Sudanese and Palestinian flag during the performance. He also mentioned Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is enduring its own crisis and conflict right now.

“And I think one of the coolest things that I saw was, you know, it was a moment of protest and a moment of us getting to see what’s going on in the world. So shout-out to Sudan, shout-out to Gaza, shout-out to Goma, and the people that are just suffering around the world. It was an opportunity for the world and for, you know, I’m saying the President of the United States to see what’s going on out there.”

Last Sunday, during Lamar’s show, one of the performers from the 400-person cast pulled out a combination Sudanese and Palestinian flag as a form of demonstration. He was tackled by security and subsequently banned for life from attending any NFL games.

The man was later identified as Zül-Qarnain Nantambu, who is Muslim, though not Sudanese or Palestinian. Later, when chatting with Al Jazeera, he was asked if he would have still gone through with his protest if he knew he would have been banned.

“The risk of a ban? I was afraid I was gonna get sniped by a Secret Service’s bullet,” he said. “I can watch a football program on the television if I choose to, sir.”