By Andy Mayfair
A three-year-old rap video in which a singer – now a New York City police officer — declares “war against the white man on the beat” has members of the force nervous.
Police Officer Atisha Samuel’s video was a hit on social media, but now it may come back to bite her.
According to atlantablackstar.com, the officer is currently being investigated by the NYPD for her music video. “The Midtown North Precinct officer posted the controversial video just one month before joining the police force. However, she’s tried her best to delete all traces of the footage, but one clip still remains on Instagram.”
In the video, atlantablackstar.com reported, Samuel is wearing a Black ski mask and t-shirt standing beside her fiance. “She recites, “It’s the war against the white man on the beat — with his handguns, quick to pull out on a n–ga if he dare run… They say we gotta make America great again, we were never great, we were slaves and caged in… They see us like a gorilla in a jungle…So we gotta get it…A black ski mask and a black fitted…Got my crew and a couple hittas.” The 26-year-old’s verse is in light of the umpteen cases of police brutality with images of Eric Garner and Sean Bell flashing across the screen.”
Several of her fellow police officers have weighed in, confiding that they do not feel safe working with her, and complaining about the racial hypocrisy involve.
Samuel, who wore a black ski mask in the video, has now filed a lawsuit against New York City, claiming that her co-workers are trying to undermine her at work, according to her Manhattan Federal Court papers that have been filed.
“According to the complaint, Samuel said her car was keyed; a union rep told her to “ask for forgiveness” from fellow cops at roll call; she was followed by the NYPD’s Career Advancement Review Board and hauled into an Internal Affairs meeting and “asked if she had a problem with cops,” reported the New York Post. “In at least one instance, supervisors did not send backup when Samuel and her partner responded to a call of a violent emotionally disturbed person, she claims in court papers.”
The song is about peace and the offending lyric was taken “out of context,” Christopher Albanese told The Post. “The song is not against the cops in any capacity,” Albanese said. The entire stanza, the lawyer said, is, “Sh*t is getting real. My little black brothers are out here getting killed. If it’s not a war against ’n—gas’ in the street, it’s a war against the white man on the beat.”
