Posted by Minneapolis, MN – George Floyd, the Minneapolis man whose unlawful death at the hands of police in May 2020 ignited a wave of Black Lives Matter protests around the world, would’ve turned 48 on Thursday (October 14).
Floyd’s family, who have already received an outpouring of support from the Hip Hop and R&B community, celebrated the occasion by hanging out with Erykah Badu backstage during her concert at The Minneapolis Armory on Wednesday night (October 13).
The Baduizm singer shared a video of the moment on her Instagram Story as she commemorated the memory of George Floyd alongside five of his relatives, including his sister, uncle and aunt.
Erykah Badu backstage in Minneapolis with the late #GeorgeFloyd family on his birthday. ??✊?? pic.twitter.com/cT6j5sZw8q
— Riki P. (@itsrikip) October 14, 2021
“People of planet Earth, we’re about four minutes away from George Floyd’s birthday,” she said in the clip. “He would’ve been 48 years old and I’m here with his family now. It seems like we have a moment of peace right now and we know that your life was not in vain.”
“Thank you for your spirit and your sacrifice,” she added. “So that we can move on the way that we should, be where we supposed to as a people.”
Erykah Badu has previously shown support for George Floyd and his family, tweeting out a simple “#GeorgeFloyd” shortly after his death. However, she also received criticism for urging Black Lives Matter protestors to “fall back” at the height of clashes with police.
#GeorgeFloyd
— ErykahBadoula (@fatbellybella) June 3, 2020
…They know we are in revolt mode. WE ARE OUT GUNNED. FALL BACK for now. Family. THAT IS AN ORDER.
— ErykahBadoula (@fatbellybella) May 31, 2020
Elsewhere in the rap community, Lil Baby accompanied George Floyd’s family to The White House as they met with President Joe Biden to push the George Floyd Police Act Bill on the one-year anniversary of his death in May. Meanwhile, T.I. Ludacris and Master P were among the rap names who attended Floyd’s memorial service in Minneapolis last June.
Lil Baby Joins George Floyd’s Family At The White House
In other news, Erykah Badu recently announced the launch of her own radio station on SONOS Radio. Dubbed BADUBOTRON Radio, the station promises to take listeners into Ms. Badu’s “sonic orbit” by mixing psychedelic funk, retro soul, classic rock, spiritual jazz, and experimental Hip Hop.