S. Samuel
A music video director has come forward to defend his involvement in a six year-old Florida rapper's controversial "Booty Popping" viral clip.
According to director Tyler Council, there was no ill will or seriousness behind six year-old Albert Roundtree Jr.‘s NSFW video.
“It’s supposed to be a joke, but I’d say about 30 percent of the people watching it find it funny,” admitted Tyler Council, president of Froze-N-Time Productions, which is based in Oakland Park. “But I still don’t regret it.” Council says he was commissioned to do the video by Albert’s parents, who hope their son becomes a rap star from it. They paid “peanuts”, he says without getting into dollar amounts, but he did the video because he needed a quick gig. “He’s just trying to imitate his idols that he hears on the radio,” says Council of Albert. “There’s no touching going on, there’s no drug abuse.” He uploaded the video to Facebook on Monday. It’s exploded since then, with Council expecting it will hit a million views by the end of the week. “Especially on the internet,” he says, “negative publicity is the best.” (Miami New Times)
Council also said there are already plans for another music video.
There’s good news: Albert’s parents already bought another video, and Council’s going to direct it. Its title? “Girls, Girls, Girls”. Council doesn’t know what that video will be like yet. “I haven’t had time to think about anything besides ‘Booty Pop’ because it’s destroying the internet,” he says. “His belly button is more important that Andy Griffith dying, and Obama getting the healthcare act past the Supreme Court. I think it’s ridiculous.” (Miami New Times)
The clip ruffled feathers and even inspired popular magazine VIBE to ink an open letter on it.
I should call child protective services. That’s the first thought that ran through my mind when a Facebook friend shared a link to a 6-year-old South Florida rapper’s video about making your ‘Booty Pop.’ In the clip Albert, the tiny youth, does his best to imitate his favorite rappers’ swag — chest out, happily bouncing along — while getting a face full of gyrating a**. To say I’m appalled is an understatement. As the mother of a 6-year-old black boy, I want to ask his parents what made them think such foolishness was acceptable and if they understand that their child is being abused, let alone exploited. Because while some think it’s cute to have this child acting all mannish in a pool full of half-naked women, what they’re really doing is setting him up for failure. Not only will his rap career never happen — I mean, how many 6-year-old phenoms can you name? — but by having this child immersed in an environment where women are disposable and he’s more worried about popping booties than learning how to read is extremely problematic, too. (VIBE)
The music video began buzzing online a few days ago.
Someone please find the parents of this child. This six-year-old rapper from South Florida named Albert raps about booty popping and swag while bikini-clad woman dance sexually around him. Albert has been singing and playing the piano since age four but I’m not sure why he raps like he’s a 25-year-old cliched rapper in his song “Booty Pop.” Sometimes it’s funny when kids take over adult themes like the grade school student who rapped to Kanye’s “Theraflu.” But this one goes a little too far. And who are these women that agreed to be in the video? I can only hope he doesn’t know what he’s rapping about. (And Pop)
Check out “Booty Pop” below:
