One can’t find Bryson Gray’s ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ on YouTube or Instagram, but the rap track using the meme phrase to criticize US President Joe Biden has surged past Adele’s new single to become the most popular on iTunes.
“I don’t even curse, and I’m the most censored rapper in the world. How is that possible?” Gray told RT on Monday, commenting on the fact that YouTube deleted his song. The Google-owned video platform claims his lyrics contain “medical misinformation” about the coronavirus pandemic. Gray calls it censorship.
If you can ban art, you can ban anything.
Featuring Tyson James and Chandler Crump, Gray’s rap takes aim at Biden’s handling of the economy, the pandemic and the withdrawal from Afghanistan, among other things. The Democrat’s approval ratings are currently in free-fall.
Unlike many rap songs, ‘Let’s go Brandon’ isn’t expletive-laden. The title comes from a meme, created in early October when a NBC sports reporter tried to spin the fact that the crowd at a NASCAR race was chanting “f*** Joe Biden” instead. Since then, it has spread as an expletive-free way to criticize the sitting president – and avoid censorship. Until now, that is.
“They’re playing with our free speech; nobody’s messing with them, they’re messing with us,” Gray told RT. He described the behavior of the Biden administration as “nothing more similar to a dictatorship.” Pointing to an example, he said the current government was “trying to segregate vaccinated and unvaccinated,” saying it was “like Jim Crow 2.0,” a reference to racial segregation laws in the US during the early 20th century.
YouTube banned Gray’s track on October 21, saying one of the lyrics contained “medical misinformation” about the coronavirus. They gave him a second “strike” soon thereafter, but said they would respond to his appeal. The Facebook-owned Instagram deleted the music video as well.
On Twitter, Gray’s official page is still up as of the time of writing – but one can no longer get his name suggested by the network’s search, even when “CCG BRYSON” or “@RealBrysonGray” is copy-pasted there.
The censorship seems to have backfired, however, as ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ shot to the top of iTunes charts over the weekend, overtaking Adele’s ‘Easy On Me.’
“We did it!” Gray tweeted on Sunday. “Stop being afraid of censorship. Stop being afraid to be cancelled. STAND UP. Thank y’all so much! KEEP IT GOING!”
Interestingly enough, Google searches for “iTunes charts” kept returning previews that started at second place, as if the first place did not exist.
There are currently three ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ songs in the US top 10, Gray pointed out – one at number three and the other at number ten – but only his has been banned. It’s the only one featuring no profanity.
“Why is the most censored rapper in the country someone that doesn’t even curse in songs?” Gray told Fox News over the weekend. “Why can you rap about murder, sex, and drugs but when I rap about questioning the government I get banned? Is this still America?”
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