'Severely disturbed’: Rapper Bun B to protest in Minneapolis after Houston native George Floyd’s death sparks outrage

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota – Rapper Bun B is speaking out about the death of Houston native George Floyd.

The rapper, whose real name is Bernard Freeman, told KPRC 2 he plans to head to Minneapolis Friday to take part in a protest. He believes it’s important to come together during trying times like this.

“As an elder statesman of the Hip Hop community, I feel that it’s one thing to talk about things and let my opinion be known but I think it’s a different thing when action is seen," he said.

“To see what happened to George Floyd hit me very hard,” the rapper explained. “To see him murdered like that in the street hit me very hard. A lot of people close to me were good friends to Floyd. Even though I didn’t know him personally, I had to watch a lot of good friends of mine grieve his passing.”

Freeman said many people were “severely disturbed, upset, and frustrated that after all this time, the conditions in America for people of color in relation to interaction with police have not changed."

Freeman said he is also supporting good friend and retired NBA player Stephen Jackson, who was a longtime friend of Floyd’s.

“I know it’s a very emotional time for him and great loss in his life. He was a brother to George Floyd,” he said. “I wanted to be on his side as he went through this. He has taken it upon himself to lead the charge for justice for George Floyd and I didn’t want him to feel like he was in it alone.”

Freeman told KPRC 2 Trae Tha Truth will also be at the protest.

RELATED: ‘Heart-stopping’: Family of George Floyd, Houston man who died in Minneapolis police custody, says firing of officers ‘not enough’

Floyd, 45, died Monday night after a white officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes. A bystander’s video showed him pleading and groaning that he could not breathe as the officer knelt on his neck. The officer is seen in the video ignoring his pleas. Police claimed Floyd matched the description of a suspect in a forgery case at a grocery store and that he resisted arrest.

Floyd was from Houston’s Third Ward. He left several years ago for a better life in Minnesota. He still has a daughter and sister in Houston. The NAACP said he played football and attended Jack Yates High School.

MORE: Former NBA player Stephen Jackson speaks out about the death of longtime friend, George Floyd


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Prairie View A&M University graduate with a master’s degree in Digital Media Studies from Sam Houston State. Delta woman. Proud aunt. Lover of the color purple. 💜