Ice Cube Will Tell Bill Maher To Check Himself In Real Time On Friday

It’s been a tempestuous few days for comedy, particularly in the careers of Kathy Griffin and Bill Maher. Griffin was recently fired from her CNN job after posing with a prop made to look like the bloody and decapitated head of Donald Trump. Maher, the notoriously outspoken critic and comedian, has been the target of potentially career-ending criticism himself after extemporaneously using the n-word in a joke he made during last week’s episode of his HBO program. Nearly immediately, Maher’s misstep began trending on social media, and it became a story reported on heavily across media, including within Hip-Hop; later this week, Ice Cube will be a guest on the embattled Maher’s program, where he very well could tell his host to “check yaself”…

ice-cube

In the past, Maher has had guests like Killer Mike, Talib Kweli, and other rappers who discuss politics and current news stories on Real Time. Mike took to Twitter to voice his opinion about the heated debate inspired by the late-night comedian’s choice of words, ruffling a few feathers along the way by saying that Black people have far more serious matters to worry about than a White comedian’s use of language. Since then, there has been speculation about whether Maher’s job should be in jeopardy, as well as reignited debate about racism, White privilege, and comedy’s place in it all.

Nas Talks 20 Years of Illmatic with Bill Maher (Video)

As of today (June 6), Bill Maher has not been terminated from HBO, despite the network releasing a statement in which Maher’s actions were described as “completely inexcusable and tasteless.” In fact, there is already plenty of news relating to this week’s episode of his program, which will air on Friday, June 9. Ice Cube – another notoriously outspoken critic – has confirmed that his already scheduled appearance on Real Time will go on as planned, setting up what could potentially be a compelling discussion about Maher’s horrendous lapse in judgment and Black-White relations in today’s turbulent political climate.

According to a source close to New York’s Daily News, Cube will address Maher’s use of racist slur head on. In addition, the interview will be used to reflect on Cube’s politically charged Death Certificate album and its 25th anniversary. Infamously, the second song on that album is titled “The Wrong Ni**a To F*ck Wit.” Cube’s rep in a statement said the timing of his client’s appearance on Bill Maher’s show is perfect, though in an unfortunate light, saying it “sadly speaks to many of the same race issues we as a society are still dealing with today.”