Update #2: June 05th, 2020 03:19 PM:
Bracewar‘s Rashod Jackson has since revealed that he doesn’t accept Riley‘s apology, he took to Twitter to offer the following:
Hey coward…[email protected] me motherfucker. Apologize to ME. Apologize to my fucking PEOPLE. You were a coward then and an even bigger coward now. As long as youre in that band, I’ll make sure you NEVER play a show. Mark my words. @SpartaDTD pic.twitter.com/G0g7GhD1Ib
— Shod Exotic (@RashodJackson) June 5, 2020
For all you people out there that questioned me and defended that motherfucker asking if he REALLY said it….educate yourselves and start being a solution and not the problem. Don’t you EVER question a person of color when it comes to this shit.
— Shod Exotic (@RashodJackson) June 5, 2020
And while we’re here, @theghostinside pretty tasteless to take the Black Lives Matter movement and turn it into being about your bands record release.
— Shod Exotic (@RashodJackson) June 5, 2020
I will defend my color, my people, and my life til the day I die. You’re either with us or against us.
— Shod Exotic (@RashodJackson) June 5, 2020
Terror guitarist Martin Stewart also once again shared his thoughts on the matter to another Twitter user defending Riley:
do you think apologizing to a man he feared would crush his face for repeatedly saying “gotta go pay the nigger” in reference to their black bus driver (only apologizing from that fear, not accepting his actual problem) should be seen as case closed?
— Martín (@ForeverLawless) June 5, 2020
Update: June 05th, 2020 02:19 PM:
The Ghost Inside bassist Jim Riley has issued a statement in regards to his past usage of a racial slur. The situation in question appears to have taken place around 2015. Speaking via his Twitter today, June 05th, Riley offered:
“Rashod called me out in 2015. I called him, he put the screws to me. I deserved it, and I apologized to him. He told me that wasn’t good enough and he was right. Its shameful and fucking embarrassing. I present myself as someone who gives a shit about progressive movements and ideas, and I was not living up to that. Because of that conversation I had to take a big fucking look in the mirror and recognize a lot of bullshit that I was selling myself.
I made too many excuses for being brought up without exposure to the black experience, and I should have been better. I make a conscious effort to purge stuff about myself that still sucks when I find it, and to be mindful that I’m just a passenger on someone else’s ship in any movement related to black lives. I’m sorry. I know that’s not enough. I’m going to keep doing the work. That might still not be enough. I’m going to do it anyway.”
Meanwhile, Stick To Your Guns frontman Jesse Barnett addressed the matter prior to Riley‘s apology via Twitter as well:
“For anyone wanting to know, @RashodJackson is my fucking brother. He has always championed me and ALL of my music. When push came to shove I didn’t back him in the way that I should have. He was on tour with us when he first called out Jim and TGI. This was in 2015. Since then, I remained silent and even continually contributed to TGI. There was always pressure on STYG to not stir the pot for all sorts of reasons but that is no excuse. Fuck everyone who let him get away with it, especially STYG.
This fucking bullshit has to stop. A lot of us have piped up in ways we never have before and I love it but I promise you this, once things start to calm we better not let up. There’s no going back now. We defend our people. We defend our communities. No matter what. Go read
@georgeschmitz comments on this as he is much more articulate and inspiring.”
Original Story:
The Ghost Inside bassist Jim Riley has been accused of uttering a racial slur a number of years back by Bracewar drummer Rashod Jackson. Jackson publicly accused Riley after The Ghost Inside launched a new shirt earlier today, June 04th, benefiting the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Jackson took to Twitter to level the accusation as follows:
This is cute. @theghostinside y’all gonna act like your bitch ass bass player didn’t call y’alls bus driver a nigger that time? I ain’t forget that shit. https://t.co/vTJuawPbyW
— Shod Exotic (@RashodJackson) June 5, 2020
Terror guitarist Martin Stewart was apparently witness to the repercussions for Riley‘s alleged actions, replying directly to Jackson‘s tweet:
remember when little whitey open hand slapped his tall punk ass in the face for it?! HAHAHA https://t.co/YA6bMNKmS7
— Martín (@ForeverLawless) June 5, 2020
I’ll never forget it https://t.co/PRuslFcMsx
— Shod Exotic (@RashodJackson) June 5, 2020
Jackson later confronted Riley directly on Twitter as follows, though as of press time Riley has yet to respond:
What’s good Jim! The people wanna know. Don’t be a fucking coward speak up. Tell them you said what you said. https://t.co/bL6KnabduH
— Shod Exotic (@RashodJackson) June 5, 2020
As for The Ghost Inside‘s NAACP benefit shirt, the band stated of that earlier today:
We are looking in the mirror and asking ourselves what we stand for. Tomorrow our new album will be released. That has been in motion for months – the packages are literally in the mail. But we can’t ignore what is happening all around us & act like it’s business as usual. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/Rt4SXujBrA
— The Ghost Inside (@theghostinside) June 4, 2020
This release will bring the most attention to TGI that we’ve seen, and we will use that platform to promote anti-racist resources.
We can’t tell you what to stand for, you are on that journey yourself. Whether you are taking the first step or the one millionth step, keep moving.
— The Ghost Inside (@theghostinside) June 4, 2020
This design was created by https://t.co/A5sUJMXQKL, you can find more at https://t.co/93VYe32h00
This shirt will be available through this weekend. All profits will be matched by @epitaphrecords & donated directly to the @NAACP.
Black lives matter.https://t.co/Kvbf3aNlHh
— The Ghost Inside (@theghostinside) June 4, 2020
Notably Terror and The Ghost Inside publicly feuded back around 2012 before eventually burying the hatchet in 2014.
This troubling accusation arrives just as The Ghost Inside release their self-titled new album, which is their first since their November 2015 bus accident. That crash left much of the band with serious life-changing injuries and claimed the lives of both drivers.
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