Ryan Garcia & Wiz Khalifa Link-Up Leads To Criticism Following Boxer’s Racist Comments
Over the weekend, Ryan Garcia went to support his brother Sean in his match against Amado Vargas on the Nate Diaz versus Jorge Masvidal undercard in Anaheim, California. In fact, he even ran into Wiz Khalifa at the event, and he shared a clip of their interaction online. “Real vibes real time @wizkhalifa What’s the next move, Monaco?????,” the boxer captioned the clip, with the rapper reportedly replying: “We linking up in Europe.” However, a lot of fans weren’t happy with this link-up due to Garcia’s recent racist rant against Black people and many other groups, and accused him of trying to exploit Wiz and black fans’ goodwill.
For those unaware, this even led to his expulsion from the World Boxing Council. “Exercising my authority as president of the WBC, I am hereby expelling Ryan Garcia from any activity with our organization,” Mauricio Sulaiman shared on Thursday, July 4. “We reject any form of discrimination. I fear for Ryan well being [sic]. He has declined multiple attempts for our help with mental health and substance abuse.” As such, many fans wondered whether or not Wiz Khalifa was aware of what Garcia had said, and posited that he wouldn’t be so keen for a photo op if he did.
“I haven’t spoken to Ryan in a long time,” Ryan Garcia’s dad told Fight Hub TV during a recent interview. “He speaks to his mother more than me. But it’s okay, he’ll call me when he wants to. I would love for him to get some type of therapy when it comes to his drinking. I’m being real. He says he can control it. I hope he can. But if he doesn’t… Get that therapy so he can stop.”
Meanwhile, Ryan Garcia already apologized for his remarks, although they were very heavy and combative, so not everyone is taking a forgiving stance. It’s also not his first notable rap crossover of the year, as he caused another uproar when he claimed truth to debunked rumors that Drake was involved in XXXTENTACION’s death. This not only prompted outrage from X fans, but also from close collaborators of him and Drizzy like Ski Mask The Slump God, Vory, and more. We’ll see whether other rappers become aware of what Garcia said, and whether or not they choose to let bygones be bygones if they meet.
About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output.
Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond.
Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C.
His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.