What did Lil Yachty say about George Floyd? Lyrics spark backlash as Stephen Jackson criticizes rapper over upcoming track

American rapper Lil Yachty, whose real name is Miles Parks McCollum, is currently trending after sharing a glimpse of his new song, mentioning George Floyd in the lyrics.

On August 14, 2025, Yachty appeared on streamer Plaqueboymax’s live stream and played a part in his latest track, referencing Floyd. Around the 43-minute mark, the rapper stated he wanted people to “hear me on this one” before playing the song where he rapped: “Put my knee up on her neck, I went George Floyd.”

The lyrics have now gone viral and sparked a controversy, with many condemning Lil Yachty for using George Floyd’s name, including the latter’s childhood friend, Stephen Jackson.

On Thursday night, Jackson shared a video post on social media where he called out Yachty for using Floyd’s name in his unreleased track.

“Lil Yachty, bro. You been wack, my n***a. But you think you saying George Floyd name, and trying to use his name in a bar, that's gonna make people like your wack-ass music, my n***a? That sh*t weak,” Stephen stated.

He also told Lil Yachty never to use George Floyd’s name again for “clout.” According to Hot New Hip Hop, Jackson’s clip was prompted by an X user tagging him in a comment that read, “We do not support bunk gibberish like this in the community. All blessings to King George Floyd, his family, @DaTrillStak5, and everyone against this disrespectful nonsense.”

Meanwhile, netizens have also put the One Night rapper under fire. Here are some of the reactions from X.

Valery

@ValeryGraceX

this is disturbing to hear in a song

Spectre

@spectre0799

You're telling me everyone in the room heard that bar and not a single person thought to say anything?

Mr Shelby

@mrshelby101

rappers heard “go viral” and took it as “say the worst thing imaginable” 💀

Coffee and Grit

@CoffeeNGrit

Ain’t no way that dude didn’t know how this would go

Vestor FrAI

@KartikBishwas1

That's a wild lyric from Lil Yachty. People are really upset about it, and I get why. It's a sensitive topic.

Lil Yachty hasn’t responded to the online backlash or Stephen Jackson’s remarks.

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Exploring further Stephen Jackson’s backlash of Lil Yachty

Stephen Jackson, who is a former professional basketball player and now a podcast host, responded to Lil Yachty’s new bar, referencing George Floyd. Jackson and Floyd often called each other “twins” because of their similar appearances. They also grew up together in the Third Ward area of Houston, Texas.

“Y'all the only era that feel like demeaning the dead and saying that sh*t is cool, my n***a. It ain't,” the ex-NBA star stated.

He further continued:

"Don't ever say his name, bro. None of y’all knew G, nothing about him. But y'all wanna say his name for clout. That's some weak-a** sh*t, Yachty. Let somebody die in your family, we gonna do a whole skit about it. And see how funny it is, bro. Cut that sh*t out."

This is not the first time Jackson has spoken out. Earlier, in 2020, in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, the All the Smoke podcast co-host became a civil rights activist in the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. He was one of the key figures in seeking justice for the deceased.

Lil Yachty is facing backlash for his lyrics on George Floyd (Image via X/ @PopCrave)

Meanwhile, the Atlanta rapper has previously faced pushback after calling the BLM Foundation/movement a “scam” during his May 2025 appearance on Quenlin Blackwell’s Feeding Starving Celebrities series.

"BLM was a — it was literally a scam. They had bought mansions," Yachty said at the time.

Yachty’s unreleased song referencing George Floyd is part of his It’s Us Vol. 2, the forthcoming venture in the Concrete Boys series. He revealed the same on Thursday night following his appearance on Plaqueboymax’s live stream.

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George Floyd was a 46-year-old black American man who was fatally pinned down by a white police officer named Derek Chauvin for circulating counterfeit notes in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in May 2020. The incident happened when Chauvin attempted to arrest Floyd on suspicion of using counterfeit notes.

Chauvin was later sentenced to 22 and a half years in state prison for Floyd’s murder on multiple felony counts, while also facing a 21-year federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights.