Strokes front man Julian Casablancas and Dev Hynes, aka Blood Orange, were featured in an interview published by Oyster earlier this week. But, according to the artists, readers didn’t get to dig into the full talk — particularly, a conversation about racism. Casablancas has since published the uncensored interview on his website, revealing some troubling incidents Hynes experienced involving racial profiling and an arrest while in Miami
There was a time I got illegally arrested in Miami like 2 years ago. They busted some club for not having a liquor license, but I was outside, I wasn’t inside. And they were going inside and wouldn’t let people in. I was kind of doing what I’m doing now, but back then I would do solo Blood Orange shows. And I was like, “Oh, my stuff is inside and I just need to go get it” and there was this one… You know one cop who was a dick and he said “No. Not going to happen.” And I was like “Oh, can you tell me like how long?” And he was like “No.” and then these two Miami white girls walked up and are like “We really need to use the bathroom!” And he was like “Yeah go right in ladies.” I was full mouth-to-the-floor like “What!” So I went up again. I said “Look man, I need to get my stuff and I’m just gonna like leave. I have a flight back to New York in the morning.” And he was like “That’s it!” Hand cuffed me around the back, threw me in the back of the car and then left me in the car for 4 hours and I couldn’t do anything. And at one point, this is the scary moment. An officer came and opened the door and bent down to me and was like, “Hey man, it’s probably best if you just don’t say anything and um it should be cool…” and closes that door. And I was thinking “WHAT!? That doesn’t make me feel good!” You’re telling me to be quiet because the guy you work with is insane? What the fuck!?! It was so crazy.
Hynes also states that he experiences racism at least twice every day, “on a good day.” Casablanca responded with an apology: “I’m so sorry man. I apologize on behalf of white people, we’re the worst. I’m just. I don’t know. How to atone is the question. I don’t understand why there is any kind of question about reparations and all that. It seems like such a no-brainer.”
Read the full interview, over here.