Not everyone in Florida is a fan of Kodak Black. Palm Beach County Commission candidate Richard Ryles recently labeled Yak “out of control” over his drug use and blasted his opponent, state Sen. Bobby Powell, for issuing a proclamation honoring the South Florida rapper.
Florida Politician Calls Kodak Black “Out of Control” Over Drug Use
According to The Palm Beach Post’s report, published on Wednesday (Nov. 22), Palm Beach County Commission candidate Richard Ryles has slammed his opposing candidate state Sen. Bobby Powell, for unwavering support of Kodak Black whose new name is Bill Kapri. Ryles cites Kodak’s past criminal behavior, including his drug arrests, as his reasoning he objects to Powell issuing a proclamation in honor of Yak.
In an email to The Palm Beach Post, Ryles believes that by Powell honoring Kodak with a proclamation earlier this month, he’s also celebrating his bad behavior.
“As an African-American, our community is well known for its forgiving nature and faith in redemption,” he reportedly wrote in his missive. “As an African-American man, I do want to see a redeemed Bill Kapri in his future dealings.”
“Nevertheless, his recent spate of arrests indicates that he has yet to find his moral North Star and may well be spinning out of control due to drug use,” he continued. I believe that Senator Powell could have used the opportunity of meeting Mr. Kapri as a teaching moment by utilizing his experience as an upstanding African-American male and father to provide guidance rather than unwarranted accolades.”
Ryles also added that since Powell is a Democrat, honoring Kodak who is a supporter of MAGA Republican Donald Trump could hurt their party’s likely presidential nominee, President Joe Biden in the next year’s election.
State Senator Bobby Powell Disagrees and Stands By Giving a Proclamation to Kodak Black
In response, Senator Bobby Powell defended his decision to honor Kodak with a proclamation for his charitable work in the West Palm Beach, Florida area. In a message to TPBP, Powell cited many of Kodak’s altruisms and scoffed at Ryle’s objection of Yak as being “elitist” and judgmental.
“On (Nov. 11), we presented a proclamation to Kodak Black at Florida Atlantic University, and at that event he donated $10,000 to a VFW group,” Powell wrote in part to The Post. “We acknowledged him for paying the rent of 28 families who were facing eviction from Merry Place in [West Palm Beach]. We acknowledged the 100 AC units that he secured for families facing sweltering heat in the summer at the Golden Acres Apartments and the more than $100,000 in charitable donations that he has given back to the community.”
“By Mr. Ryles’ elitist logic, a man is to be strictly judge by a single act, not the totality of his life,” he continued. “There is no forgiveness, no second chances, no redemption, just ongoing punishment, the kind that brought us an overpopulation of Black men in prison with no future and no hope.”
Powell also rejected Ryles’ suggestion that honoring Black boosts Trump’s profile and hurts Biden’s.
Ryles Is Not Buying What Senator Powell Is Selling In Regards to Kodak Black’s Good Virtues
Nevertheless, Ryles stands by his opinion that honoring Kodak was more harmful than helpful to the community.
“Mr. Kapri’s past misdeeds are well known and very public, and to provide a proclamation by honoring him for the charitable giving of turkeys, in my opinion, was more harmful than helpful to his potential redemption as a citizen,” he wrote to TPBP
Ryles added: “Mr. Kapri is a very talented local artist and deserves our prayers, encouragement and support to address his issues. At this time in his life, it appears Mr. Kapri needs a mentor ready to provide strong consistent leadership, not proclamations and youthful adulation.”
Kodak Black seems to be rubbing politicians the wrong way in Florida.
