Pharrell Fires Back At Backlash For His "I Hate Politics" Comments
Pharrell Fires Back At Backlash For His “I Hate Politics” Comments, Social Media Goes Harder
Pharrell Williams has some new soundbites for you. The multihyphenate became embroiled in controversy last week, while he was celebrating the recipients of his Black Ambition grants at the 5th Annual Demo Day and Fundable Founders Forum in Miami. Williams started the company in 2000 to provide grants to Black start-ups that typically get less than 1% of venture capitalist funding.
But at the 2025 celebration, Williams made comments that went viral, but not in the way he may have wanted. While introducing the grant recipients, Williams weighed in on the political landscape that made his grants necessary.
“Do you think for what it is that you do, do you think you’re the best?” Williams said to the audience. “Do you want the job because you’re black or because you’re the best? Do you want someone to support your startup because you’re black or because you’re the best?”
He added, “I think now for me, it’s about us having the best ambition, and that’s the reason why you should support these businesses,” continued Williams. “Yes, they happen to be black and brown, but it should be based on the fact that they’re the best, not because of a shade of skin color.”
Williams also said that he “hated politics” and that expressing support for either side was “inadvertently supporting division.”
Naturally, social media had its say, calling Williams everything but a child of God for what they perceived as his lack of connection with the Black community.
Williams clapped back at his critics while being honored for the Shoe of the Year at the Footwear News Achievement Awards, referencing the challenges of his childhood in Virginia and his efforts to provide more opportunities for Black entrepreneurs.
“Sound bite this. Since most people don’t like to read or do research anymore, sound bite this,” he said. “God is the greatest. Sound bite this. I’m from Virginia. Sound bite this. You don’t know what I know. You ain’t seen what I saw. No, you ain’t been where I go. I’m from the mud. As a child, nobody’s been evicted more times than me. Lights turned off, water turned off, and at times, had to pump the water.”
He continued, “I’m proletariat. In fact, I’m lumpenproletariat. Sound bite this. I had to stay on my feet. Sound bite this. But I could never walk in the shoes of my parents, parents, parents, etc, all they had to endure while staying on their feet. Or my ancestors, who arrived as captives, enslaved, who had no shoes yet had to stay on their feet as they landed on the shores of Virginia. As Black and Brown people on this earth, we have to stay on our feet. We have never had a choice.”
Williams won the award for the Virginia Adistar Jellyfish. Fellow Virginia native and frequent collaborator Pusha T presented him with the honor.
Black Ambition has invested in 150 companies that have raised more than $280M in funding, according to CEO Felicia Hatcher. Williams says that the organization is his way of helping close the gap for Black entrepreneurs.
“After five years, I look at Black Ambition as my way of paying back and paying forward what I have been blessed to achieve. These founders have proven what happens when we invest in excellence and push beyond what we’ve been trained to believe about work, value, and ownership. When you focus on being the best, you can bank on it. So, to every future innovator: recognize who you are, recognize where you are, and start building the idea you believe in.”
As he was honored for his achievements, Williams closed his speech by reflecting further on his journey from poverty to becoming a globally known, hit-making artist and producer, and to designing for Louis Vuitton. As his career trajectory continues its rise, he’s not oblivious to the obstacles facing other Black creatives and entrepreneurs, especially in the current climate.
“That’s where the soundbite of me saying I hate politics [came from], which was in response to the DEI support and donations drying up because of new policies,” he continued. “So yes, I got frustrated, and the sound biters, they caught me lacking. But sound bite this… I will never stop fighting. I will never stop raising money to help level the playing field. Never.”
See how social media is sounding off below.
