Charlamagne Tha God is rooting for a longtime news anchor who was reportedly removed from on-air duties after quoting Snoop Dogg.
“[She] got fired for what? She can’t say ‘fo shizzle my n—?’” the Breakfast Club personality said in a broadcast last week.
The Mississippi Clarion Ledger reported Friday that journalist and meteorologist Barbie Bassett was no longer listed on WLBT’s “Meet the Team” page. She was described there as recently as mid-March as a “Today at 11 Host, News Anchor and Meteorologist for WLBT and Fox 40 News.”
During a March 8 broadcast in which she and her co-anchors were discussing the latest about Snoop Dogg’s 19 Crimes wine venture, Bassett, who is white, said “Fo shizzle, my n—,” referencing one of the rapper’s popular rhyming phrases.
Charlamagne Tha God said Bassett “probably has no idea that ‘n—’ is a derivative of the ‘n-word.’”
In a statement shared Tuesday with The Times, a representative of WLBT said, “We cannot comment on personnel matters.”
Bassett, who previously landed in hot water in October 2022 for another comment some viewers claimed was racially insensitive, did not immediately respond Tuesday to The Times’ request for comment.
During the Breakfast Club segment, Charlamagne Tha God continued by asking larger questions about who can use Black slang.
“That’s the thing with hip-hop, man. Hip-hop is so big and so mainstream and it’s just like, who can consume it and who can’t?,” he said. “Who can repeat slang and who can’t?”
He added: “That’s not a fireable offense. I hope she sues.”