Photo by: karencivil.com
You would never think in your wildest dreams that rapper B.o.B and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson would get into a rap battle against each other, let alone getting into a rap battle about whether or not the earth is flat or round, but that is exactly what occurred today in pop culture news as B.o.B hit social network with his poorly chosen public claims tweeting about the earth being flat. After getting a response from Tyson on twitter with a pithy dismissal, the situation got extremely heated causing B.o.B to call out Tyson in a recently released track named “Flatline”
“The times they are a changing” This very well known expressions seems to have been lost on B.o.B, the American recording artist and music producer, who seems to still be under the impression that our world is flat. He took to twitter claiming “”A lot of people are turned off by the phrase ‘flat earth’… but there’s no way u can see all the evidence and not know” which caused many of his followers to just say “HUH?! is there really somebody out there who does not believe this to be fact?” One of those very people was none other than the well known astrophysicist, cosmologist, author and science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson, who decided to respond with a few unkind words over the social forum by stating “Being five centuries regressed in your reasoning doesn’t mean we all can’t still like your music.” making the rapper respond in a way he knows best.
B.o.B released a track named “Flatline” with lyrics clearly dissing the physicist “Freethinking got the world at my neck” he raps “Neil Tyson gotta loosen up his vest/ They probly write that man one hell of a check/ I’m over here on this side of town/ Come on over over over over here and try to clown/ I will never pipe down.” Other key lines include “Use your common sense, why is NASA part of the Department of Defense, and Indoctrinated in a cult called science/ And graduated to a club full of liars/ Heliocentrism… fuck you and your team, you can sit on the bench with ’em.” This little lyrical call out caused outside parties to get involved in the beef between the two.
Neil’s nephew, who is a rapper as well, decided to help his uncle out in returning fire to B.o.B by releasing a response track titled “Flat to Fact”, which is played over the Drake track “Back to Back”, and while Tyson’s nephew isn’t the greatest rapper, the fact that they stood up for themselves on wax says something on its own right, NDT even posted it on his twitter to B.o.B “As an astrophysicist I don’t rap, but i know people who do. This one has by back:” and linked to his nephew’s track. Despite that, he still drops a few signature lines over the Drake instrumental like, “I’m not waiting four days B.o.B, I’m right here, I got science in my corner and there’s nothing to fear.” perhaps this will help the famed producer change his views.
B.o.B has been posting more tweets all day trying to defend his case and claiming defamation, but it does not seem like this will fly under the rug so quickly. Perhaps the artist should focus more on fixing his ignorance rather than get into scientific battles with individuals who clearly hold more weight in that department.
Story Update:
(01/28/2016)
It did not take long for astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson to attempt to educate B.o.B, who still firmly believes that the Earth is actually flat. According to Pitchfork.com, when guest starring on “The Tonight Show”, Larry Wilmore introduced the segment with a series of clever jokes regarding the rapper’s unscientific approach to a simple fact, after initiating the “science emergency defense program,” Tyson came out and gave a quick lesson on why B.o.B perceives the Earth as flat with some scientific evidence. He took the audience by storm, grabbing the mic and laying down some lines dissing the rapper with several unarguable facts, and after quoting Sir Isaac Newton’s “standing on the shoulders of giants” Tyson then ended his speech with a fitting mic drop, demonstrating how gravity works, and exclaiming “”That’s right, Bo.B, when you stand on the shoulders of those who came before, you might just see far enough to realize the Earth isn’t fucking flat.”. Here is hoping that this will put the rapper in his place, and maybe it might teach him a thing or two about life.
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