Tom Hanks' son Chet Haze explains why he used the N-word in song
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tom Hanks (R) and his son Chet Hanks arrive at "Cloud Atlas" premiere during the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival held at Princess of Wales Theatre on September 8, 2012 in Toronto, Canada. (Getty)
Chet Haze says that drugs and trolling are to blame for his flagrant use of the N-word years ago.
In 2015, Tom Hanks’ rapping son, 28, came under scrutiny after using the slur repeatedly in his music and on social media. At the time, he defended himself by saying that since he identified with hip hop culture, it was OK for him to use the word.
The rapper, whose real name is Chester Hanks, recently addressed the issue on Van Lathan’s “Red Pill” podcast.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Asked why he felt comfortable using the slur, he told the host, “Number one, I was on a lot of drugs … I wanted to be, like, down, you know what I mean? I just felt like I wasn’t enough.”
Haze, who’s now more known for his acting credits than his music, also said he thinks he was acting out in a bid for attention.
“Low-key, like subconsciously, looking back on it now I realize I was trolling,” he said. “I thought, like, crazy antics and just wilding the f—k out and doing some crazy s—t was going to like spark my career.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}And while he didn’t explicitly apologize for his use of the slur, Haze did admit that it wasn’t a good look.
“I did the ultimate lame thing,” he said. “I did the ultimate cornball thing. And that s—t wasn’t cool.”