Daniel Caesar speaks out about life-changing 2019 controversy

Musician Daniel Caesar has acknowledged that the criticism he received for defending YesJulz in 2019 “forever changed” the course of his life, forcing him to face difficult personal realities.

The Canadian R&B artist discussed the controversy during a Friday, January 16, appearance on The Breakfast Club. The backlash originally intensified when Caesar defended media personality YesJulz after she was accused of cultural appropriation and insensitivity. The public’s anger grew even more intense when an old 2017 post of hers surfaced featuring a T-shirt with the words “N***as lie a lot.” Julz, who is white, later apologized for the post.

In retrospect, Caesar claims he now understands why people were upset. “As time has passed, I’m like, ‘Oh, they were 100 percent right,’” he stated.

“When you accept this type of behavior from people that throughout history have exemplified that they hate you—and then you accept that behavior to get out of the circumstances that you’re in—it’s undignified. You’re giving up your own dignity,” he continued. He clarified that when he was younger, he never reached this realisation, claiming that such a perspective “never crossed my mind” in the past.

Caesar also discussed his perspective on YesJulz herself, which prompted a reaction from the hosts. “When I look at YesJulz, I see an orphan girl who wants to be Black,” he claimed.

“I’m like, damn, that’s so mean, bro. I felt bad for her, especially being a Black kid who grew up only surrounded by white people. The way she grew up, what is she supposed to do? She’s trying to embody what she understands,” he added.

Despite the criticism, Caesar feels the experience was essential for his personal development, admitting he had been “naive” at the time. “It forever changed the trajectory of my whole life, for sure,” he remarked. “I thought I was being honest with myself, and I didn’t realize how much anger and hatred I had in my own heart… for the world around me and for myself.”