Daniel Caesar Says Fans Were Right To Cancel Him For Defending YesJulz

Daniel Caesar says he now understands why the criticism came in so hard and fast after he defended Miami-based entrepreneur, marketer, and influencer YesJulz. The Canadian singer-songwriter appeared on The Breakfast Club to discuss his new album, Son of Spergy, and shared that he understands why fans were upset.

In 2017, YesJulz, born Julieanna Marie Goddard, was already on fire due to accusations that she was using Black people to further her career while trying to lean on her ethnic ambiguity. Then, she shared a post on X where a T-shirt was pictured that said “N-ggas lie,” saying she wished she could wear the shirt.

Goddard, who was also then an associate of Kanye West, apologized after the backlash.

In an Instagram Live video, Caesar, who was admittedly drunk at the time, asked, “Why are we being so mean to Julz? Why are we being so mean to white people right now? Why is it that we’re allowed to be so disrespectful and rude to everybody else and when anybody returns that energy to us…that’s not a quality. I don’t want to be seen as someone who can’t take a joke.”

He added, “People can say what they want.” In response to fans on the Live, he said, “I see what you’re saying. White people have been mean to us in the past. What are you going to do about that? There’s no answer other than creating understanding and keeping it moving. That’s some biblical s—t. You have to bridge the gap.”

In his Breakfast Club interview, Caesar says he views Julz through a different lens than most.

“When I look at YesJulz, I see an orphan girl that wants to be Black,” he told the hosts.

“I’m like, damn, that’s so mean, bro. I felt bad for her, especially [with me] being a Black kid that 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.”

Caesar has addressed the issue before, saying similar things, but he admitted to the hosts that the incident had a significant impact on him.

“It forever changed the trajectory of my whole life, for sure,” Caesar told the hosts. “I just, 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.”

While you can find multiple YouTube videos titled How Daniel Caesar Destroyed His Career, that’s just not the case. After dropping his fourth studio album, Son of Spergy on Oct. 24, Caesar returned to NPR’s acclaimed Tiny Desk show, racking up 2 million views in two weeks. His 2018 Tiny Desk has been seen by 34 million people and is among the top 15 most-viewed Tiny Desk shows ever.

Despite his success, he now knows how quickly things can change, and he’s philosophical about the way his words were perceived.

“As time has passed, I’m like, ‘Oh, they were 100 percent right,'” Caesar said of those who criticized his initial support for Julz. “When you accept this type of behavior from people that throughout history have exemplified to you that they hate you, and then you accept the behavior to get out of the circumstances that you’re in, it’s undignified. You’re giving up your own dignity.”

See soical media’s reaction to Caesar addressing the situation below.