Billboard chart-topping country outlaw Ryan Upchurch has responded to Luke Combs’ apology. Combs recently apologized for his use of confederate flag memorabilia in the past which he said has there is “no excuse.” His use of the flag included his appearance in Upchurch’s 2015 “Can I Get An Outlaw” music video.
In Upchurch’s Instagram stories a few days ago, Upchurch shared “Y’all country singers need to quit being f-%king sissies, I mean dude, one person does something wrong that they shouldn’t have done and now all of y’all are bowing down ‘i’m sorry,’ you didn’t do nothing, what are you sorry for?”
Then in a 14-minute clip titled “my apology” shared to YouTube, Upchurch spoke out on the situation. He giggled while saying, “you thought this was an apology video, that’s cute.”
“I’m trying to toot my own horn or be that egotistical as*hole, but am I the only country singer out here right now that’s getting Billboard charting spots that just says what I want to. That doesn’t apologize for everything and try to be something I’m not,” Upchurch continued. “And have a bunch of team members type up this sh*t and be like ‘oh, you have to say this please because we got to make sure they know you’re not racist.’”
Later adding, “None of this was problematic until there was a problem, I’ve been preaching unity since day one and I’m a guy who has the confederate flag tattooed on me for life. There didn’t have to be a video of another country singer saying the n-word for me to preach unity between blacks and whites.”
When speaking on Combs apology Country Radio Seminar, Upchurch said “y’all really think he come out and said this by himself? You don’t think his record label daddy told him to do this? You have to, Morgan Wallen just did that thing so you have to. You think he waited 6 years of not saying nothing, not preaching nothing about unity but now he does and you don’t think somebody told him to? Ok.”
According to videos that have surfaced online, Combs’ record label has tried several times to remove the Upchurch video that features Combs in it but Upchurch says “record labels don’t tell me what to do, I tell record labels what to do. That’s what i’ve built for myself in country music.”
In response to Combs apology that read, “I would never want to be associated with something that brings so much hurt to someone else… I want people to feel accepted; I want people to feel welcomed by country music and by our community… Hate is not a part of my core values.” Upchurch responded to that saying “well, I don’t have hate in my core values either and I think everyone who has watched me or come across me over the years, the majority of them know that.”
Upchurch later added, “One fact that I think is hilarious about this whole thing… he come out and said sorry for the Outlaw music video and yadda yadda yadda, ‘i’m sorry i’m going to be a better person.’ ‘I swear I’ll never catch rebellionitis again,’ i’m so sick. but did you know that the film crew for that music video was all black people, some gangster ass black people that i’m friends with. They were the people who shot the video.”
Upchurch also commented on Maren Morris’ input during the lengthy video statement, “Who is Maren Morris? Who is that?”
During the clip, the outlaw country singer also commented on Alabama’s song “Dixieland Delight” and Rhett Akins’ “Kiss My Country As*.”
He concluded the video saying, “well, that’s all I got to say about this. I can promise you that I will never say sorry for that I don’t have to sorry for. I don’t have to say sorry for symbolism that I grew up around. I didn’t do nothing to anybody, I don’t have to make an apology video, I’ll never say anything to the point to where I do have to make an apology video because that’s not who I am as a person. So, if i’m the last one left out here, saying what needs to be said and standing up for myself and speaking from my heart then I’ll be the last motherf–ker left. It don’t bother me none.”
You can watch the full video above.
**This article is solely a news report and does not reflect the opinions of our media outlet or writers.**
