Shameless Beyonce, Usher & Mariah Take Money from Libyan Dictator Gaddafi Posted by Nathan S. on 02/25/11 | Filed under Top Stories, Features, Beyonce, Usher, Mariah Carey

We spend a lot of time around these parts examining the financial workings of hip-hop in an effort to figure out just where these artists are getting that G6 money from (or, more often, not getting it from). However, there's one revenue stream I hadn't considered until yesterday - taking money from brutal dictators. That's right, over the past two years Mariah Carey, Usher and Beyonce have all taken millions from renowned terrorist supporter and Libyan dictator Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi. God I'm so angry about this f**kery.

Let me quickly rewind and provide some background. Since taking power in a military coup in 1969, Gaddafi's been Libya's dictator and one the world's foremost supporter of terror, funding groups as disparate as the IRA and Al Qaeda and most notoriously ordering the Lockerbie bombing, which killed approximately 275 people when plane exploded over Scotland. He's also completely insane and has been in the news lately for vowing that he'll kill every citizen of Libya before he lets a brewing revolution there succeed.



Good times. In addition, like every good dictator Gaddafi's ammased a personal fortune estimated at 60 billion dollars, a sizable amount of which has been handed down to his sons. And what have his sons done with this incredible influx of cash? Besides joining their father in ensuring the oppression of the Libyan people, they also like to throw lavish parties, including a New Years Eve bash Muatassim and Saif Gaddafi threw in St. Barts in 2009.

And the entertainment for that night? Mariah Carey, who was paid a reported one million to perform for the assembled guests. That party apparently went so well that the Gaddafi's decided to make the bash an annual event, inviting Usher and Beyonce to perform at last year's events, performances for which they also banked millions. (See this New York Times article for more on the Gaddaffi's lavish lifestyle.)

Incredibly, I can't find a single example of anyone - besides infuriated and impoverished Libyans who are revolting in large part because of the Gadaffi's brazen wealth - who have called out these superstars. Well then, let me be the first. What's next guys, birthday parties for Somalian pirates? Private shows at Kim Jong-Il's house? I'm not going to stop anyone from making money, feel free to do Pepsi commercials and club appearances until you collapse, but there has to be a point at which we demand better from the artists we idolize, and if this isn't it, I don't know what is.

I know no one in the mainstream media has the courage to ever ask this question to superstars like Mariah, Usher and Beyonce, so let me ask it here: Are you ashamed to have taken that money?

And since we'll also never hear them answers those questions, allow me to answer for them: Yes, you should be ashamed. I hope you watch coverage of Libyan citizens being brutally beaten, on your giant flat screen while eating steak and caviar, and feel nauseous with regret and shame.

All for the love of money.

UPDATE: For all those saying the artists had no idea where the money came from, allow me to introduce Nelly Furtado's recent admission as evidence: "“In 2007, I received 1million$ from the Qaddafi clan to perform a 45 min. Show for guests at a hotel in Italy. I am going to donate the $."

Of course it would have been better if she just never took the money in the first place, but good know at least one artist has a conscience. Your move Beyonce and company.

UPDATE 2: And now Beyonce has said she donated all the money to Haiti. I don't say this often, but way to go my fellow journalists, way to apply some pressure.