Black Pegasus is a Colorado-based emcee that has consistently been growing and improving his craft for more than a decade. He has worked with big name artists like Dizzy Wright, Madchild and Krizz Kaliko, while continuing to build a name and platform for himself within the Colorado hip-hop scene. Over the past year and a half, he has also become known for his adamant viewpoints on COVID-19, vaccinations and the 2020 shutdown. Joining a small minority of artists willing to go against public perception and use his freedom of speech to speak against the narrative that mainstream media continues to push.
In May 2021, he released his latest album, Black Fumes, and it features a very interesting single titled “Black Pander.” The song highlights the media’s attempts to use celebrity status as a means of manipulating the masses, and target black culture as a way to push mandatory vaccinations on a population that is already rightfully vaccine hesitant.
So, I took some time to speak with Pegasus about his more expressive viewpoints and provide some context to his thoughts and opinions. Below is an interview with the man himself, covering everything from “Black Pander” and his viewpoints on America’s current situation, to his musical influences and inspirations.
This interview has been slightly edited and condensed for clarity.
- You are adamant about your viewpoints and expressions. Even if they may be seen as controversial. Do you ever feel concerned that you are alienating a substantial portion of potential fans? Or is the idea to connect with the fans that truly understand your message?
BP- I just don’t care. I don’t care at all. I have alienated a bunch of fans and a lot of people are mad at me. I believe we are at a pivotal time in the world and in America. So, I have to say the things I am saying. If I let the things go by that are happening, and didn’t say anything, I couldn’t live with myself. I have a child and most of everything I do is for her future. So, when you see the country going into extreme debt that your child is going to take on. And you see forced vaccinations on the way, in a country where you should be able to choose what goes into your body.
I think every person that has a stance on this should be speaking up. Now I am in a different position than a lot of people, I am self employed. But this does affect me. I have alienated fans and it’s messed up my income. If I was politically correct and just said, ‘go get your vaccine and black lives matter,’ just following the narrative that everyone else is following, I would probably be a millionaire by now. But, I have to speak my mind and what I believe is the absolute truth in a sense. I’m not really doing this to build a certain type of fan base. However, I am starting to notice a certain type of person gravitating towards my content and messaging now. I’m just seeing where it goes. This isn’t really as much for fans as it is to build a movement. Because I do think there will have to be a resistance against a lot of the things coming up in our future.
- The idea behind “Black Pander” is not a new concept. Why do you think music, and specifically black culture, is used so often to push political and cultural agendas?
BP- There is something about the black arts and specifically hip-hop. Music and black culture is very influential. So, if you understand marketing, positioning, mind control and different things like that, you are going to use the most influential force to influence people. So, whether it was country music or hockey, whatever it may be, you are going to use that. In America, there is something about the soul, the realness and grittiness, that resonates with people. Also, hip-hop is literally the manifestation of the American dream. It’s people who have nothing turning it into something and beyond. Becoming millionaires and billionaires. So, Americans are extremely attracted to hip-hop for this very reason.
There is some type of force behind hip-hop. All people love hip-hop. I have gone on tour in Europe and people just vibe to the music, even if they can’t understand the language. So, there is something about hip-hop that is a driving force of influence and connects with people immediately. This is why they utilize it to influence more people. Because it is such a mass cultural thing. It is a black art form, it started out as a black art form, but it’s multicultural now. We have German rappers, Russian rappers, Japanese rappers, African rappers, and then you have the motherland, America. But yes, they are definitely utilizing hip-hop culture to spread messaging. And it’s a smart marketing plan. It’s a great tool to use to push an agenda.
- Do you think that this type of cultural manipulation will ever stop?
BP- At the end of the day humans are going to be humans. So, I don’t know if it will ever stop. I think It has been going on for a long time. Things have been mastered and now we are in an era of technology. You have to think, they are using algorithms and information in our behaviors to manipulate us. At one point, they won’t need culture to manipulate us, because they will just be able to utilize technology to get ahead of our behaviors.
So, I don’t have a direct answer for that. I think manipulation of people has been going on for so long. I think it is going to continue to go on in some form or fashion. And you have to think, manipulation goes on in every aspect. From a women manipulating a man to give her money, or a man manipulating a women for sex. Or whatever the case may be. Manipulation goes on everyday and it’s a part of human nature. So, i don’t expect it to stop at the level in which you are asking the question when it occurs everyday in a certain aspect. So, if it’s not one culture it’s another culture. But I do think it’s going to shift over to technology, artificial Intelligence and stuff like that.
- What do you think the goal is for the people who are behind these types of political and social campaigns?
BP- So, the goal in my opinion is always just follow the money. I don’t necessarily think it’s some big super conspiracy. Now, that could be right. A global agenda to lock people down, turn this into the matrix and have people be slaves that are powering things for the elite. But I don’t necessarily think that is the goal.
With my song “Black Pander,” we are talking about the fact that we have a pandemic that is praying on the weak and the frail. So, it’s preying on the elderly first, because their immune system gets a little weaker as they get older. But, it’s also preying on the obese and diabetic. If you combine elderly, obese and diabetic, that’s about 90% of what is going on right now. We are not talking about boosting our immune system or getting healthy, we are only talking about their agenda. Which ultimately is, to create bigger sales for pharmaceutical companies, in my opinion. So their goal and agenda at this moment in time is just to push a vaccine. And unfortunately, there are a lot of things happening in real time with this vaccine, so people are pushing back and saying ‘I don’t want to get that right now, I want to wait.’ And now they are at a point where they have so many vaccines, it’s like a drug dealer sitting on weight, they have to get it out there. So I think that’s the agenda and that’s the campaign. They just want to sell more vaccines. And people aren’t getting them.
And it’s not from misinformation. It’s because people are getting injured, having adverse side effects or experiencing stuff that’s alarming. And people talk. They think it’s social media or misinformation, but I have had so many conversations with people who have said, ‘ya this happened to my grandpa or this happened with my mom, my sister or brother.’ People are talking and it’s going to keep spreading through word of mouth. And more people are going to start saying, ‘hey, I’m young and healthy. This doesn’t really affect me.’ So anyways, I think at this specific moment, the agenda is strictly to sell more vaccines.
With the mask stuff, it’s more about control. The lock downs, the masks and social distancing. Those are control mechanisms. It’s like, hey we are going to control you and the only answer to combat that is the vaccine. Which helps sell the vaccine. So if you continue to follow the money, the answers start to pop up.
- Have you noticed censorship through social media applications since you have become more outspoken about these viewpoints?
BP- Absolutely. So, on my band page I put up a lot of different stuff. But, on that band page, if I say something about masks, the virus, the current administration or anything related, and it starts getting traction and shares in the comments, they have something that recognizes what kind of conversations are going on. So, when people start talking about masks, the virus, treatments over vaccines or vaccine side effects, these posts just disappear off of my page. So we will be having in-depth conversations in the comments with people, some bickering and some just good conversation, but eventually those posts just disappear from my page. And I don’t get warnings, restrictions or banned at all.
That is from my band page. If I post from my personal page, it’s a little different. They will leave it up, but it will get no likes and it’s like people can’t see it. When I post from my band page, a lot of people will see it and those posts will just disappear.
I have been banned on twitter for conversing about the virus, medical misinformation is what it was attributed to. So, ya that happens quite a bit. I’m kind of getting used to it. And I’m just putting it more so in my music. Because for some reason it’s like they are not catching it in the music. So, that’s where I’m kind of full throttle. But I definitely have to self-censor myself on my podcast on YouTube. It’s actually very alarming how much censorship is going on. And how everyone is just OK with it.There’s no push back from anyone at this time. Social media in America is starting to look a lot more like social media in China.
- It seems the nation is so divided between their teams and values. Is there anywhere left where a logical political discourse is allowed to happen between both sides of a topic?
BP- I don’t know. I’m pretty logical and rational. I like to build with people that aren’t too crazy about things. I definitely identify with things from the conservative side and the liberal side. So, I’m pretty laid back about it. And the real conversation to me, is when did we get to the point of a conversation about Americans being free. Not free to use racial slurs or kill people. Just free to say hey, the government said I have to have something injected into my body, and I’m not feeling that. I’m a free American and I don’t have to do that. I don’t have to risk losing my job, becoming a target or risk social pressures. The fact that there are people who would argue that stance, which is very neutral in my opinion, is alarming. I’m just arguing that I want a choice and to not face backlash or be put in a position where I can’t provide for my family. That’s what is alarming to me.
I don’t know if there is a place to have that political discourse. Because it seems like one side is super radicalized. You have to wear your mask at all times and everyone on the planet needs the vaccine. The vaccine is the savior. And the other side is not getting the vaccine at all. I’m kind of right in the middle. I don’t care if you get the vaccine. My father got the vaccine. Me and my family are not getting the vaccine. Until I see more proof that it will affect me in a certain way and that the vaccine is effective for certain things. It just doesn’t make sense for me. I’m young, I’m healthy and have already got Covid and still have the antibodies from that infection.
I don’t know if there is a logical place to still have this discourse. With more intelligent people, there is definitely a place. And there is always going to be people we can have this conversation with. But I feel like the media focuses on the radicalization because it brings more eyes and attention. But, I don’t think there is a public discourse for this type of stuff. Because the way to speak publicly is on social media, and you can’t say anything on social media that goes against the narrative. So, I don’t know, we are in a very polarized state in America and we will see where that goes.
- How do we mend this divide as a society?
BP- You know, I don’t know. We are really divided and we are divided on very deep issues. Like the race issue. I’m a black man in America, but I don’t identify with the narrative of Black Lives Matter. They are more of a corporation and they’re not an organic movement. And they are not really after the best interest of the black community. But, talk to someone else that supports BLM and I’m a racist because I don’t support that.
This is a very divided society and we are really divided by race and politics. Unfortunately, the race thing is what cuts deep. While people are out protesting over racial and social injustices, I think people should be out there more so about these tyrannical lock downs, quarantines and forced vaccinations.These things are more important on my radar because America is going to be America. We have racism in America, but I don’t believe America is a racist or a white supremacist nation. That may be where we came from but we are headed somewhere different. I just believe that corporations run things. I just know that the racial divide is so intense right now that It’s going to be the downfall of our society if we don’t pick up the pieces.
So to mend the divide I think we would have to have a more neutral lens of things. That would come in Hollywood, that would come in media and culture. We would have to do an overall American makeover. We would have to change our society. But, it would have to start with perception. We have to see things from a more neutral standpoint and not such a radicalized perspective.
- For people wanting to learn more about the information you reference in “Black Pander,” where would you point them to look for sources or information?
BP- In “Black Pander,” a lot of the stuff you can see around you. I tried to put visual images in the music video. You can literally just get online and look a lot of it up. The reason I did “Black Pander” was not because COVID is only affecting back people. It’s affecting all of us. I took that stance because it was an angle to present some of the things I was seeing. I was wondering why Dr. Fauci was saying, ‘A black woman invented this vaccine.’ Black people in general are very vaccine hesitant. And the reason they are hesitant is because of the Tuskegee experiment. Where they injected black people with syphilis and did these really evil tests and studies. So in the history of time our government has done very shady things to black people. So you can just look up on google the Tuskegee experiment.
The biggest fallacy is something I saw being a health nut and into nutrition. The fact that we have pro athletes that are competing at the highest level. And what are they always promoting? The worst food. They’re promoting McDonalds, Subway, coca-cola and sprite. So basically, the most elite specimens in our world, who don’t eat much of the stuff they’re selling, are the poster people to our kids. So our kids are drinking coca cola and Pepsi as they look up to these star athletes.
They were saying COVID is affecting the black population in America more than any other population. At first I was skeptical, but I looked into it. So, why would that be? Well, the diabetes rate and the obesity rate is very high in the black community. And we have a lot of black athletes in the NFL and NBA. And what are they all selling? Now I’m not saying that it’s a direct correlation, but it’s not helping.
So, I’m looking at the things being presented to me. One of the biggest ways to help against COVID is vitamin D. If your vitamin D level is high, you are less likely to die or be hospitalized by the virus. So, I just started looking it up. I don’t have just one source where I am getting this information.The People who are getting killed by COVID are the elderly, diabetic and obese. How much of that is going on in the black community? A lot, so how can we go about reversing that? Diabetes type 2 is reversible through nutrition. And obesity is one of the biggest markers to get hospitalized by COVID. For vitamin D, you can be in the sunlight more.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention is where I get a ton of my information. It’s all there, it just takes really looking it up. There is the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System form the CDC. There’s also a podcast with Bret Wienstein and he brought on Robert Malone, who invented the MRNA vaccine technology. So I get a lot of my information from podcasts and begin to connect the dots around me.
- Who would you consider some of your musical influences and why have they influenced you so deeply?
BP- I have always been a fan of Wu-tang Clan, Dead Prez, Biggie, Tupac and Immortal Technique. Just because they were so lyrical and kind of anti-establishment. I mean Dead Prez, Lets Get Free, is a socialist album, and I’m not with socialism or communism. I have my own viewpoints now. Hence we go back to the cultural thing. When you are raised on hip-hop, I was totally into certain ways of thinking that I have since broken away from and am trying to balance out.
- You just recently performed for over 2,000 people in Colorado Springs with Chris Webby. What was it like to return to performing and how was the crowd reaction and energy?
BP- It felt good to get in front of 2,000 people that werent socially distancing or wearing masks. And we didn’t say you have to be vaccinated for you to be there. It was amazing. The energy was amazing. And what was crazy was I did something that I am not allowed to do on social media. I talked about the experimental vaccine, I talked about masks and I told people what I really thought. I thought people were going to throw tomatoes at me. But, they didn’t. There’s a lot more people who think the way I think and how other people think then you have been led to believe. They are steering the conversation on social media with algorithms. The moment I got off stage people were shaking my hands and talking to me.
I also did my album release party in May. There were almost 500 people at my album release party in Colorado Springs. And so many of those people approached me and said, ‘I’m so happy you are talking about the things you are talking about.’ Even big name rappers have hit me up and said, ‘thank you for talking about what you’re talking about. You are speaking for people like me who can’t speak about it.’ And they are saying that because they have big label deals that would mess up their money. And it hurts my soul. Because we need people like that to talk about this stuff. Everyone is being silent on this and it’s going to take a lot of people coming together. And it’s not about saying no to vaccines or anything like that. It’s about us taking freedom back into our own hands.
It was amazing and I had a really good time. People were rocking with it and I’m going on tour in September and I plan to keep that same energy.
Introspection Section 
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