Yesterday, after a series of tweets joking about the potential dangers of the new game Pokémon GO (an app that encourages people to walk around looking for Pokémon using their phone’s camera and GPS), El-P faced the wrath of Pokémon fans everywhere. “ive gotten more negative feedback from the pokemon community than i have from trump supporters,” he tweeted, adding, “im actually impressed.” Then, after joking that his account was “hacked,” he shared a freestyle on Instagram titled “Pokémon rappin” (not to be confused with the PokéRap). “We all are a community,” he raps at one point. And then, he launched an open challenge—“best poke-man remix get a free t shirt and hoodie.” The remixes poured in. Here’s a timeline of how it all went down.
6:17 p.m., El-P jokes about people getting hit by cars while playing Pokémon GO:
then again i dont actually care. but i will laugh the second one of you gets hit by a car. or softly chuckle to myself. sadly. soft but sad.
— el-p (@therealelp) July 9, 2016
real shit someone is going to get accidentally maimed or killed off this pokemon shit.
— el-p (@therealelp) July 9, 2016
haha so many hurt feelings over pokemon disparagement.
— el-p (@therealelp) July 9, 2016
not breaking on this pokemon shit. you’ve got legion, i give you that… but im standing my ground.
— el-p (@therealelp) July 9, 2016
ok heres the deal: if in 1 year someone doesnt get seriously hurt playing that shit ill personally attempt to become a pokemaster.
— el-p (@therealelp) July 9, 2016
6:44 p.m., El-P begins to have a change of heart following the backlash he received from the Pokémon community:
ive gotten more negative feedback from the pokemon community than i have from trump supporters. im actually impressed.
— el-p (@therealelp) July 9, 2016
which is why i offer the following statement in the hopes that we heal and come together again as 1 loving body of caring people:
— el-p (@therealelp) July 9, 2016
im kidding fuck pokemon. IM KIDDING I DIDNT MEAN THAT! nah im kidding i meant that shit. NO! I WAS WRONG. ok hold on lemme think…
— el-p (@therealelp) July 9, 2016
ok i’ve thought about it and here is my improved, moderate stance: i want you to be happy, but i do not share this particular enthusiasm.
— el-p (@therealelp) July 9, 2016
i will be reaching out to leaders of the pokemon community. listening. understanding. improving myself and my capacity for empathy.
— el-p (@therealelp) July 9, 2016
6:55 p.m., El-P claims that he was “hacked,” calls Pokémon “the one thing that really binds us”:
hey guys sorry about those last tweets i was hacked. now im not hacked and its me and you love me. so… all good now.
— el-p (@therealelp) July 9, 2016
man what a day. savage and heartless bastard hacked my account and shit on the one thing that really binds us. just glad its over.
— el-p (@therealelp) July 9, 2016
7:00 p.m., El-P shows his support:
hey guys just wanted to spontaniously show my support for pokemon. its fun and cute and fun. so. yeah that was just random.
— el-p (@therealelp) July 9, 2016
hey guys have you played that new pokemon vhs? its rad. i rented it from blockbuster and i understand the kids cause i like it and its fun.
— el-p (@therealelp) July 9, 2016
feel sorry or anyone whos heart has hardeneded so much that they cant even enjoy pokemon. pardon me, scrooge.
— el-p (@therealelp) July 9, 2016
7:09 p.m., El-P makes amends by dropping a new track, “Pokemon rappin”:
Pokemon rappin
A video posted by thereallyrealelp (@thereallyrealelp) on Jul 9, 2016 at 4:08pm PDT
everybody’s poke-rappin!
— el-p (@therealelp) July 9, 2016
7:57 p.m., El-P challenges the world to remix his Pokémon rap:
best poke-man remix get a free t shirt and hoodie https://t.co/k4W3wMhJcu
— el-p (@therealelp) July 9, 2016
9:23 p.m., the remixes begin to pour in:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN WE’VE GOT OUR FIRST ENTRY IN THE POKEMAN RAPPING REMIX CONTEST SHOUT OUT TO @notalent__ https://t.co/22I8aHmCn2
— el-p (@therealelp) July 10, 2016
whos next to take the pokeman rappin remix challenge? all proceeds dont exist.
— el-p (@therealelp) July 10, 2016
ENTRY NUMBER 2 IN THE 5TH ANNUAL POKEMAN RAPPIN REMIX CONTEST IS HERE! SHOUT OUT @BigTimeKill https://t.co/hgv7qaHZKq
— el-p (@therealelp) July 10, 2016
ENTRY NUMBER 3 IN THE 4TH BI ANNUAL POKEMAN RAPPIN REMIX CONTEST: https://t.co/RyzxNQnAV3
— el-p (@therealelp) July 10, 2016
ENTRY 4 IN THE 2ND CENTENNIAL POKEMAN RAPPIN REMIX CONTEST SHIT IS FIRE https://t.co/H6RijvBXiY
— el-p (@therealelp) July 10, 2016
lot of really really high quality Pokeman rappin remixes coming in. this is gonna be tough.
— el-p (@therealelp) July 10, 2016
Watch Killer Mike and El-P on Pitchfork.tv’s “Over/Under”:
Source: Pitchfork – News
