Rapper Talib Kweli on CNN. YouTube via TPM

Talib Kweli criticized media coverage of the Ferguson, Missouri protests while appearing on CNN on Thursday.

"Media has done a horrible job in getting the story out there the right way," said Kweli, a critically acclaimed rapper from Brooklyn, New York.

When anchor and reporter Don Lemon interrupted him, the two started talking over each other angrily.

Kweli said: "On CNN.com right now you have a story up that says: Ferguson calm until bottles fly. Well, that's inaccurate, because I was there that night and that's not what happened. And the first thing in the story it says is: Police chase down men."

Lemon tried to break in, saying: "Well — hang on — but that was — that's not what happened where you were ..."

Kweli kept talking: "Let me finish — let me finish my point — let me finish my point — let me finish my point."

Lemon finally paused, while Kweli said, "I was there, right there, with the article, the situation it was talking about, I was right there."

And then they started talking over each other again for a full 30 seconds, until Kweli started to walk off, saying, "We don't have to have an interview if I can't talk. If I can't talk we don't have to have an interview."

And then he was back. Continuing to talk over each other, Kweli complained that Lemon had been disrespectful to him before the interview. Lemon disagreed, and Kweli insisted.

"Let me tell you what happened: You didn't even invite me. Nicole invited me, first of all. You came up, you didn't even say nothing to me. You were on your phone the whole time. You asked how to pronounce my name. You have no respect for who I am," the rapper said.

Kweli, who comes from an academic background and whose younger brother is a constitutional law professor at Columbia Law School, is known for his strong political views and activism.

Watch the exchange below.



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