Will.i.am on White Oscars: ‘Who Gives a F**k’

Adding his name to the growing list of celebrities who’ve decided to downplay the Academy’s lack of black nominees is singer Will.i.am, who is calling the controversy “a waste of energy.”

Will.i.am says he agrees with those upset about a move like Straight Out of Compton not being nominated for best picture. “But I don’t need the Academy to remind me that I like the movie,” he said in a recent interview with Fusion.

“I paid my ticket. And it was sold out. So I feel, I want to curse. Like who gives a f**k,” the 7-time Grammy Award winning singer said.

“Why do we put so much importance on it?” he asked. He goes on to suggest that the entertainers “complaining” have the power to do more than talk.

“We’re empowering it by complaining about it when the actors that are boycotting are powerful,” Will.i.am said. “They could be elite, too. They have every right to be the new ‘establishment.’ I don’t get it.”

Will.i.am is echoing Straight Out of Compton producer Ice Cube, who has said if the Academy “gives you a trophy or not or a pat on the back or not, it’s nice but it’s not something that you should dwell on.”

Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson.