Many people credit WWE superstar John Cena for popularizing the “You Can’t See Me” hand gesture. However, Cena publicly acknowledged he originally got that taunt from G-Unit rapper Tony Yayo.
The Tony Yayo/John Cena-inspired “You Can’t See Me” recently became a topic of conversation again following controversy connected to the 2023 NCAA Division I Women’s Tournament. Sports talking heads spent days dissecting the issue involving African-American LSU player Angel Reese and Caucasian Iowa player Caitlin Clark.
During the championship game, Angel Reese directed the “You Can’t See Me” gesture at Caitlin Clark as a final nail in the coffin for LSU’s eventual 102-85 victory over Iowa. Before that, Clark also adopted “You Can’t See Me” to heckle Iowa’s Elite Eight opponent Louisville.
Many people called out public figures like Dave Portnoy and Keith Olbermann for blasting Angel Reese for doing the “You Can’t See Me” while seemingly ignoring Caitlin Clark exhibiting the same behavior. Tony Yayo has now shared his thoughts on the matter.
Tony Yayo Says The Backlash Towards Angel Reese Is Crazy
TMZ Sports spoke to Tony Yayo about Angel Reese and the negative reactions that have been directed at the 20-year-old athlete from Maryland. The Thoughts of a Predicate Felon album creator defended Reese’s on-court actions as part of the competitive nature of sports.
“I think it’s kinda crazy because Angel Reese does it and it’s a problem. But then when Caitlin Clark did it, it wasn’t a problem. So of course it looked crazy out there. You had sportscasters that were calling a young, Black female all kinda crazy stuff online and these are professional guys,” said Tony Yayo.
He continued, “It was kinda crazy to me because in basketball, any kind of sport, talking trash is a part of the game. I mean, it was for the championship game. Shout out to LSU and [University of Iowa]. And shout out to Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. But I feel like it’s competition.”
In addition to Tony Yayo, Baton Rouge-raised rapper Boosie Badazz also stood up for Angel Reese and his hometown’s Louisiana State University. Boosie even called out First Lady Jill Biden for suggesting the losing team should join the NCAA Champions LSU for a White House visit.