Kendrick Lamar is clapping back at criticism - especially coming from Fox News pundit Geraldo Rivera - that his 2015 BET Awards performance of "Alright" sends a bad message to the youth.

In an interview with TMZ, K.Dot addressed Rivera's remarks about his performance and the song's overall message. "Hip-hop is not the problem," he stated. "Our reality is the problem."

"Our whole message is we gonna be alright," he continues. "It's not the message I want to kill people."

Rivera blasted the Compton rhymer's BET Awards performance, saying, "Hip-hop does more damage to African-Americans than racism.” The 71-year-old journalist felt that Lamar's performance was “so counterproductive — it gives exactly the wrong message."

In response, the "i" rapper believes Rivera was deflecting from the real issues and he feels his music is a positive way to speak to what's going on in his community.

"The problem isn't me standing on a cop car," he says. "I think his attempt is deluding the real problem."

What do you think of Kendrick Lamar's response to Geraldo Rivera's criticism of his song "Alright"? Tell us in the comments below.

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