It Didn't Cross Jason Aldean's Mind That Wearing Blackface Was Offensive

Jason Aldean is apparently a man of tractors, faith and contradictions.

In 2015, the country singer came under fire for wearing blackface as part of a Lil Wayne costume at a Nashville Halloween party. Let us reiterate. He wore blackface in 2015.

Now, Aldean is breaking his silence about the controversy in an interview with Billboard for the first time since a photo of him in costume made national news.

“In this day and age people are so sensitive that no matter what you do, somebody is going to make a big deal out of it,” he said. “Me doing that had zero malicious intent ... I get that race is a touchy subject, but not everybody is that way. Media tends to make a big deal out of things. If that was disrespectful to anyone, I by all means apologize. That was never my intention. It never crossed my mind.”

Ironically, in the same interview he takes issue with how “small-town Americans” are inaccurately represented in popular media without extending the same courtesy to black Americans who so rarely see their experience portrayed authentically.

“Don’t talk down about things you’ve never experienced,” he continued. “I’ve traveled the world, and you go to a place like Los Angeles and people assume you just sit around on a hay bale and live in a trailer. Whenever the South is portrayed in a movie, it’s seldom flattering.”

Let’s pause for a second here, OK? So you’re up in arms about hackneyed Southern stereotypes, but think people are “sensitive” when you dress up like a a rapper for Halloween? Got it.

Head over to Billboard to hear more from Aldean.