Wallen told Strahan that his music sales actually spiked after the controversy and that he and his team decided to donate the extra profit, estimated to be about $500,000, to some organizations, including BMAC. The group has not responded to GMA‘s request for comment.
When asked what made him think the N-word was ever appropriate to use, Wallen told Strahan, “I think I was just ignorant about it. I don’t think I sat down and was, like, ‘Hey, is this right or is this wrong?'”
Strahan told Wallen that he himself has been called the racial slur before, asking if he understood why it makes Black people so upset.
“I don’t know how to put myself in their shoes,” the singer responded, “because I’m not, you know, but I do understand, especially when I say that I’m using it playfully or whatever, ignorantly, I understand that that must sound like, ‘He doesn’t understand.'”