Jamal Roberts is still reaping the rewards from his well-deserved "American Idol" win back in June. However, one new perk seems to have drawn some ire... and he's had to make an unfortunate decision because of it.
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For context, Roberts and his three daughters -- who are from Meridian, Miss. --received a key to the city of Atmore, Ala. last month. After the ceremony, Roberts took to social media to express his immense gratitude saying that Atmore made him and his children "feel like they were at home" and "embraced them."
"Thank y'all for loving on my babies and accepting me just the way I am,"he said in a post to Facebook at the time.
Given Roberts' monumental win and positive representation of a Southern man, another city, Laurel, Miss., decided it wanted to follow suit and also give the singer a key as well. Roberts had already planned on performing there in August and as told by a Facebook post put up by somebody affiliated with his team, the Laurel's mayor agreed to give him the keys that same day.
However, some folks in Laurel weren't happy with that decision and took to social media to express as much.
"[How] he gone give you somebody else key from a whole other city. how he even giving jamal a key to the city of laurel he from meridian ain’t he. this must be johnny way of saying tighten up laurel artist," wrote one user on Facebook.
"He ain’t from laurel that ain’t fair now," said another.
"He need a key to Meridian, huh?" one other user questioned.
After seeing the backlash and witnessing some "gun threats," Roberts spoke out about the honor and expressed his desire to "politely decline" the key and suggested it be given to someone more deserving.
"I'm so unbothered by this, I promise...I did not ask for a key to the city," he said in a recent, lengthy Facebook Live post. "With some of the comments and threats and people that's so deserving of it that don't have it and been there all their life--y'all should get it and give it to them. Somebody that's deserving, I guess. You know, been working in the community for years. Because I don't want it, you can have it. Call your mayor, tell him I'm appreciative, but I politely decline. "
Roberts went on to express his incredulousness at how people were responding to his potential receiving of the key and said that despite the negativity, he was still planning on performing at the event.
"It ain't stopping nothing," he said. And he's exactly right at the talented artist has plans to hit the road with Brandy and Monica for their long-awaited "The Boy Is Mine" tour this fall.
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