The New Jersey rap veteran expressed his COVID-19 conspiracy theory while chatting with Lupe Fiasco over a recent Instagram Live session. The two men were discussing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and Joe was sharing what’s been like living under quarantine in New York City, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. 

Lupe wrly commented Joe looks like he hasn’t been outside in “decades” after noticing some grey hairs in his growing beard. “I’m actually abiding by what they’re telling us to do, which is stay inside, “Joe responded. “New York is f****d up.”

He later added, “We’ll bounce back. It’s just going to be a slow, slow process. I believe all of this s**t is some form of population anyway.” 
“I mean, the population has to be controlled,” Lupe answered, offhandedly, and shifted the conversation to another topic.

According to the latest report from the Centers for Disease and Control (CDC), there have been over 338,617 confirmed cases and 27,448 deaths alone in New York.
Earlier this week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled phase one of his plan to gradually reopen the state, beginning on Friday (May 15), with stay-at-home-orders were extended until June 13 for heavily impacted areas such as New York City, according to the New York Times. This comes after Georgia started reopening on April 24 and Texas on May 1 against the advice of health experts. 

For the latest on the coronavirus, check out BET’s blog on the virus, and contact your local health department or visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.