Artist Laughs Off the Hate Over Her Jason Aldean Mural: ‘Everybody Has a Right to Their Opinion’
Last month, a mural in Macon, Ga., dedicated to Jason Aldean generated significant buzz, and not all of it positive. Many onlookers compared the rendition of the country star to a Beavis and Butt-Head-esque character, and the singer himself — while he stressed that he appreciated the gesture — relayed his dad's reaction that the artist had "did you dirty."
"I'm just curious — I don't want to offend the artist because I do appreciate the gesture — but like, gosh, man," Aldean added.
Now, the artist behind the mural is speaking out, and as it turns out, she's not offended at all. Macon local Shemika Bussey spoke to KHOU 11 about the mural and response to it, saying that she's not phased one bit.
"I love the hate. I was laughing when he said his dad said I did him dirty," she explains.
Bussey painted the mural a year ago, after her friends asked her to add Aldean's likeness to the side of a Dollar General, underneath a sign that says "Macon's Greatest." The wall also features a painting of singer Otis Redding.
"I did it in the rain — in two hours because of the rain — and I stood on top of my truck and I did it," Bussey recounts. "And I put my heart into it and I felt so proud when it was done. Nobody could take that away from me."
That pride in her work hasn't changed, despite anybody's negative comments about the finished product. "I saw was people have an opinion — everybody has a right to their opinion and I'm like, 'That's life,' and in life, people love us or hate us," she says.
Besides, there's no such thing as bad press, and Bussey's profile has certainly risen due to the buzz surrounding her controversial Jason Aldean mural. According to KHOU 11, she's planning to do a meet-and-greet at the city's South Plaza, off Pio Nono Avenue, on Saturday (Aug. 6). She will have prints of the mural available for sale.