Morgan Wallen made an obscene gesture during a recent concert in Toronto, a move widely interpreted as his entry into the ongoing feud between singers Gavin Adcock and Charley Crockett over authenticity in country music.
During his performance at the Rogers Centre on Thursday, Wallen invited Adcock on stage. Adcock then displayed a t-shirt featuring an image of Crockett and text from his “$10 Cowboy Tour,” which matches merchandise sold on Crockett’s official website. In response, Wallen raised both middle fingers in front of the shirt before smiling and continuing the show.
The incident follows a public dispute that began last month when Crockett addressed the debate over what constitutes “authentic” country music. In a social media post, he wrote, “Hey country folks. Beyoncé ain’t the source of your discontent. It was 25 years of bro country.” Crockett also appeared to reference Wallen, adding, “The number one country artist on earth listens to nothing but rap.”
Crockett’s comments were seemingly a reaction to Adcock, who had previously stated onstage that Beyoncé’s album Cowboy Carter “ain’t country music, and it ain’t ever been country music, and it ain’t gonna be country music.” Adcock later reaffirmed these views during an appearance on Rolling Stone’s Nashville Now podcast.
In a subsequent Instagram post, Crockett wrote, “Black music made me. I will not apologize. Raised by a single mama. I am not ashamed. Many men have tried to destroy me. I will not lose.”
Speaking on the Nashville Now podcast himself, Crockett further criticized the modern pop-country industry. “I don’t think they stand for anything. They stand for Auto-Tune and songs written by a committee,” he said, contrasting it with the “outlaw” tradition. “Outlaw was about standing up for your rights against a very rigid music business system… a controversial figure is unlikely to ever rise.”
Representatives for Wallen, Crockett, and Adcock did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
