Spike Lee on Mayor Emanuel: ‘He's a Bully'

Spike Lee had some strong words to say about Mayor Rahm Emanuel while being interviewed for an article that appears in Chicago Magazine about his upcoming film "Chi-Raq."

The director told the publication that he and Emanuel got off on the wrong foot, and that the mayor wanted to portray him as a villain.

“To be honest, he’s a bully,” Lee said, adding that: “He’s not gonna bully me. My tactic with the mayor—any bully—is to come out swinging.”

Lee also referred to aldermen who have spoken out against the movie as “bootlickers.”

Despite the chilly reception from city officials, Lee argues that people in the city were happy about the film.

“Everywhere I went—North Side, West Side, South Side, black people, white people—I got nothing but love our entire time here,” Lee said.

"Chi-Raq," which features stars like Nick Cannon, Wesley Snipes, Jennifer Hudson, Teyonah Parris, John Cusack and Samuel L Jackson, was shot entirely in Chicago.

The movie, which has been a source of debate in Chicago as some city officials oppose the "Chi-Raq" title, intends to “shed light on the serious, but often overlooked issue of violence in inner city Chicago.”

"Chiraq" is the slang term some use to compare America's third-largest city to a war zone because of its violent crime. Those in support of the film say the title is a "reality of what's happening in the city."

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