PHARRELL WILLIAMS ACCUSES MICHEAL BROWN OF BULLY-ISH BEHAVIOR & WAS ASKING FOR TROUBLE THE DAY HE WAS SHOT DEAD BY THE POLICE OFFICER

Pharrell Williams, one of the biggest black figures in the music industry, has spoken out about the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown, saying he is 'troubled' a grand jury decided not to indict the white police officer responsible. But the 'Happy' singer also sparked heated debate by calling Brown's behavior leading up to his August 9 death 'bully-ish'. Before he was shot dead, Brown was caught on surveillance camera stealing a handful of cigarillos from a convenience store in Ferguson, Missouri, and intimidating the shop owner. 

While Pharrell says that was no excuse for Officer Darren Wilson to use lethal force against the unarmed teen, he thinks Brown's actions are being overlooking in the national discussion about the tragedy.  

'It looked very bully-ish; that in itself I had a problem with,' Pharrell told Ebony magazine. 'Not with the kid, but with whatever happened in his life for him to arrive at a place where that behavior is OK. Why aren't we talking about that?' 

Intimidating: Police released this surveillance camera footage, reportedly showing Michael Brown grabbing a convenience store owner shortly before he was stopped by Officer Darren Wilson and eventually shot dead

'The boy was walking in the middle of the street when the police supposedly told him to “get the f*** on the sidewalk.” If you don’t listen to that, after just having pushed a storeowner, you’re asking for trouble,' he added.

However, Pharrell said that Brown's behavior in the convenience store did not warrant his death, and that he believes Officer Wilson should have been charged in the death.  

After the story was published on Tuesday, Twitter was flooded with comments calling out Pharrell's interview. 

One Twitter user said: 'Mike Brown was a bully says Pharrell Williams. So do we get a pass to shoot bullies in society? Way to go Pharrell.'

This isn't the first time that singer has started controversy over his opinions on race issues.

In an interview with Oprah last year, Pharrell angered some when he said 'the new black doesn't blame others races for our issues'. Pharrell seemed hesitant to talk about race in the interview with the African-American monthly, saying: 'I don’t talk about race since it takes a very open mind to hear my view, because my view is the sky view. But I’m very troubled by what happened in Ferguson, Missouri.' However, he felt the need to weigh in on the current situation in the predominantly-black St Louis suburb, believing 'the hangover from Ferguson is going to be a long one, worse than Trayvon Martin'.  Trayvon Martin was another unarmed black teen, 17, who was shot dead two years ago near to where he lived in Sanford, Florida, by a man who thought he was a burglar. 

Shooter George Zimmerman was controversially acquitted on any charges in the teen's death.

While his comments sparked a debate online, it's clear that Pharrell feels a strong connection to the current situation in Ferguson, Missouri, where protesters turned violent after hearing the grand jury's decision Monday night.