EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: John Mayer "Has No Filter" Says Childhood Friend

Following his outspoken statements to Playboy about race and his subsequent apology for offending African American people, John Mayer’s friend is jumping to his defense.

In exclusive interview with RadarOnline.com, Mayer’s childhood pal, Joe Beleznay, says the musician is misunderstood.

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“John has no filter. He’s a really good guy, really intelligent,” Beleznay said. “But I think his sense of humor goes over the general public’s head. Sometimes he likes to embellish his point by saying certain things and people take it at base value.”

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Beleznay, is of course, referring to Mayer’s use of the “N” word during a recent interview for Playboy Magazine. “Someone asked me the other day, ‘what does it feel like now to have a hood pass?’ And by the way, it’s sort of a contradiction in terms, because if you really had a hood pass, you could call it a n****r pass.,” Mayer was quoted as saying.

“I wouldn’t say that John says things as a marketing ploy, but he definitely knows what to say to get people talking,” his buddy told RadarOnline.com.  “He’s a really intelligent guy. I’m sure he meant no harm.”

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Beleznay first met Mayer back in high school. Growing up in Conneticut, they started a band with another friend called Villanova Junction. The three 18-year-olds played throughout high school and a couple of years following before John moved to Georgia. Beleznay, also a musician, says he can’t believe the fame his old pal has achieved.