Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week, you’ve most likely heard the tale of the stew of white, fake blackness, curly perms and crazy that is Rachel Dolezal. The NAACP leader was faking the funk – no lie. The funk that is inherently possessed by all people of color. This is not an article to sympathize, dissect or criticize her. It is what it is and black Twitter has embarrassed her and her supporters enough. I’m simply here to discuss why some members of the rap community are hypocrites and need to clean out our own proverbial closets before criticizing a white woman who was passing as a light skinned black chick with 3b hair.
Hip hop male rappers have had a long standing obsession with women of lighter skin tones, straight hair and enhanced body parts. On the other spectrum, the female rappers have been likening themselves to Barbie dolls more and more over the years, see: Nicki Minaj or Lil Kim. Seemingly overlooked and welcomed, the mainstream rap community has been embracing colorism and “the less you look like a Black person the more successful you will be” mentality.
I’m pretty sure that the majority of people who still listen to rap nowadays are minorities and these minorities are living regular lives and dating regular looking folks. Not Jesse Williams or Jennifer Lopez types. So why is there such a huge disconnect from the real world and the way folks really look and the mainstream rap scene? Why is there only a subculture of women and men who embrace their natural selves? Why is trying to look like someone else so popular?
Sadly, I can’t answer those questions. But, what I can do is point out the discrepancies. If you are going to join in the media melee, at least be upset about something that matters. Being in an uproar about a white woman who pretended to be black makes you a hypocrite if you support a rapper who features only women with eurocentric qualities in his videos. Don’t be mad at Rachel Dolezal and not mad at Lil Kim and Nicki for wearing blonde weaves and blue contacts.
No one should ever want to pretend to be black, that’s a sure sign of mental illness. Right? But, slap some skin lightening cream and blonde Peruvian weave on a woman and she’s a role model.
Pick your battles people. Stop supporting these artists that promote colorism.