Tyla wins 'Best New Artist' at the BET awards over Sexyy Red - controversy ensues

[DojaKhat]

The African American side of social media is currently in shambles after witnessing a foreign "coloured" woman from South Africa win an award they insist should go to an African American only since that's why ~Black~ Entertainment Television was founded.

As a Tyla fan, I'm naturally biased towards her and happy she won over that untalented rapper, but I am curious, do you think these complaints from black Americans are justified to some extent?

Personally, I find this entire controversy strange because several mixed-race women have been cheered on by black American folks so why are they drawing a line with an otherwise polite young lady from South Africa who hasn't even done anything?

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[rayxn3]

Cause she’s proudly African lol. They’re jealous of her

 

[Freudiantard]

it shows how cooked folks are when sexy redd is thought of as a contender for such a prestigious award

 

[Nin123]

The African American side of social media is currently in shambles after witnessing a foreign "coloured" woman from South Africa win an award they insist should go to an African American only since that's why ~Black~ Entertainment Television was founded.

As a Tyla fan, I'm naturally biased towards her and happy she won over that untalented rapper, but I am curious, do you think these complaints from black Americans are justified to some extent?

Personally, I find this entire controversy strange because several mixed-race women have been cheered on by black American folks so why are they drawing a line with an otherwise polite young lady from South Africa who hasn't even done anything?

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African Americans dislike Tyla using the term “colored” because it is considered degrading. As she enters a new market and targets an African American fan base, this choice of colored word makes her seem insensitive to cultural contexts. Consequently, some view her as anti-Black because she continues to use the term that is accepted in South Africa but offensive in the United States. But she deserves to get this awarded over annoying ass sexxyred.

 

[DojaKhat]

it shows how cooked folks are when sexy redd is thought of as a contender for such a prestigious award

"Prestigious"

 

[DojaKhat]

Cause she’s proudly African lol. They’re jealous of her

Jealousy definitely a part of it with the way some naago madow have torn apart her every move. But it doesn't explain the hostility from most towards her background or her cultural pride.

They've responded positively towards Afrobeats artists like Ayra Starr who's Nigerian but draw the line at the South African performing amapiano?

Wallahi, I don't get it.

 

[Periplus]

Jealousy definitely a part of it with the way some naago madow have torn apart her every move. But it doesn't explain the hostility from most towards her background or her cultural pride.

They've responded positively towards Afrobeats artists like Ayra Starr who's Nigerian but draw the line at the South African performing amapiano?

Wallahi, I don't get it.

It’s because of her initially identifying by the “coloured” and not black when she arrived in America.

Coloured has a bad past in America with Jim Crow.

Honestly, bad PR move by her team. She’s African who is mixed race. That’s that.

 

[DojaKhat]

It’s because of her initially identifying by the “coloured” and not black when she arrived in America.

Coloured has a bad past in America with Jim Crow.

Honestly, bad PR move by her team. She’s African who is mixed race. That’s that.

I understand that much. Actually wrote a post about it to this effect, can't stand these people hating on my queen:

I already have pre-existing thoughts on this debate regarding Tyla's identity and public labelling of said identity. I'm growing tired of seeing it everywhere, to be quite frank.

First and foremost, this debate is largely US-centric (i.e. I'm not seeing Black Brits or other black demographics online get involved as fervently as US black folks). It all kicked off with the disturbing memories of AA slavery associated with the label Tyla goes by in her native South Africa "coloured", as opposed to the usual "biracial" or "mixed-race" in the West. For AA people, it reminds them of the Jim Crow era in which all facilities were divided between "whites only" and "coloured only".

At first, I couldn't help rolling my eyes at these Americans forcing their perception of Tyla's otherwise neutral identification back home in South Africa that doesn't carry that type of historical baggage onto her, but since her goal is to break through the leading US market which trickles down into other Anglophone countries music charts like my native Australia, she should appease them and readjust to their expectations and start calling herself "mixed", completely laying off her own self-identification as "coloured".

I don't think it's fair at all for her to succumb these irrational demands AA women are making that the rest of the world wouldn't have of her, but since she insists on being a household name in the American market, she has to do what she needs to do to make it.



She could just as easily adjust her strategy to become a global superstar by targeting the music markets of other African nations, the Carribean or even go Latino like Ayra Starr is right now (she just did a collab with J Balvin, who's big in Spanish-language music), then set her sights on the US once she's big enough so this repetitive backlash that occurs every time she releases music doesn't make a dent in her reputation, but she seems to want global name recognition urgently enough to (mostly) ignore these AA critics.

All in all, it's a matter of where her priorities lie and what she wants most. If she can suppress the urge within her to be fully authentic and tiptoe around AA sensibilities temporarily since they decide what's cool in music, she's set for life.

I just sense (some) Americans are playing dumb to justify some other grudges they have against her career (like the industry plant allegations) because she's explained this so many times on her socials in an effort to smooth over this PR blunder of hers.

 

[Kizaru]

it shows how cooked folks are when sexy redd is thought of as a contender for such a prestigious award

both are industry plants owned, proliferated and financed by a certain demographic.
Both are catalysts for the hyperse*ualisation of black women. How can these langaabs celebrate lol.
Imagine celebrating and or being jealous

 

[Keep it a boqol]

It’s because of her initially identifying by the “coloured” and not black when she arrived in America.

Coloured has a bad past in America with Jim Crow.

Honestly, bad PR move by her team. She’s African who is mixed race. That’s that.

Why does the whole world have to bend to this american one drop rule of black.

She proudly identifys as coloured in south africa as do others they need to crack open a book and be more cultured

 

[Khaemwaset]

Who is sexy red

 

[Periplus]

Why does the whole world have to bend to this american one drop rule of black.

She proudly identifys as coloured in south africa as do others they need to crack open a book and be more cultured

That’s fair, but it’s also fair when you are coming to America to have some awareness about their racial history.

I don’t think the issue is what she identified as outside America…