‘I want Urban. I just want something that feels Black’.
In case you were wondering, the line above was spewed by former Disney belle/current Ratchet Pop purveyor Miley Cyrus– revealed this week by the writers behind her new single ‘Planet IV‘.
Want to know why this comment has so many up in arms?
We’ve got the full story below…
In a conveniently timed interview with Vibe, Planet IV went some way to explain how the single ‘We Can’t Stop’ came to be, and what Miley asked for when enlisting them to create it.
The writing duo revealed:
“When you listen to the Miley Cyrus record that we did, it’s not ratchet but it definitely has a lot of Urban feel to it. “She was like, ‘I want Urban. I just want something that just feels Black.”
Unfortunately for them, repeating the last line of that conversation has seen many question what the ‘Hannah Montana’ meant by ‘something that feels black’, with some hinting- ourselves included- that Ms.Cyrus was not on the hunt for something ‘Black’ but for something stereotypical.
To my homegirls here with the big butts
Shakin’ it like we at the strip club
And every line in the bathroom
Tryna get a line in the bathroom.
Ebonics, big butts, strip clubs and cocaine….’black’ enough for you Miley?
It’s such a shame that in an age where the likes of Beyonce, Rihanna and Emeli Sande have gone so far in pushing the diversity that can be found in ‘Black’ music, the likes of Miley and her seemingly ignorant writers confuse ‘Black’ music with Urban culture.
For, in showcasing the true extent of her musical knowledge, Cyrus’ ‘Black’ request and subsequent use of ebonics, drug references and ‘Hey hey Shante’ lingo is both distasteful and a little disturbing.
Perhaps, if she’d taken the time to educate herself, she’d have known that ‘Urban/Ratchet’ is not synonymous with Black culture- and that race should never be used to define the genre of music an act makes.