Rihanna made headlines this week that she revealed that she and the superstar rapper Drake are no longer on speaking terms.
One reason why? Her feeling that he hijacked a moment designed to honour her contributions to Pop culture by professing his admiration for her beauty.
Today, members of the digital community have taken to Twitter to reveal that they feel that Drake’s supposed “thirstiness” wouldn’t be as palatable to the masses if he was a full African-American male.
An interesting conversation, partially fuelled by Wale‘s remarks on how he feel colorsim affects him, below…
One day I wanna discuss how Drake shoots his shot at every poppin female celebrity he has ever had a crush on and it doesn’t come across as creepy because of his persona and colorism.
Not today tho https://t.co/MOjRI6lNqn
— Tony. (@SoLyrical) May 4, 2018
#LRT it’s both/and… Wale is both corny AND being effected by colorism. Drake is also corny BUT he can be corny in peace tho (and make a lot of money doing it) cos he’s light skin in the “post racial era” pic.twitter.com/uHTsmq0pWH
— Cher Cropper (@ClevaSoldier) May 4, 2018
Whether you wanna admit it or not: Colorism matters. Y’all wouldn’t have taken to Drake so well if he wasn’t your favorite “kinda black but not really but always in his feelings” light bright.??♂️ pic.twitter.com/hv6CHgU2XI
— Fight me then (@ProfessorJLove) May 4, 2018
I need y’all to stop pretending colorism does not exist . Yes don’t get me wrong it is not set in stone but it does count for something and effects many people on many levels I don’t think a Drake would be as successful if he were dark skin smh y’all buggin
— IG: Black Barbie Sosa ? (@LeyleMarie) May 4, 2018
I really want to discuss men and colorism and how darkskinned Chris brown would have BEEN cancelled .
— Lablonde James (@_soulfulsiren) May 4, 2018
colorism is definitely a real thing but I really don't think it's the reason wale isn't as successful as artists like Cole, Drake and Kendrick.
— Smoot (@Suntrust_Smoot) May 4, 2018
I agree. Lyrically Wale kills Drake but Drake is flourishing because he benefits from light skin privilege. It's the mental sickness that Willie Lynch introduced to Americans hundreds of years ago. Colorism is real and many dark skin artists' careers suffer because of that. https://t.co/p6xclL7eIH
— Mama Nibiru (@MamaMortem888) May 3, 2018
Do you agree?
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Drake is flourishing because white people can get in on what he raps about and his music. It’s pop hop
My thoughts exactly because #Caucasians love Pop/Hop…
I disagree with this colorism thing as it pertains to music talent and marketability. Simply put, the music industry has slots like jobs and if you are an artist and the job is taken you have to quickly remarket yourself in an open slot. Drake’s music appeals to hip-hop fans, r&b fans (because he tries to sing), pop fans (because his music is “cool”), and gay fans (because gays like Drake music just as much as they like Kendrick’s music). Thus, Drake has a large market. Drake also tours and puts out music frequently.
Wale and Meek Mill do not tour as often, do not put out hip-pop crossover music, do not sing, and not appeal to pop or gay audiences. Thus, their market is smaller. Future is dark and is doing great because he has a music slot that appeals to a wider audience. Chris Brown filled Al B Sure and Christopher Williams’ music slots as the bad boy rnb singer that stays in the news for bad acts but don’t forget that same slot was held down successfully by dark skin Bobby Brown for a decade and a half after Al B and Christopher Williams so no Chris’s success is not related to his color (hell with all those tatoos on his skin he’s not light skin but rather multicolored).
I forgot to add that Kendrick Lamar took Nas’s spot and Kendrick is dark skin and going extremely well. Sza is dark and she is doing extremely well.
When you mention a time when Bobby Brown was popping that was a time when black people were popular as we were still in the stage of being considered as exotic and black people were considered singers and the best sports people.
I think with SZA and Kendrick, they were based on hype and then mainstream media caught on and they blew up (much like vogue and their mistakes of where certain trends stem from) and although talented artists this has pushed them to the fore front.
Why i think colourism works here is because Drakes lightness makes him more palatable. Drake has never really been anyones head turner and its much like marmite depending on a beard, the camera angle or sometimes the day of the week, but Kendrick is much more attractive than Drake but isn’t offered the same marketability in the media. I also find that when darker skin men do things they are deemed the aggressor where lighter are justified by saying they were upset and this happens with drake and a lot of his behaviours.
5-3-18 ??♀️ I was there #DavidExposedTrollmine
Hey Gurl. Let’s exchange profiles. You can be you and I can be me. Let’s be nice each other for once okay.
“So come on, let it go
Just let it be
Why don’t you be you
And I’ll be me
Everything that’s broke
Leave it to the breeze
Why don’t you be you
And I’ll be me”
James Bay – Let It Go
I agree. Dark skinned men has it a lot easier than dark women. Which is sad. #blackisbeautiful
I didn’t think colorism effected men the same. Dark skin men seems to be what women prefer and light skinned women what men prefer
But Kendrick is HUUUUUUGGGGGGEEEEE! SOO? Colorisim is very real but Wale on the low has been crying over his lackluster career for a minute
This is true. Sad but true. I can say this white corporate America feels comfortable around mix breeds but always slipping a comment about darker skin people of color
Sad but true. Colorism is definitely real. Even bey and riri would not be as successful if they were dark skinned. True facts. White America gravitate towards lighter skinned and biracial artists. In the 80s and 90s that was a different story but today, TRUE FACTS!
The problem is Wale does not have the right team behind him to help get where he needs to be and I am not talking about his affiliation with MMG. His personal team needs revamping. Also he needs to make music that can appeal to a wider audience if he wants to get in the lane of Drake, Kendrick, and Cole out of all of them his music sells the least.
Run DMC, Biggie, puffy, 50, ja rule, 2 pac, DMX, Kanye, lil Wayne , Kendrick…
Like WTF
Male hip hop has by in large been dominated by dark skin men.
You got 1 white guy (Eminem) and maybe 3 light skin guys ( LL cool j, JayZ, Drake) who are the exception.
As for Chris Brown, The biggest R&B group of all time Boys2Men and The Temptation, the biggest R&B male artist of all time on Marvin Gaye and R. Kelly.
Colorism does not affect men IN ENTERTAINMENT the way it affects women. Stop being a victim for no reason.
Nas
Bobby Brown
Snoop
Dr Dre
To name a few more
Biggie Smalls fat black and ugly as ever
I can also name Lupita Nyongo, Viola Davis, Gabourey Sidibe, Tika Sumpter, Naturi Naughton Etc. as evidence that colorism does not affect dark skin women in entertainment. Your argument is flawed and not objective. Colorism affects dark skin just as much as it does dark women and statistics in employment and criminal justice supports this, the only difference is that dark men can improve their social standing with wealth, whereas women are strictly judged on their looks. Dark skin men hide their struggle with colorism cos it makes them look vulnerable and weak, they need to portray a masculine, strong persona.
This article is bullshït. Drake gets dragged all of the time. Darkskinned men have been doing well in the industry. Colorism effects darkskinned women. Wale is just a 1 trick pony.
The world seems to be obsessed with a black man and a black woman there on the tip of everybody’s tongue
Nope. This doesn’t apply here. Drake is just more universal as a superstar. Most of Wale’s music is for a certain crowd.
? Hmmmmm. …. colorism has been a slow budding low key trending topic as of late… I hate it. But it is real… I’m not sure or familiar with it really affecting men but… the way music is being pushed today is totally different from how it was back in the 80s, 90s and even before. I kind of NOW do wonder what if Wale was light skin?. At the same time, lol I haven’t heard any music from him in a while. Urban is going mainstream now so I really think he should try his luck now.
Colorism doesn’t effect men the same as women. Women are judged more harshly by what is considered “beautiful” that standard is NOt inclusive of dark women. Often Black men when given the opportunity and platform to showcase the beauty and talent of a black woman. He will choose women of other ethnic groups over a Black woman.