With his new album ‘It’s Not Me, It’s You’ jetting toward its September 30 release date, expect to see much of DDG on screens in support of the forthcoming effort.
And while buzz for the set is growing, thanks in great part to its latest single ‘If I Want You,’ even bigger buzz is brewing for the tune’s co-star – his girlfriend Halle Bailey.
Tapped to play Ariel in the live-action remake of the Disney classic ‘Little Mermaid,’ the 22-year-old sent hearts a-fluttering two weeks ago with the unveiling of the movie’s trailer which features a snippet of her stunning take on the film’s iconic song, ‘Part of Your World.’
And while part of the world is applauding her groundbreaking portrayal of the sea princess, the children’s flick has been inundated with racist criticism for Disney securing a Black actress to assume the role.
Look inside to see how DDG says Bailey’s handling to the negativity ahead of the May 2023 premiere of ‘Mermaid.’
Using the hashtag #NotMyAriel, thousands have swarmed Twitter over the last year to express outrage over Disney casting a Black actress as Ariel.
While chatting with DJ Bootleg Kev recently, DDG discussed his new album and more before dishing on how he felt about the ‘Mermaid’ backlash as well as Bailey’s thoughts on the matter.
“She be laughing it off [but] they be going a little too hard. But I feel like the people is more attacking the character rather than her, personally,” the rapper (born Darryl Dwayne Granberry Jr.) shared at the video’s 20:46 mark.
Later in the conversation, Granberry indicated he wasn’t aware that racism was still as pressing of a social matter as it is.
“I didn’t know people was this racist – I didn’t know this was a thing,” he said before later revealing, “I thought this sh*t was gone already, I thought that sh*t was gone! I thought Martin Luther King [Jr.] canceled that sh*t out! This sh*t is crazy, I was like ‘what the f*ck is these n*ggas talking about?’”
All-in-all, DDG doesn’t believe the naysayers will have an impact on the movie’s success.
“It’s going number one, regardless!”
Click here to see the official ‘Little Mermaid’ trailer before it hits theaters May 26, 2023.