The “Black Girl Stuff” crew is back and better this week with a little bit of everything. From honest conversations about the tension in female rap to the aggression behind the word “b**ch,” Jeremih joining the panel, and more, today’s (Nov. 16) episode was one you wouldn’t want to miss. Your girls Akilah Ffriend, Brii Renee, Demetria Obilor, Tori Brixx, Kennedy Rue, and special guest host LaPorsha Thomas kept it real and gave us the scoop. Catch “Black Girl Stuff” every Tuesday on REVOLT at 9 p.m. ET as well as every Wednesday on our website, YouTube channel, and app. Plus, watch the latest episode here.
The Girls Are Fighting!
To kick off the episode, the hosts dove into the comments to discuss the sexist disparity that exists in hip hop. From Lil Kim to Nicki Minaj, women have always been compared and pitted against one another in rap. Obilor feels like it’s something the men suffer from as well: “I feel like men are pitted against each other too. I think that’s part of the bedrock of hip hop. I mean, battle rap beef. I think kumbaya is great, but I also think that, you know, just getting to it, and some of the best diss tracks have fueled the success of my favorite artists… I think that it’s important we have collaborations and remixes because that’s essential to the nature of hip hop as well. But I mean, come on. We get a little bit rowdy. You’re on this side. And I think that’s part of the appeal.” Renee spoke about the social construct side of it all: “I think we as a people are still searching for the approval of these social constructs that were never made with us in mind. So we’re looking for the approval or the titling of the ‘queen of this’ because they have conditioned us to think that there’s only room for one at a time.”
The B-word
The girls each spoke about what the word “b**ch” means to them and their offense level when called one. Obilor discussed what it’s really about for her, noting, “It’s the intention behind it. What are you really trying to say?” Thomas followed up and offered a different perspective on the topic: “I have to keep it real with you. Like, I think it’s less about the word b**ch and more about the fact that in these spaces, we feel like we can be ourselves and show up as Black women, right? We’ve all pretty much agreed that we use the word, but I think that a lot that we contribute to AAVE, which is African American Vernacular English, it’s just not supported. And I often look back and I think to myself, ‘Why is it that every time I’m in a white space…’ — I may be with a co-worker, and be like, ‘Why do I have to whisper that?’ Why can’t what I say be accepted? Why do we have to wait for a white person to wear this hair? You know… do these long nails in order for it to be acceptable? That’s what I think about it.” While everyone on the panel had a differing opinion on the matter, they all agreed that the word isn’t what they’d use with just anyone.
The Kennedy Chronicles
Resident “BGS” correspondent Kennedy Rue sat down with Jaden Smith to talk about his latest philanthropic effort, which focuses on bringing clean and fresh water to Jackson, Mississippi. When asked about the work he’s doing, the young star said, “It all started with Flint, Michigan. We always wanted to make sure that we could build these water filtration systems that could give pretty large groups of people access to clean water in emergency situations when people are lining up for bottles of water, or lining up outside of grocery stores, or, like, situations that are happening in Jackson. So, we always wanted to make sure that we had these technologies kind of on hand for any time that we might need to deploy them. And Drew Fitzgerald, who runs all the 501 C Three, he is really just truly amazing and visionary in the space.” Not only is Smith’s work changing lives, he’s also an avid part of the process.
Wakanda Forever
On the set of the latest installment in the Black Panther series, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ffriend asked Letitia Wright if she had any rap battles with the cast — similar to what they did in the first film. Wright said, “Unfortunately, no, we did dance a lot. We did listen to a lot of music, you know, and then I would be getting ready to some Kendrick Lamar, specifically the song ‘Alright.'” Ffriend also chatted with Danai Gurira and asked about the importance of representation for Black women in the movie. “Well, I mean, it’s crucial to show on screen because it’s just real, you know. Black women across the world do amazing things, are amazing people, have great [and] complex characters, and are very fascinating human beings.” Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is out in movie theaters worldwide.
Jeremih Joins the Panel
Whether you know him from “Birthday Sex” or “oui,” there’s no doubt that Jeremih has dominated the airwaves for years. The superstar recently struggled with a severe battle of COVID-19 and when asked about it, he said, “I’m feeling way better than I did, you know, I was down for a month and a half and [in the] hospital. So, you know, having to learn how to walk again and all that stuff is a little different and life-changing, but now I feel way better.” Jeremih has also dipped his foot into the acting world, and he had a lot to say about that experience as well as cutting off his locs, which he revealed were falling out on set while he filmed a recent project. “They ended up falling out all the way, so I just chopped my hair off,” he explained.
Milan Rouge Joins the Panel
Milan Rouge’s fashion brand, Milano Di Rouge, is picking up steam! Milano Di Rouge is high-end luxury, and the businesswoman claims the price isn’t the only thing that reflects that — the quality does too. Rouge also talked about the adversities she’s faced as a Black woman in the industry and said, “I would say one of the adversities I see is within our own culture. We don’t value and look at us like we value other brands… I remember them saying, ‘She has a $500 sweatsuit; she’s not Gucci.’ I think in our culture, we just have to give each other some grace and allow each other to grow.” When asked about how she handles the critics, she said, “I’m so big on, ‘What’s for me is for me and what’s for you is for you.’ So if it’s too high for you, it’s not for you. We try to have a price point where we can fit everyone’s budget, so we have shirts as low as $35 and sweatsuits as expensive as $500.”
Cardi B and Shaqueena McKenzie
Cardi B is getting into the habit of making history with her music, as it was recently announced that she has become the first female rapper to have multiple songs surpass diamond status. She’s also the first female rapper to top the Billboard Hot 100 without any features in 19 years. She’s killing it right now, and that’s why she’s our first BG Boss.
Shaqueena McKenzie is only 30 years young, and she recently made history as the first Black judge in the city of Jackson, Mississippi. She studied political science at the University of Mississippi, and her career has only shot up thus far. She’s the definition of a BG Boss.