Look who's back! Ms Miley Ray Cyrus! Back after a hiatus from the mainstream, doing some acting here and there, getting cozy with one of the Hemsworth Brothers. Liam? *Searches Google* Yea, Liam. She's had a chill couple of years. Which is good. Because it was a painful few years watching this woman do the things she did.
Now before I go in. I am going to say that I am strictly focusing on her craft and what she did in terms of cultural appropriation. I'm not going down the feminism route with anybody because that is not what I am here for. Wear what you like. But from a cultural standpoint, there's a limit. And she crossed it for a nice 2 year stretch.
Okay. Let's begin with what triggered me and many other people of my ilk. She recently posed for Billboard (as you can see at the start of this article) kick-starting the marketing of her new album dropping this year. Now as you can see in the description, she talks about leaving her previous persona of "Pasties, Hip-Hop bangerz and, yes, weed..." Which is all well and good. Honestly, I don't hate on the fact that she wants to reach out to the other side of America. In a world where social media gives people the ability to create their own "Bubble" and "Echo Chambers", it's good that she's trying to create a bridge that has been burned many times. As she said in a recent Rolling Stone article:
"I'm giving the world a hug and saying, 'Hey, look. We're good – I love you.' And I hope you can say you love me back."
I am cool with that. If you feel like its your place to "Unify the nation" then by all means go for it. All the best to you.
BUT... Did you really think that you were going to go from riding a foam finger to singing good ol' country as if you're Carrie Underwood and acting as if you didn't make black culture a gimmick? No. Not without some schooling on how backwards your actions were for Hip-Hop and black culture as a whole. What you did, from twerking to "Bangerz" was unbelievable. And honestly, I'm not as angry as I was when the UK were happily collectively watching "Honey G" rape Hip-Hop and black culture on a weekly basis ON NATIONAL TELEVISION.
No, Miley wasn't that bad, at least she somehow got Pharrell & Mike Will Made It to co-sign her Bull****.
Referring back to the Billboard article, where her backlash originated from, she referenced King Kendrick Lamar as a recent influence. Here's the quote:
"But I also love that new Kendrick [Lamar] song [“Humble”]: “Show me somethin’ natural like ass with some stretch marks.” I love that because it’s not “Come sit on my dick, suck on my cock.” I can’t listen to that anymore. That’s what pushed me out of the hip-hop scene a little. It was too much “Lamborghini, got my Rolex, got a girl on my cock” -- I am so not that."
You see the problem with that quote right? How are you saying that you ain't about the "Come sit on my dick" life when you were basically promoting that attitude on wax & live television?! The hypocrisy is just too good!
Miley recently posted a response to the backlash, via her Instagram. Let's take a look:
Alright. I see what she's doing here. Partly saying the journalist misconstrued her words, not buying that. She also said that she respects all genres and artists that "Speak the truth". Now, I see that and think of the father in "Get Out" saying that he would've voted Barack Obama if he could have a third term. Sure, you can respect it. But she tried to live it and that is what me and other people are getting on her about.
I can't believe I am about to say this, but at least Taylor Swift knows where she stands. She likes Hip-Hop, but you don't see her making "Hip-Hop influenced" songs!
Look, I didn't mind that Miley went totally different when she left Disney. If I left the Disney machine after being in it for so long, I'd smoke tons of weed! But you pushed it to the point where people got offended. You acted like it was your evolution as an artist when in reality. It was a gimmick. It was taking a culture that you liked and apparently respect. As it turns out. Your "high respect" for it quickly turned offensive, not just to the eyes, but to the minds of Hip-Hop-fans and black culture.
This is not a hate post. This was simply me saying "You were wrong for all of that". You weren't the first to do it, you won't be the last. But please realise where you went wrong Ms Cyrus.
Good luck with that "trying to unite America" ting though. I'm sure that'll go well.
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