Rick Ross has been accused of being a colorist and a mysogynist after a clip from the 2017 VH1 competition show Signed resurfaced. The purpose of the show was to find hip-hop and R&B artists and they compete for a chance of a record deal. In addition to Ross, The Dream and music executive Lenny S. were judges.
During one episode, contestants Just Brittany — who was later featured on Love & Hip-Hop and Kaiya were auditioning for the judges and they both sang to the instrumental of Ross' “Aston Martin Music.” Brittany performed first and received positive feedback of her performance, with Ross saying that she had a bright future.
When Kaiya performed, Ross cut her off and said, “That wasn’t the best platform for your voice. You have a unique voice. And Brit did sound better than yours.”
Of course, social media had a lot to say. One person wrote, “this is the danger of colorism. lmfao brittany sounds tf terrible & they have the nerve to tell kaiya “the other girl did sound better than you. HUH?”
Another person tweeted, “If you don't know why he chose the th*t then idk what to tell you. Them n*ggas be colorist. The second girl sounded way better and looked way better. But I know why he chose the first girl because his foul a** hates dark skin women.”
JUST BRITTANY AND KAIYA REACT
After the clip resurfaced, Just Brittany reacted, saying, “I’m happy this video is making its rounds and I want to say that colorism definitely plays a role in lighter skinned women, like myself, having more access in the industry. Kaiya is extremely talented and I wish darker women were seen more…”
Kaiya also reacted, telling the Shaderoom, “The resurfacing of the video is so surreal. I’m humbled that a lot of people have come out in support of my journey. Colorism is a topic that needs to be discussed wholly and not summed up in one response, but it’s very disheartening to know so many go through this male or female.”
She continued, “To pin Black women and men against one another, or make it where some are seen superior is sad. As the years go on, I hope it’s being addressed and rectified in the future.”
