*India.Arie hit up social media to call out Megan Thee Stallion and Janelle Monáe for twerking onstage with fans during the 2023 Essence Festival this past weekend.
“Hot girl bootcamp was in full effect last night. It’s @janellemonae with the encouragement for us,” the official Essence Festival Instagram account tweeted.
As reported by The Jasmine Brand, India.Arie shared her thoughts in a comment under the post. She wrote, “The issue is what is CONTEXT. Humanity does EVERYTHING. But does EVERYTHING BELONG IN A STAGE. No. is everything for KIDS? No. is everything for EVERY BODY? NO. so when we as a culture make something like this main stream ~ it shows a lack of discretion [and] discernment.”
The R&B songstress continued, “To those in the comments who laugh at anyone who wants these things for out culture you certainly have that right. Just as many folks have the right to want our MAINSTREAM International export – out Music – to show us in a respectful light. Id like to go on the record saying : this wont age well and thats my issue.”
India.Arie added, “i LOVE Janelle AND Meg the way i love us all ~ AND i dont like this moment. Dont bother debating me lol idc and I DO this. for 25 yrs i’ve done THIS. so. read ponder or dont.”
As expected, many social media users dragged India.Arie for daring to criticize Black women. As The Jasmine Brand reports, one Twitter user wrote: “Some is y’all are so sad and don’t know your history. People of the African Diaspora have been dancing with their hips and pelvis for hundreds of years! It’s ancestral and ceremonial and this cultural tradition survived the transatlantic slave trade. Please read your history before you call our cultural traditions “ghetto” and “ratchet “ and go watch some traditional African dance videos.”
India.Arie EXCLAIMS that these two show off WAYYYY too much body. She was later SLAMMED by supporters.
JanelleMonae (left) and Megan Thee Stallian (right) pic.twitter.com/b5p4cPiosG
— HotWire (@HotWiresLeaks) July 6, 2023
However, some did agree with the singer, as one Twitter user commented: “@indiaarie thank you @essence and @essencefest really let us down. If we can count on no one else to hold black women in the highest of regards its always been Essence – now they too have taken the bait to hyper sexualize black women. Sad day!”
YOU CANNOT POLICE @JanelleMonae ????️#EssenceFest pic.twitter.com/h8iodAnIOp
— ESSENCE Festival (@essencefest) July 1, 2023
READ MORE: Janelle Monáe: ‘I’m Much Happier When My Ti**ies Are Out’ | PicsVideo – LOOK!
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